A guest article submitted to BabySignsDVD.com
Having a baby changes your life is so many wonderful and unexpected ways—and in many not-so-wonderful ways. When I first found out I was pregnant, I had tons of advice coming in from every direction possible, from well intentioned friends and family to total strangers telling me what to avoid or not avoid. If you think total strangers giving you advice seems strange, wait until you hit your eight month mark. Total strangers will start walking toward you giving advice as they are reaching out to touch your stomach! Sounds crazy, but it happens all the time! People think that just because you are pregnant that they can rub your stomach or drop down on their knees to see if they can hear or feel the baby move—keep in mind that they are total strangers!
So when I had a total stranger recommend to me that I read some books on teaching my baby sign language, I thought she was nuts just like all the rest. After little Simone was born, I found myself at the library cruising the aisles in a panic to read everything about child rearing and I came across a book on sign language for babies. I checked it out and started it as soon as I got home. I found the book just absolutely fascinating.
Did you know that babies communicate verbally last, and that odds are most babies are communicating (or attempting to communicate) with us way before they can ever make a sound? Neat stuff huh? So, I excitedly told my husband all about Simone and how she was communicating.
A couple of months went by and I was working daily with Simone on how to sign. All the while my husband was thinking I was nuts. As a cute joke for my birthday he gave me a present with the card reading, “From Simone”. I giggled, and let out a pretty good chuckle when I saw what he got me: a sign language coffee mug with the sign language sign for “I love you”. I showed it to Simone, her eyes grew large and then she said “love” …her first word!
I was thrilled and my husband burst out laughing, turns out she had been paying attention! I told him it was a good thing that he didn’t get me some sort of sign language gag gift as who knows what Simone would be babbling right now!
