my-speck

i'm pregnant and it's going to be a rollercoaster

Leaps and Bounds September 23, 2010

Filed under: activities for kids,Communication,development stages,exercise,family,Parenting,Raising a Child,Sign Language — rakster @ 8:36 pm

Hello Little Poogie,

It seems that something has switched ‘on’ in your big brain, and you are going through a ‘learning progression’ in leaps and bounds. Well, that is how it seems to me anyway.

Following the incident two days ago when you told me you needed to have a sleep, which I thought was most-likely a one-off miracle, you’ve continued to do that for the past two days at every sleeping opportunity. In the morning for your nap, in the afternoon for your nap, at night before bed, and, amazingly, when you were crying in the middle of the night and I took you to the kitchen to comfort you: you told me through tears that you wanted to go back to bed. “So there! mumma, I know what I want even if I am crying!” You went back to bed and cried a little more but then fell asleep.

Weird!

Then today at swimming you pre-empted the teacher on just about every little exercise we do, throwing yourself into the water face-first at most opportunities to demonstrate that you knew your head was about to go under and bubbles were required. Almost caught me off-guard a few times.

And language. (more…)

 

My little signer: mumma, I want to go sleepy! September 21, 2010

Filed under: activities for kids,baby stuff,Communication,development stages,eating,emotion,family,Parenting,Raising a Child,Sign Language — rakster @ 1:13 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello!

Amazing thing just happened. You actually signed “sleepy” or “sleeping” for the first time, in trying to tell me you wanted to go to bed!

the background: why i would never have expected you needed a sleep at that point

You have another permutation of the day-care-cold you’ve had for weeks, so you are a bit more tired than normal, and this morning I put you down for a sleep at 9am after you woke at 6:45 in the morning, as you were grumbling at me and just needed it. Normally you go through to around 11am now before you go down for a sleep. Anyway, you slept for just over an hour, then we went out and you played with some kids in the creche that you know while I did pilates. I’d taken you a big fat rissole and you ate that for the whole hour I was gone.

I picked you up, and you looked a bit tired, but I thought, well, you’ve only been up for two hours, so can’t be bed-time yet. We ventured home via the fish shop, where you ogled the pictures of the fish and busily told me that you wanted to eat them (all via baby signing: signing, “fish, fish” and trying to say it, then signing “eat, eat”). We jumped in the car and came home, you still madly signing “eat” and “more, more”. I made you a quick toasted sandwich with hommus, tomato and cheese, and while you munched down on that, got one for myself. I came and joined you at the table and you of course demanded my sandwich instead of yours and started to eat that.

Signing “Sleep”

Then the weird bit. You suddenly stopped eating, had a big drink of water, then started to move your hand to the side of your head and tilt your head. And I, dumbfounded wondered what you were doing. Then you did it again. And pointed towards the doorway back to your room. And I got it. Despite the fact that I’ve been signing sleep, or sleepy, for about 6 months and you’ve never shown any indication that you’ve even noticed me signing it, let alone attempting to copy it: there you were, signing “sleepy”. (more…)

 

Level of understanding – babies ‘get’ a lot more than I give them credit for August 11, 2010

Filed under: activities for kids,baby stuff,Communication,Parenting,Raising a Child,Sign Language — rakster @ 12:32 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello!

So. Last night. I was ready to go to uni and was just giving you a breastfeed before running out the door. You’re totally used to the night-time routine, so you knew what was going on. Sometimes if I’m too slow (running behind schedule), you come into the bedroom and get on the bed and tell me, “boobie, boobie, boobie” with your sign language to let me know that it is time for boobie. And then when you’re done sometimes you let me know that you’re ready for the next step (going to Daddy to say goodnight), by signing “Daddy” and saying “DaDa” then signing “Goodbye” (waving). So you’re totally on-top-of-it generally. But last night just blew me away. (more…)

 

Baby Sign – Cat! – Movie Monday July 19, 2010

Filed under: activities for kids,baby stuff,Communication,Movie,Parenting,Raising a Child,Sign Language — rakster @ 1:00 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

Hello,

Cat it is … (more…)

 

Too much to even try to catch-up. July 18, 2010

Filed under: activities for kids,baby stuff,Communication,development stages,family,Parenting,Raising a Child,Sign Language — rakster @ 3:49 pm
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Hello Poogie,

once again, weeks have gone by and I haven’t had the time to write. This happens once in a while – a few days go by, then I think, “Aha, I should write about …….”. Then a few more days go by, I forget what it was then I start to get overwhelmed with how much I have to write. So I don’t… and then the cycle continues.

In this case I’ve also been rather extremely busy: we’ve been getting used to Childcare (you and I), I’ve been working and my work project went somewhat sideways so required some brainpower and attention, uni is getting busy – just wrote my first exam on Saturday and we’ve started work on the assignment…. And you just are SO much fun to hang out with, that when you’re awake and I’m not working I just want to play with you. So housework and writing blogs has been slightly sidelined in preference to actual living.

(Oh, and I’ve developed a slight addiction to (more…)

 

Is it a bird, is it a plane? YES! The amazing signing baby! – Movie Monday (once again belated) May 11, 2010

Filed under: activities for kids,baby stuff,Communication,development stages,Movie,Parenting,Raising a Child,Sign Language,video — rakster @ 7:58 pm
Tags: , , , ,

Hello!

It’s belated Movie Monday again.  I’ve been busy, what can I say.

You have also been busy.  Learning.  Do you remember that I’ve mentioned that I had decided then started trying to teach you baby sign language?

Well, the fruits of my and your labour are starting to pay off.  (more…)