My Baby's First Sign!

"Yes, that had to be it." I summed up the experience to my hubby over dinner. " That baby who signed in class must be a genius."

"A genius." My hubby agreed.

"But, I'll keep trying," I added. "Our baby is smart, too."

So, I kept trying.

"Eat?" I would place my fingers to my lips before I fed Baby Boo. "More?" I would sign as I saw her eyeing my dinner plate.

Then, one afternoon, a fleck of magic found its way into our world. We were having lunch in a family restaurant. I was summing up all I had learned in baby sign language class to my 10 year old stepdaughter.

"So, its all about reinforcement. If it looks like she is signing 'milk', you hand her a bottle. "

We both glanced at my baby in her car seat. She was gazing at something and pointing and circling her hand.

"Perfect example right there," I said. "It looks like she is doing the sign for fan. So, we reinforce."

I smiled at my baby. "Yes, Baby Boo, do you see something that looks like a fan?"

"Could it be all those ceiling fans?" asked my stepdaughter.

My breath was taken from me as I raised my eyes to the ceiling. I don't know why I didn't notice before. There must have been a dozen ceiling fans on full speed, attempting to cool the summer heat. And my darling 8 month old genius was using American Sign Language to let me know.

It was the first of many magical moments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gSZfW4gVhI