Baby Signs

A few weeks ago Tom and I embarked on the long journey of teaching the girls baby sign language. They recommend starting around 9 months, but say you can start anytime, but to be patient with younger babies because it will take longer for them to pick it up. Well, here we are a few weeks later and Natalie can already do the sign for milk! It truly is amazing that she can already communicate with us and it is only going to get better. We have started with a handful of words...they recommend only doing about 5, but there are so many, around 12 or so that we say over and over again on a daily basis that we just go ahead and use their signs and we are just waiting for the girls to catch on. The words we are signing at the moment are: Mommy and Daddy, (of course :-)) Milk, kitty, book, sleep, cereal, bath, diaper. Then sometimes we will just sign something if we remember the sign. We bought the baby signs program, it came with a dvd, a guide of 100 words and 4 cardboard books to read with the girls that show the signs in action. It really is cute and we cannot wait to be able to communicate with them and to be able to understand them sooner. From what I have read sign language helps them speak earlier too! I know this system works because I had a co-worker who taught his son sign language and it was awesome when I would babysit him because he wouldn't cry when he wanted something he would just sign it and I could get it. So here is hoping that the frustrating crying and not understanding will diminish and open communication will start sooner!