Thursday, February 7, 2013

Communication

Who doesn't love communicating? 
I mean sometimes it's hard when the other person isn't doing much of it...for instance a lot of the problems in our relationships have to do with communication. It's either the wrong kind, a lack there of OR none at all. 

Now I'm turning this in a whole new direction. Communicating with KIDS!  
When we talk to someone we expect them to listen, understand, respond or at least talk back. With babies...you get nothing. They don't always understand, they might be listening, they might respond, but they certainly don't "talk"...they CRY! That's their way of communicating. It's a whole new learning curve when you become a parent & figuring it all out is quite the journey!

Sometimes you don't know what they need...or want...but eventually you figure it out....or not. HA 

 I'm saying all this to say....

A baby can go from THIS - a helpless little infant, brand new in the world, with only the instinct to cry when he's unhappy...

To THIS - a mischievous little toddler, who has probably figured out MORE than you are even aware of, knows how to test you, cross boundaries & all the while gives you the sweetest little grins even when he KNOWS he's in trouble!!! All of this in just a few months...that's right. They learn fast...these little buggers.

Doesn't that face just say it all? The finger in the mouth is a nice touch...I'm telling you...SMART!

I have been told I have a very well behaved, good baby. I would have to agree because I nannied for 6 years & worked in a day care...I could say I've seen it all...but I still hear stories.  lol

However, he HAS his MOMENTS! 
Don't they all?  No child is going to be absolutely perfect! 
Some babies learn faster than others, they sit up, crawl & walk sooner, or later & hit milestones at different points... but in the learning department you still have to teach them all these things while trying to stay one step ahead of them to figure out what their next move will be! 
That's always fun...Thank the LORD He created women's intuition! 

Well, today I just had to share a little break through with our communication level.

I've seen parents teach their babies sign language. Somehow this tiny person who can't form sentences yet, can communicate to their parents what they want. Its pretty cool & I hear their IQ is better after learning to sign...I haven't checked into it but hey, why not give it a whirl. 
SO, at 6 months I learned a few signs & decided to start working with Greyson. He was just starting solids & I thought this would be a good time for him to be able to tell me if he was thirsty, wanted cereal or more, etc. Every time I fed him I would sign what I was doing...which resulted mostly with blank stares or hysterical laughter. I got no results so after about a month I forgot about it. 

What's ironic is that Matt's aunt (who keeps Greyson occasionally) used to work at a deaf school...she knows how to sign & taught deaf kids for years. Somehow in a few hours (while keeping him from time to time) she would say to Greyson "Where's my pal?" & she taught him to pat his chest in answer to her question that he was her pal. We would go days without seeing her until Sunday morning rolled around & she would ask him the question. Eventually he started patting his chest & now every time he sees her he starts patting his chest before she even asks!! She has since showed him actual signs & I'm beginning to think she has a magic method because the question is...how could he remember what to do without seeing or working with her for weeks at a time & still know exactly what to do with in a few minutes in her presence...when I worked with him every day, every meal with  just ONE sign & got nothing!!! I was baffled...

Eventually, I quit using signs altogether until he started whole milk at a year old. I decided "milk" was something he might actually ask for. I also brought back the sign for "more" during meals & when we were through I would sign "all done" & got him out of his chair. I figured those 3 would be good enough for me IF he ever picked up on it. 
Well, he signs "milk" with me every now & then, but has never USED it to actually ask for the milk...he just lets me know he wants it in a louder, more forceful way. THEN he started saying ALL DONE instead of really signing it & even then he would only sign after I showed him what to do about 10 times in a row...still...I get the communication so that works.

BUT today....while eating breakfast...he actually signed something without me showing him first!! 
He was eating other things on his own & occasionally I would give him a bite of yogurt (while cleaning up the kitchen). I asked him if he wanted more yogurt at one point & without hesitation Greyson said, More? & signed it like he'd been doing it all along...... Really?  

I cheered, clapped & praised him. It was definitely a surprise. Not that big of a deal to some people, but it made me think about just how much he has picked up on without me knowing it. He had tucked that away & even though I never saw a result, didn't mean he didn't know how or when to use it. He is talking a lot more so it is easier to figure out what he wants, so signing kind of fell to the wayside, but even when I didn't stick with it, he understood & pulled it out of nowhere. 

It may just be a small thing...but I guess it makes me believe the saying even more that the moment you stop trying so hard for something...it happens on its own! And that can apply to the baby AFTER it gets here! =)

I am loving this age & every time Greyson does or learns something new, it gives me a sense of pride. Now I know how it feels, now I know what those parents were talking about. There are new accomplishments everyday & I couldn't possibly share them all, but every now & then I am just happy to enjoy the small things!
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2 comments:

  1. this would have been a great blog to tell about the shutting of the bedroom door...such a sweet boy and SMART too! Why am I not surprised! Love you both!!

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  2. I feel like I just have so much to look forward to! Greyson is such a cute little guy...you are blessed!

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