Let's Communicate

We knew that we wanted to do some sign language with Jeffrey ever since we saw how successful it was with helping my niece to talk. She's now 3.5 years old and doesn't STOP talking. Most people have no clue that she's only three since she's so advanced in her talking. Granted, she was one of those babies that focused on verbal skills more than motor skills, so she's opposite of Jeffrey in that sense. However, it was still awesome to be able to communicate with her and understand her wants/needs before she could verbalize them. There really is nothing cooler than that.

So, we've decided that it's time to really get started. We got a video from Netflix and have been learning some of the signs. We've chosen a few to start out with, and we'll gradually increase how many we are using on a daily basis. That way we don't get overwhelmed, and it helps US actually learn the signs. Since Jeffrey is already clapping and waving, we figure it won't be horribly long before he starts attempting some signs of his own!

The words we're starting out with:

• Hi/Bye (which he knows already)
• change (as in his diaper, clothes, etc)
• milk
• dog/Coco
• no (one of this favorite since he shakes his head 'no' every time he hears the word)
• bath
• water
• sleep
• ball
• eat
• more
• hot

I'm so excited to start being able to "talk" to my little man!