Alphabet Ice Cream

Mary's new favourite book is Alphabet Ice cream. This is a very simple and easy to see alphabet book. The inside of the fron cover has the two characters Sue and Nick waving, Mary likes to wave back. We have then gone through the alphabet signing the letters and the pictures and saying the words and sounds. She has really enjoyed it. Has been her half term book. And I have ordered the other books in the series from the library as mary has been pointing at their pictures on the back cover. The last word in the book is a big ZOOM!! and I have to use my hand th hold Mary's finger and trace over the letters including the !! at the end. I get in trouble if we dont trace the !! at the end. So nice she is enjoying her books.

Speech and Language Therapy

Mary had a visit from her S&L therapist on the 22 December 2009. Was quite amusing because she chose that day to experiment with the potty and was starkers when the lady arrived. Fortunately we have coem to know her quite well and Mary was soon placed in a nappy. Althoguht hte rest of the clothes stayed off.

Our lovely S&L Therapist is retiring in July and hopes, although given the state of the NHS may not happen, that there will be a person in place as soon as she has gone. We shall wait and see. She hopes that Mary will be saying 10 words fairly clearly by July. This obviously depends on the cooperation of the young child. Hmmm. In an attempt to get Mary interested in sounds, our lady has suggested we emphasise the first letters of words. So Ball, we repeat the word ball a few times when she playing with one and then do " b b b b".

On Christmas Eve 2009, for breakfast I too her a banana. I thought it not a ball but I got her to sign the banana and ask please. Then thought I could do "b b b b" which I did. She copied and OK it came out "p p p" but it is a start and she really enjoyed trying. That is the main thing. Getting her motivated. She is now paying a bit more attention when I do the sounds with her. We will have to see how she goes this next term.

123 jump

Stuck in Walberswick for dinner Mary learnt 123 jump. There were two plastic life size sheep in the garden of the pub. She was calling them cows. Not sure if she playing tricks on us or getting it wrong. But she did sign sheep with a giggle.

Also said 'oun oun' for round round in a song at hiccups on monday. Its coming!

She says now:-

"iiiieee iiieee" for Bye Bye. She can say "b" but does not string them together. Early days I know. Just noting down stuff as observation not criticism.

"oun oun" for Round Round. Was absolutley marvelous on Monday to see/hear her do this. Usually there is only one or two renditions of each song but we did quite a few of "Shake it" that day.

"U U" for Up. Again she can just about do "p" but not linking the sounds. We use the dandelion seed heads to practice "p" and "f" sounds. She seeems to enjoy that.

"O O" as from Pop or toast. Not quite sure but she signs toast with vigour accompanied by the "o" sound.

Very difficult to write down exactly how she says her words and without context one would not know they were words. But her range of babbling sounds is increasing everyday and she is even babbling without her ears on. So wonderful to hear. Starting to worry now all our effort to learn sign and teach her sign will be wasted if she learns to speak. Think though she will always use it. Who knows be up to her in a few years.

Banana Mummy

Mary came over to me in the kitchen. Signing something. Took me a while to get it. It was the sign for banana (mime yourself peeling a banana).

First time I recall her coming over to me and asking for something.

She is really taking off with sign this week and her vocalisations are getting more complex. I am trying to record it for this record but as soon as I get the camera out she goes quiet.

On another note, got a confession to make. I was wondering why we had not seen our speech and language therapist. Saw her at my sign class last night. Turns out it was my fault. I have missed two sessions. Oops Apologies. Will be in next week.