Booo (k) Please!

Last Wednesday evening 24 February 2010, I was rushing out to sign class and my good friend was babysitting the two girls. For ease of my friend's life I thought to put Mary in bed for her. She can be a monkey at bedtime. I laid mary on her bed covered her up. gave her some milk. When she finished her milk I waved bye and made to go. She signed to me "book" and said "Booo plea". What could I do? My clever girl had asked for using voice and sign for a book. So I read her a story. Made me late for sign but well Mary is so clever and needs her rewards when she asks for things so nicely.

New Words:
Booo - Book.

She said "..arry"

Monday morning and I got Mary dressed in her room. Seh was messing about a bit and standing on her bed and not being at all helpful. Anyway after a bit of a struggle we were done and I was readdy to go downstairs. I am trying to encourage her to take herrself up and down the stairs. But as some of you know Mary and energetic ventures are not always compatible so in the interests of speed in teh mornings I usually carry her down the stairs. This MOnday as I turned and signed downstairs, Mary lifted her arms up and said " 'arry" Clear as that. In fact she said it a couple of times. What else could I do. My clever girl. So of course that morning she got her wish and mummy 'arried her downstairs.

New word

'arry - carry

She knows her place! And Mummy's and Daddy's!

Apologies for being so slack. Things have been a little hectic here. Mary's Dad and I separated at the beginning of December. Was rather complicated for a while so these things got left to their own devices.

I was really concerned as to how Mary woudl take it all Daddy living in a separate house. We could explain things to our 5 year old and she had a few questions. But how do we explain such a complex issue to Mary when we still at the basic level of communication.

But never fear Mary is so clever. I dropped her at Daddy's after about two weeks of separation. She had stayed at his on the Wednesday night but he had picked her up from here. Anyway the Saturday morning when I put her inside Daddy's house she took her coat and shoes off and then turned to me... She pointed at me with a determined look on her face and signed "go". I asked her for a kiss and she repeated her signs and turned away and went inside. Of course I was haertbroken, at not getting my kiss. But that told me! The next week when Daddy dropped them off here. She asked to go up into my arms and then turned to Daddy and waved.

Ho she has worked out that Daddy and Mummy live in different houses amazes me. SHe is so intuitive. She is brilliant.

New signs
"Go"
DVD
Cat DVD please
Come
No - and she takes great delight in telling other children "no"
Eat
Downstairs

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.

OOOPs Loads to add

Sorry have been a bit lax over the past while have a few things to add in....

Weekend of 24-26 May, Sun -Tue, We went up to Bradford to see my biological family again. Was lovely and the first time they had all met Mary. I was very touched by how much effort they had gone to to learn some sign language. Cousin Chloe was marvelous she spelled her name very well. Mary thoroughly enjoyed her time. All week that week everthign was funny (Hold your open hand under your chin and shake it up and down like a jaw moving.)

2 June 2009
Playing with the boy I childmind. On the way home from preschool we play a game of Ready Steady Go. The boy waits and then runs ahead on the "Go". Mary wanted to walk and was playing the game. She learnt about the waiting and would run ahead on the Go. She has been signing and saying "oH"and flicking her finger forward.

This day she was out of the pram and really getting into the spirit of things. She came up to me and was actually saying "Beebe beeebeb Oh" Definitely trying herr best to say the "Ready Steady Go". I tried caputring this on camera but she went silent as soon as the camera came out.

New words:-

Ready Steady Go - Beebe beeebeb Oh

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Following our visit to the Emmeline Centre on the previous day, we took Katy to School. Mary was in her pram facing away from me as usual. Katy and I had been chattering also as usual and Mary was singing. Then I decided to sing Baa Baa Black Sheep to her. She stopped singing and turned her face up to look at me. We have three verses to our song: The boy, The girl and The dog who live down the lane. By the time I finsished the first two versus she was signing "Again" ( Flick two fingers of dominant hand down). Brilliant listening that day. Just goes to prove my theory about her overall desire to listen. Only on her terms.

HICCUPS - toddler group

We attend a special toddler group on alternate Mondays for Hearing and Visually Impaired children. It is called Hiccups which stands for Hearing Impaired Children Coming up to Primary School. It started out with the HI children and we have since melded with the VI children. It is very interesting to find out the different challenges those children and their families have.

Back to Mary, our Deaf adult friend Gavin was there and Mary spent a lot of time watching his signing. She also wore her ears very well even in the noisy environment. It was so great to see her mixing with the other children. Brilliant day. Then after Hiccups we went to our new friends house. Mum is lovely, her daughter is only 5 months and HI and VI. Be wonderful to watch how she develops. Mary found that her big sister had a rocking horse and merrily signed horse. Then after being on the horse for a while signed up and off. She was tired but is starting to sign such a lot. What a clever girl.

After a bad weekend with the ears Mary wore her ears very well today and I noticed her making a range of different sounds. I tried getting it on video but as soon as she saw the camera she stopped.

But the best news today is that she can say Mummy properly. No Mummummumm. She has said it twice today so I know it was not a fluke the other day. Now does she actually need to say anymore???!

New Word
Mummy

An hour at Addenbrookes...

We spent nearly two hours in the car this afternoon for less than an hour at the Orthoptist (Eye person who tests eye sight). Well at least I only paid £1.80 for parking. Mary's eyesight supposedly is quite bad and unless we get her wearing her glasses now she will have poor eyesight always after she turns 8. Poor girl. She hates them. Will have to persevere though.

On a more positive note she wore her Magic Ears happily throughout the session. Just the evil glasses she didnt like.

No new sounds but she has invented a sign for Wotsits. Kind of like ice cream but instead of licking your hand you make an O sucking face as if you are sucking a wotsit in. All good communication.

Will fill you all in about her progress from switch on until I started this. Will jump about a bit when I remember things. Until I am up to date.

Words to date she has said
Mumma
Barbara (Bwarbwarbrrraa)
Fish (ishhhh)
Bike (bk)
Ball (bbbblll)