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We met over 8 years ago at church as Shaun was walking in and I was walking out. The few words exchanged sparked an interst that kept Shaun coming back. When we FINALLY began dating 4 years later we soon knew there was something special here. Our first year quickly flew by and we both decided we never wanted to spend another year with anyone else or without each other. We married in the place where it all began on January 1, 2011 (1/1/11) and gave birth to our beautiful daughter Ava Marie on September 22, 2011 our next little one, Clara Rose came 16 months later on February 11, 2013. This blog began with our preparation with our wedding and has entered into recording the days and events of our newlywed life and new motherhood.

The Happy Couple...

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Ava Marie

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Clara Rose

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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Signing Time...

A friend let us borrow some "Signing Time" videos recently and Ava LOVES them! 

She has been so proud of all the new "signs" she's been learning (her favorite is "Baby" with "Dog" and "Shoes" being close seconds)  So far she knows how to sign:

  • Eat/Food
  • Water
  • Milk
  • More
  • Ball (well... she tries)
  • Bird
  • Dog
  • Fish
  • Want
  • Shoes
  • Flower
  • Mom
  • Dad (but she uses her pointer finger instead of her thumb)
  • Baby
  • Sleep (she's working on it)

She gets SO excited when she learns one and is super proud to show it off. 

Here are a couple of videos where she's "selectively" showing her skills.  The first one's longer, the second is pretty quick.


6 comments:

  1. So cute! We did some sign language with Annamarie before she could talk and she loved it too! Now she never signs since she talks so much! I think she'll be one of those kids always asking why things are the way they are, she's never quiet!

    You are right Ava and Annamarie are two peas in a pod, if we lived closer I think they'd get into some great trouble together!

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    1. It's so beautiful to see how Annamarie is opening up your world! She is adorable. They are so "their own persons" aren't they? I just look at your daughter and think of Aves. She's so like that with her strong will and smarts. She is a very good girl, though even with her "detirminedness". I swear they'd be something together!

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  2. That's adorable! We have the signing time videos too...my sister is deaf so I already know sign language...the girls pick it up really quick and retain it. Now, I have the Signing Times song in my head...thanks. (just kidding) "It's signing time with Alex and Leah...."

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    1. Sorry Jamie Jo! They do get stuck don't they? I used to know sign language when I was younger (Freshman in H.S.) but as they say, "when you don't use it". She's just so proud of herself. She's so serious in these videos because she "watches" everything she's learning SOoooo intently, but usually if she learns a new one she gets so proud of herself that she'll laugh or clap. Love it!

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  3. Those videos are cute, I'll have to pull them out again and see if Xander likes them, Phil is very much opposed to kids learning to sign before they can talk, because we've seen a lot of kids who have been taught to sign and don't talk for a long time, it's like the signing replaces words. I know it's supposed to help kids who aren't yet talking be able to communicate and not get frustrated. But he's hardly ever put his foot down on any parenting issues, so I have to give him this one. Now that Xander is talking a lot (this morning he said "Thank you Mama"), I think it's safe to put on the signing videos.

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    1. I remembered Phil was totally against them! There's been lots of "studies" done about learning sign language early, but I don't think anything definitavely shows that it limits speech. I guess it's "language" either way and some words they have a hard time with developmentally until they're older, so whatever works. Also, I think if you're learning two languages at the same time (like a bi-lingual home) sometimes I've seen a slight speech delay, but that's just because there's more "language" to process. They still are learning both as long as there's a solid "language model" of each (instead of say, "broken english") As for Ava, if she knows a word for something, she'll usually say the word instead of signing it. Like, "Ma-ma" or she'll do both at the same time. I figure either way, it helps create new neuropathways in her brain and she'll definitely learn to speak either way... I mean my goodness... look at who her mother is! Right now she's a big "pointer" and points to so many things instead of saying them. Then she'll all of a sudden come out with words I didn't know she knew at all!

      I love that the mother developed the videos because her daughter was deaf and it was a way for other children (her cousin) to communicate with her. Otherwise, how isolating would that be? Just this weekend, we had a friend visit who said they taught his whole 1st grade class sign language because there was one girl who was in class with them who was deaf. It was great because for them it became "normal" and he still remembered a bunch when he was older!

      I guess either way... she's a cutie pie ...and Phil is too, so we gotta love both of em' And as for Xander? Perhaps he can be the "talker" in Ava in his relationship! ;)

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