baby signs

I knew I wanted to do signs with Callie once she became old enough to understand. I started using them with her when she was still quite little. Signing "milk" when I would get a bottle. Signing "more" when I would give her another bite of baby food.

Over the summer, while I was home with her every day and she was more able to do signs herself because she was 9 months old, I started forming her hands into the signs to try to get her to do it herself.

She never would.

She would more often giggle at me. Almost like she knew I wanted her to do it but just wouldn't. Maybe not. Maybe she was just still too young.

Fast forward a few months...school has started and Callie's has started her new daycare. I didn't even know they were working on signs with her. But since we had gotten into school and gotten busy, I wasn't doing them with her at home very consistently.

Thankfully, they were.

One day, she signed "more" at me when I was feeding her dinner! She did it perfectly!

Now, she signs "more" and "milk" very consistently. This morning she was fussing around and reaching out like she wanted something off the counter. I said, "What do you want?" And she responded with the sign for milk. So off to find her sippy cup we went. So much better than trying to give her a million things before figuring out what she wants! She will sign when she wants me to keep reading a book or keep doing airplane with her. It's too cute!

Another great time signing is handy is in the car. I give her puffs or cheerios in the cup holder of her car seat. When she runs out, instead of screaming and me not knowing what she needs, she signs more at me in her mirror (she is still rear-facing) and I know she has run out.

She also blows kisses and waves good-bye very enthusiastically now! It's so funny! She loves to blow kisses at the dogs before we leave for school. When we walk out of her daycare room, she starts blowing kisses down the hall at the receptionist. Melt my heart.

Such a smart, sweet girl!!

Christmas Traditions

I love Christmas! That's probably because my mom loves

Christmas and passed on that love of it to me.

So I was so excited to put our Christmas tree up and start

to instill a love of Christmas in Callie.

We hung her baby's first Christmas ornament

from last year on the tree first.

So special.

This is sure to be one of many, many Christmas

memories we will make this year.

I < heart > winter.

I <heart> winter.
Especially when it means that we get to sit in the pressbox at the play-off football game and watch from the window.

I <heart> winter.
Even when it means we need to get bundled up (a lot) for our walks.

I <heart> winter.
Especially when it means time to put the Christmas tree up!

I <heart> winter.
Even when it means that my child gets congestion and coughs more. And has to go to the doctor in her jacket and diaper after throwing up in the car 3 times on the way to the doctor appointment and therefore exhausting all the change of clothes options I had for her.

I <heart> winter.
Especially when it means basketball season and Christmas break are on their way!

Callie <hearts> winter too!