A Sign of His Own Creation

Baby sign language is amazing. I'm a baby sign advocate. It's great. We have taught him signs that he uses (hot, bye, diaper, milk, food, more, help, please) and of course there are ones that we use that he hasn't perfected. We are trying to teach him to sign "thank you" (and to understand it's meaning) as well as perfect the sign for "please".

While at Auntie Sue's over Christmas we were saying good night to everyone and Stanley had his hand over his ear (flat palm to ear) I had seen him do this before but didn't put two and two together. Auntie Sue called it. She said something like, "Yes, you're going night night." and then she did the sign for that which is putting your palms together and putting them  to the side of your head (as if to lay your head on a pillow). Who knew?! (Besides Auntie Sue!) So good. So since we've been home after the holidays Stan B will grab his sleeping accoutrements (cow star and blankie) and put his hand to his head and walk to his room. AMAZING. This makes nap time a gazillion times easier.

So, up to now Stan B has learned signs that we have taught him but he has actually come up with a sign of his own that I figured out. He made a sign for "Cow Star" his cowy cow star, or his cow cow as we call her affectionately. He basically holds an open hand up fingers relaxed and rotates his wrist (as if turning a door knob) over and over again. I think this started from when we played the "where is cow star game" before bed. We would both put our hands up in the air as if to say, "Where is it?" and Stan B started associating that with Cow Star. Now it's just a simple wrist rotation.


cow star from erin kawamata on Vimeo.

I figured out that that was the sign for Cow Star when I decided to toss Cow Cow in the washing machine. I was actually surprised at his reaction; it's nice to see that he can separate from Cow Star without losing it...and I think it's simply because we can communicate fairly well now. (Communication is AMAZING!) I picked Stan B up while he was holding Cowy and we walked over to the washing machine and I took Cowy from him and tossed her into the washing machine. Stanley pointed at her and seemed concerned and almost upset. I told him that Cow Star was taking a bath and that we would see Cow Star later. I said, "Let's say bye-bye to Cow Star. Bye-bye Cow Star!" as I waved at Cow Star in the washing machine. At that moment Stan B waved and then reached for the top loader's door and slammed it down. It was great. We walked to the couch to put his shoes on and he made his sign for Cow Star while looking over at the machine. I asked him if he wanted to see Cow Star and I made the sign and he pointed at the machine. So we went back over. I opened the door and we looked in and I said, "See you later, Cowy!" and Stan B waved bye. When we got home later and I had transferred Cow Star into the dryer Stan B made the sign again and I let him look in the dryer. It was really cool. He was aware of what was going on. AND we were on the same page about what that sign meant.