Elisa and I tried since early on to get Eden to communicate with hand signals. Lots of babies are able to say simple things with signs long before they know how to speak. Eden just never got it though. For example, we would hold our hands in front of us and spin them while we said, “ALL DONE???” From the 6 month mark until now she never would do the sign back to us when she was done eating. She would just whine until we got her down. Then finally a couple weeks ago she did the sign to us. She shook her hands around really frenetically. We asked “All done?” and she did it even harder. I think she was pleased that we understood her. Ever since then she has been using the sign more often. Within about two days, communication broke down again. She was having so much success with the sign that she started using it for “more” and “I’m hungry” and “I want to move.” We pretty much don’t understand her anymore when she makes the sign. It was almost the beginning of better communication with her, but it ended up being just a near miss. We aren’t giving up quite yet. We are still trying to help her communicate. Babbling to us seems to be her method of choice still.

In the last week she has started to give us a one-handed wave for “hello” and “goodbye” and “good night.” It’s really cute. It’s easier on her if Elisa and she wave goodbye before Elisa leaves for night classes.

Eden wants to sit with me at the laptop. Here’s another one of her attempts to communicate.

{;;v  bga2c3C32CCA33C31QBBB`V WEZXSW2HGYY“““““““wed q s76ki6k4saWze wqKKDFTN4NJFMHSHHO-DTNMFD097LLS