We hope that this week's topic will be a lot of fun. We're excited about sharing what's going on in our babies' lives and really look forward to hearing about your babies too! We also hope this will be a great way to get advice and share ideas on the day-to-day things our babies are doing and experiencing.
Lydia is 14 months old today. I can hardly believe how fast the time has flown. I look at her now and say she's my "little girl" rather than "baby." This week she has been practicing being a mommy herself. I carried her in a pocket sling for the first five months of her life so she is well-acquainted with this type of sling. However, a friend made this pocket sling for Lydia in just her size. All week she's brought me a doll and her sling and wanted me to help her put the baby in. It is one of the most precious things I've seen and has warmed my heart to watch her carry her baby dolls this way and think of her being a mommy herself one day! It has also really made me think about the legacy I want to leave for my daughter. When she is a mommy one day, will she be able to look back at her mother and see godliness and holiness as an example for her to emulate, or will there be baggage she'll have to shed to be a godly mother herself? I pray it will be the former!
Here's some other things going on this past week - she loves to laugh, stomp her feet, run, jump, clap, dance, knock over towers, sort shapes through a box lid, feed herself, try any food we're eating, drink out of a glass, and show her sense of humor. Lydia is absolutely mesmerized by animals (including stray cats haha!) and she loves to make small spaces to play in - we call it a "clubhouse." She is talking more and more, although most things are still not words. We wonder if this is because she has input of two languages. Does anyone know if children who are learning two languages at the same time speak later? She definitely communicates what she wants and doesn't, it's just that words seem to be her last resort of communication.
10 comments:
Oh my word! Lydia is precious!I had to call Hugh into the office just so I could show him Lydia's sling for her babies. Adorable!
I loved the fact that you mentioned that you yearn for Lydia to remember and model after the ministry of a godly mother to her family, walking and growing in Him daily. I yearn for that too.
Ah, she's so sweet wearing the pouch!!! I'm so glad she likes it!
You're such a good momma! Don't worry, she'll start talking before you know it and she'll knock your socks off with a stunning vocabulary:) Soon you'll be posting about all the new words she's saying, and you'll be shocked at that she uses each in the proper context! I promise.
Hi! I am a mother of three (5,3, and 6 months) and I loved your interest in your daughter's language. I have been fortunate to work in daycares and my colleges where I got to see children with multiple languages, and don't worry they will talk soon. (Some are funny and will only speak German or French when you talk to them in English and then English when you talk to them in German.) If you feel you want to understand her better, I have a great suggestion. I taught all of my children infant sign language. I started showing all the signs around 6 months when I talked to them, at 8 months they started signing back. Your daughter will catch on much faster. Children can master arm movements faster then they can master speaking. They understand language but do not have the ability to use it. With infant sign, they can tell you what they need. It is AMAZING! I start with simple signs such as eat, more, help, and milk. Once the grasp that, they will take off. It really helps with fustration when they become a toddler. Toddlers desperately want you to understand them and with infant sign they can (they can tell you if they hurt, or are sick, or want to go outside). My husband LOVES it. Sometimes he felt so uncomfortable that he couldn't figure out what they wanted. By 12 months, they were able to sign so many things, my husband felt he could help them. It is also cute that when they start talking, they still use the sign (so you are never left guessing). I really feel I didn't have fussy toddlers, because they could sign to me. I don't know if you have tried sign or not, but if you really feel you want to communicate better- this is a great way!!
I was also wondering if you guys had signed with Lydia? I really think I remember you saying something about it before...
I read a lot about it and am SO glad we decided to use it. One of the common concerns (although mostly unfounded according to research) is that they will talk later if they have sign language to rely on. I really feel like Will would be at the same place he is with his words and be more frustrated most of the time without his signs. He is too funny as he is starting to make his own signs up. He has made up signs for "ball" and "banana."
The only problem I've heard from other Moms whose kids sign is when they are around caregivers that don't know the signs. Then they get even more frustrated. I haven't encountered this as the only ones that don't know his signs are nursery workers. (Although, he doesn't do well in the nursery...hmm...but I think its separation anxiety.) Good thought anonymous!
Good words on the sign language! I read a lot about it while I was pregnant and had great intentions of doing it, but really haven't been consistent. She didn't start eating food until she was about 11 months, so, before that, I would sign "milk" and that was the extent of our sign language. She understands the sign and always comes running, but won't sign back, even when I know she's ready to be nursed. I've started working with her on "more," "food," and "drink." Anytime I sign, though, she laughs hysterically at me like I'm being a big joker. Then I crack up and we just end up laughing. Even with "milk" she grins and laughs - I don't think she's figured out she can do it back and I think that has probably been my inconsistency of not signing everytime I say the word. . .
too funny that she laughs at the signs!!! I do think consistency is the key. Jacob and I can just say the word now and Will signs it. Rarely do I have to model the signs anymore...unless its a new one that we are trying to learn. Right now that is "thank you" since he won't say it yet.
Krista, I'm a friend of a friend of Hollie's and I've enjoyed this blog very much. My husband and I served overseas before and I worked with kids who heard two languages. It definetly is true that they will speak later than those who hear one language, but don't worry. I worked at an orphanage in Africa, and it was amazing to me how the children would know who spoke English and who spoke Sesotho, and would speak to that adult accordingly. Especially with the internationals, they knew who was fluent and who wasn't. The research studies say to keep the languages separate- for example, speak only one language in your home to your family in order to separate it from the other language. It supposedly helps them to differentiate between the two and understand things better cognitively. I hope that makes sense. Good luck!
Amy
Wow Krista - she sure is cute! Ethni is having the same language issue: talking giberish constantly but slow on many words. She has a few she says - and then the rest she grunts. I've heard that they can be slower when learning two at one time. It's starting to drive me crazy!!
Hey,
Lydia is adorable and thank you so much for sharing what is going on with her. I was reading the posts and I would so not worry about language Our Lydia grow up for 11 months hearing 2 languages and she did talk a little later but I might add her fisst two languages were not English. She still understands and says Kazak and Russian Words and now is just taking off with English and has a very good ear for language and sounds now and from my observations I think it is becasue she heard so many different linguistical sounds at so early. I also think sign language is so important and really has helped Lydia's development, I talk to her in English and sign at the same time so she knows a lot of signs (even before I knew about signs for babies this is something that I wanted to teach my children since it is my second language.) She also hears some French from me as well as her daddy's family (they are French Cajun) so she seperates really well. Don't worry she will be fine and will gain so much from having 2 languages.
On a differnt note I saw she loves to dance etc...so does Lydia and to add creativity to her dance I made a shakere out of beans rice and a paper towel tube and decorated it with stickers and she loved dancing with it I also tied pieces of different colored ribbon to a soft hair scrunchie and she puts it on her wrist and spins and dances with it she loves it (we also work on colors but she is a little older she just turned 2) With me quitting my job I have learned to take things from around the house and make "toys" Once again sorry so long and thanks for the blog.
AJ
I am commenting way late, but I haven't had a chance to catch up on my blog reading in a while!
I use signs with my kiddos that I work with and it is amazing. I am so into it that we are using it at church. We do a new sign with our babies-two's and our special needs class every 3 or 4 weeks. I teach the sign to the teachers and then have a handout for the parents showing the sign. Every 6 months I give a copy of all the signs we have done so far. It is so cool to see the sweet ones sitting at the snack table and signing. It's also really cool when parents are asking what something means that they have learned in church.
Also, with my other job I run into lots of kids with second languages. They are generally a little behind because of the fact they are trying to decipher the two, but from what I have seen they receptively pick up both quickly. This is good because as a general rule kids understand before they speak. So, if she is understanding you guys then I would not stress it at all.
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