He's Signing!

So as a lot of you know, we have been TRYING to teach Alton some basic signs to make life easier for all concerned. He learned the sign for milk when he was six months old. He still slept with us or in his crib next to us and I can still remember him waking me up and flexing his little fists at me.

When he was a little older and started solids, I began trying to teach him the sign for "all done". Here we are, about a year later, and he has still decided not to use the sign for "all done".

Undeterred, I decided to try to teach him other signs; "more" was the next logical step. It took a couple of months, but he FINALLY learned to sign "more". When he learned "more", he stopped using the sign for "milk".

Now he signs "more" all the time. He signs "more" when he is tired. He signs "more" when he wants more food. He signs "more" when he is all done. We waste a lot of food this way.

I have been trying to teach him the signs for "please" and "thank you". When I ask him to "ask nicely please", he simply signs "more" at me. Le sigh. At least it's better than whining right?

We have a baby signs board book that Alton likes me to read to him and as we read it, I make each of the signs at him. My dad (Alton's pop pop) has decided that it is his job to keep Alton supplied in Costco's oatmeal raisin cookies. You can see where this is going right? As I was reading Alton the signs book, I made the sign for "cookie" at him. He looked me in the eye, and repeated the sign back at me. So Alton got a cookie and a kiss from mommy.

Still no sign of "all done"....

So yesterday Pop Pop, Alton and I were at Costco in the deli section. Alton could see the bakery section and signed "cookie" at Pop Pop. So we went over to the cookie section and procured a box of Costco's finest. Alton started to whine as soon as the cookies touched the cart.
I told him, "If you ask mommy nicely and sign "cookie", you can have one." He looked at me like I was speaking Gibberish and whined again.
"Alton, you need to ask mommy nicely, we don't whine when we want something."
Again with the blank stare followed by the whine.
"If you don't ask mommy nicely, she doesn't understand what you want."

He looked me right in the eye and said aloud, clear as day, "Cookie."

Well that's better than the sign! He got his cookie.

So back at home today, I was trying to clean up the kitchen to start cooking dinner. Alton walked right up to me and signed "please"! Then he pointed and whined at the snack cupboard. So he got some graham cracker gold fish and craisins. Then when Daddy came home from work, I turned off the TV and put some music on. Alton noticed the TV was off (which it normally is) and looked at Travis and signed "please"!

He has also used thank you sporadically. I am hoping that any day now he is going to use the sign for "all done". Any day now....