New Signs and Sounds!

Today I was getting out my bag of toys I have reserved for "Learning to Listen" playtime, and I got out an airplane. I said "ahhhhhh, airplane" and made the sign for plane. Peter signed it back! Granted, it was a baby version, with just an index finger instead of thumb, index, and pinky all extended.

But the intent was very clear, and he repeated it several times while holding or looking at the toy, and then again outside looking at a real plane!  So I spent a lot of time, spread out throughout the afternoon saying" ahhhh", and Peter did say it at one point, while walking with the toy plane. It could be a total coincidence, but it seemed like the sound was a little different than the noises he usually makes. He is a very vocal little guy, but usually he his more of an "oooh" er than an "ahhh"er. 

He is also signing ALL DONE, MILK, and he sort of signed STAR, but that last one was just pointing at them in a book, copying me, so I don't really count it.  I am not a voice-off ASL user at this point, so all my signs are accompanied by me talking, and I respond to Peter's signs with both hand and voice. I used ASL to reinforce words in the French classes I was teaching, too. I am probably screwing myself up to ever be really fluent in sign, but I hope Peter gets a lot of good vocabulary that he can build on in both signed and spoken language. 

Peter also starting making kissing noises today! I would give him a kis when he did it, so he kept going :)

Tomorrow we meet with the speech therapist our insurance covers. She sort of specializes in CI clients, but I also heard she is a little old school about sign. I guess I will know for sure after our meeting!