Wow.

So the last two days with Amelia have shown me that HOLY #$%! we have a small person in our house, not a baby. Sigh. My baby is not a baby.

Situation #1: Amelia and I went out to lunch yesterday because we didn't have any food at home (yes, you read that correctly, we finally made it home despite much foot dragging on our part...) Anywho, she is sitting there in her high chair being adorable -- she kept waving at another woman who was having lunch there and she would give this big toothy grin at her every few minutes. She's slowly eating (she's a slow eater like her momma) and after awhile starts throwing food on the floor. I do the usual, "Are you done?" and I signed the sign language sign for "done." I have been doing this sign language thing since she was six months old and will admit I have grown weary of it. I know she understands what we say to her and I do the sign OVER AND OVER and she DOES NOT SIGN BACK. It has gotten annoying. Well, yesterday she looks me dead on and does the sign! I couldn't believe it! So I pull her out of her high chair and we get ready to go home. I wondered if it was a fluke?

Situation #2: This morning Amelia is getting fussy and it's time for her morning nap. I did the sign for "nap/bed" and she also did it back to me. When I see her do it I realize she has been doing this one for awhile, but I didn't realize it. I again wonder if this is a fluke...

Situation #3: This afternoon around naptime she was acting fussy and so I do the sign again. She doesn't sign back. I decided to give it some time and about 15 minutes later, I tried again. Nothing. I decide to give it some more time - after all, she is not THAT fussy. About 15 minutes after that, she looks at me across the room and SHE DOES THE SIGN all by herself! I could NOT believe it. So I scooped her up and we went into her room and she took a nap! Recently we have realized how much she understands what she says to us - but now she's showing us that she can communicate back. I'm going to find two new signs to introduce this weekend and see how long it takes her to pick them up (hopefully not another 6 months :))

We'll put some new pictures up soon...