This is a very delayed post!
Before Aki’s “Speak Now” button was pushed sometime when he was 22 months old, he liked to resort to baby sign language. I have blogged about baby sign language a couple of times here. Until now, I wonder if it somehow attributed to the delay in Aki’s speech. I just try to move forward and be thankful that we were able to effectively communicate with him most of the time when he was still pre-verbal.
I used “most of the time” because there were times when sign language actually got us quite frustrated. Whenever I taught Aki new signs and he immediate applied them, I was very happy. But what happens when he comes up with hs own signs? Crazy, I say. How were we supposed to know that the impatient toddler was demanding for french fries when he raised his two pointer fingers? He was in my in-laws house when he first did his french fries sign. My MIL, Manang and Ate Pati offered all the food available in the kitchen before they thought of making fries.
This was his sign for fish.
And this meant, he wanted a straw.
Aki still signs now but most of the time he says the word as he signs.