My Smart Hands Baby Signing App First Look

I'm hungry, I want milk, I want more milk, I'm tired, I need help.

Some basics communications that we take for granted. Not only can we fix these needs for ourselves but we could communicate them to others as well if we needed to.

Being a baby must be frustrating but being a parent who can't read minds is worse. We want to fix the problem ASAP. No one wants their baby to feel hungry or thirsty and then upset because of it.

Until a baby is able to verbalize beyond mamamamamama dadadadada nananana bababana we either become amazing at guess work (moms are pretty intuitive, I tell ya) OR the family learns to sign to each other.

I think this will not only help me but extended family who care for her as well. I'm with this sweet little baby 24/7 and know her schedule of sleeping and eating so much that my body wakes up when it knows she is supposed to. But for others, the idea that she can communicate her needs will save a lot of time and frustration. What I am looking forward to are the "more"  "hurt" and "help" things that you can't always anticipate.

So we are going to give this app a try for iPhone and iPad and see how it goes.

 In an app I am looking for something straight forward, easy to use and with plenty of features. This may sound contrary but I don't want 3 apps to do one thing. If I can find one app that does all three that is a better app. Here it goes.



This app was better better than expected. I think I expected it to be more like a book where you pick a sign and there is a picture-visual of how to perform the sign. This is fine, books don't have a choice but to do things this way. However, it doesn't give my human brain the 3D spatial instruction that it so craves.


There are two ways to look up words which I appreciated. The only category I would have liked to have seen was a Beginner/Moderate/Advanced category. Since we are just starting words like balloon and battery are a bit advanced for us, I am looking for more things like hungry and more.

However, once I went through the signs I was able to easily save them to favorites. Like, seriously easy.The very best part about this app is the explanation of the sign. She goes through the sign, then breaks it down slower with a description of the movement.

If applicable there is also an explanation of what the sign means like if the sign is a combination of letters (like I love you) or it describes a motion associated with the word. In the sign for Animal (below) you are to imagine the sign as the animals lungs breathing in and out.
 I loved this.

 

So you've gone through some signs and think you know your stuff. Well, this app will test your knowledge with a quiz. It changes up the signs every time you want to quiz yourself so you get the full experience.

You start out with the sign without any verbal help. Then the multiple choice part pops up. A lot of these signs are actually pretty easy and if you give it a second or two of thought you can generally guess what it is even if you're not signing proficient quite yet. 

 Because I am amazing, this is what happens. "That's right" you fantastic sign language genius.

So I'm walking away from my first look at this app pretty satisfied. I think its a great tool to add to any literature that you have on baby signing. I do recommend literature because it talks about frequency, first things to sign, when to expect them to sign back and things like that so you don't get frustrated and quit. The book that is associated with this app is the Baby Signing Bible by Laura Berg.   The author is the lady who is doing the sign instructions as well. 

If you want more information check out their website, there are online classes, games and an ASL dictionary.

When was the first time your baby communicated with you? For people still wandering through the baby garden this could be just a smile or a laugh. For those seasoned veterans selling their baby vegetables at the farmers market this would be more like mama, dada or bad (haha). 

The first time she laughed, I cried I was so happy. Communication is a beautiful thing. 

Dear Sister Part 1: The Pre Baby List

My younger sister is expecting a bouncing baby boy in late September (but probably October). Even though Vi is my first baby and she isn't even a year yet I feel as though I've acquired (some) knowledge of baby rearing.

On that note, my expertise is limited to a healthy, non colicky, fairly even tempered girl baby. However, unlike the previous geneations who have solid advice my advice is so fresh that I havent even left the garden yet.

So I'm going to try to keep this fairly general and most of the things I am going to list she has already asked or saw my experiences or heard me taking about it.
Despite that. Here it goes, it's gonna be a long one.

1. Try to labour at home as long as possible.
This does not mean until you're past the point of no return. Give yourself plenty of leeway to get to the hospital in a leisurely fashion. It certainly won't be leisurely for you, I'm sorry to say. Also make sure you have enough time to have an epidural if that your plan (and I'm pretty sure it is).
It's SO much easier to be distracted when you have your own movies, music, reading material and friends who can come and go easily.
Invite everyone, the whole neighbourhood. Make them tell you jokes and basically ignore everytime you need to stop and breath and wince and cry a little. No need to dwell on a contraction everytime it happens. Live it and move on.

2. Ask for the drugs (if you want them) if and when it becomes so tiresome and painful that you panic a little. 
Or before if you want. I had the policy that the less time I was doped up the better. Don't let the nurses make you feel pressured any which way. The anesthesiologist will come back to the hospital, even if he wants to sleep, to inject that sweet sweet nectar into your back.

3. Start preparing meals for yourself to freeze.
Super easy stuff than you can take out in the morning and let thaw all day. Sheppards pie, lasagna, stews, chili, borscht. Anything with a lot of fibre.

4. Buy tucks pads, a sits bath and fibre supplements 
You're gonna need them.

5. Make Lists
Make a birthing checklist, I found one by just googling birth plan checklist or something. They are always geared towards Americans so don't take things too literally. Also when the time comes don't be upset when your birth plan gets thrown out the window. It's a guide and it's mostly so you know your options.
Make a baby stuff list, again something you can search. Don't be duped into thinking you need it all. You won't.
Lists made me feel a bit better, a bit more in control. They can also be stressful when you don't have it all a week before your due date. People have survived for millions of years without this stuff so don't sweat it.

6. Make sure the call button works at the hospital.
Not pre baby but not baby care. Call for something simple like extra bed pads.
You will want to be sure in case there is an emergency or you need something in a hurry. Call while there are still people visiting so someone can run and tell them it didn't work.

7. Bring a whole box of your own pads to the hospital for after the baby
I didn't. So stupid.
Also pack at least like 15 diapers. I think I only packed 8. Also so stupid. They don't poop or pee that much yet but that won't stop you from changing him unnecessarily.

8. Listen to and read lots of different experiences
From the 30 hour to the 40 minute. With and without drugs. Different kinds of drugs. Various circumstances. Emergency situations.
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Then comfort yourself by repeatedly saying, "everyone's experience is different." Don't think about what ifs but also don't be in a situation where things are happening around you and you're the only clueless one.

9. Don't be afraid to tell people what's what during labor.
Friends, family, nursing staff. We aren't mind readers. It's ok to be bossy. Encouraged. Tell us what you need and want. We are at your beck and call.

10. Don't be afraid. 
Nervous, yes. Anxious, probably. Don't be afraid because its unavoidable. Face it head on.

Most importantly,

11. I'm there for you. 
I'll also go away when you don't need me. When it's family time.
I love you. I want this to be as awesome as an experience as I know it can be.
You're going to be amazing and I have faith in you.

This thing called love lerve leeerve. Shooby dooby doo wap!

Fantastical, wonderful, anxiety inducing parental love. There has yet to be anything more gratifying to the soul. I have willingly and gladly given up freedoms and (currently several) career options. I'm addicted and so is she.

It's overwhelming in all aspects.
I receive bursts of comfort, joy and love from this child. It is extremely satisfying. There is also a sickening and upsetting worry that I had never understood before now. I can see how a person can get carried away with this fear when watching the news.

I watched a 16:9 piece last night on Tori Stafford. It happened in 2009 and I remember feeling upset and sad by it. Watching it again was a whole new experience. I won't go into too much detail because it really must be experienced and those with children already know. I'm not sure if a description of parental anxiety would have made me understand pre-baby.

This story made me want to lock that baby in my house or chain gang her to my person.

Oh boy, this is not who I am. I still think children should have the neighbourhood freedoms they used to, the ones that I had.

So I fear this parenting thing is going to take a lot of deep breaths, stranger danger prep courses, and keeping my fretting to myself.

Bah! Ugh! Gah!

Memories

My memories make me nervous and upset. Rather the idea of losing these memories or the ability to create new ones. 

This is not an uncommon fear. We fear for our own abilities as well as aging friends and family members. Who are we without our memories? 

I suppose by the time most of us are aged enough for Alzheimer's to onset one might be able to take comfort in the idea that our children will hold on to our memories. At least the ones they know of. 

My child(ren) won't hold the memories of how it felt to have her(them) fall asleep in my arms, completely trusting, completely comforted. My joys and anxieties can not be shared memories. 

It makes it difficult to fully enjoy every moment. 

The answer is simple in nature and difficult to implement. Don't live for the future, be in the moment and  whatever will be will be. John keeps telling me to put the camera down and just enjoy it. I try and often I fail. Is this why first children have their picture taken so frequently? By the second are people just too busy to feel these anxieties? What about the third an fourth? Are those special moments similar enough between all babies that once you experience it twice you can feel comfort that they are burned into your memory?

At the end of the day and the end of our days we must relinquish these private memories to the next generations. Their experiences will be similar and familiar. Babies don't change that much in a hundred years. 

Playing Adults

This concept of adulthood is an interesting one. Besides getting a credit card and paying my phone bill (which I conclude no longer counts) the idea was foreign to me.

I believe I had my first taste of it last year when we decided to buy a house, get married and have a baby. What the hell were we thinking? Between figuring out mortgage stuff, rasslin' with sticky homeowners, wedding particulars (I did a lot of shrugging) and Drs appointments. I thought I would lose it, I had to keep it all in a calendar. There was one week, more like 9 days, that I had something scheduled EVERY day on top of working full time. Just thinking back on it makes my stomach do flips.

This may seem blasé to you busy beavers or those who are well into adulting it up. It was anxiety inducing for laid back moi.

It was good practice for actually owning a home. We have personal deadlines for projects we want (or have to) keep. Here I am again, making calls, organizing appointments, handing over the monies.
It's less intense now but it still causes some mild stress (what the hell isn't though)? At least now I'm not working. It's all much easier to deal with during working hours.

Everyone goes through this stuff. We all have to wade through the paperwork, sigh at another appointment, feel dizzy as we hand over sickening amounts of money. I wouldn't have been able to cope with the stress if I didn't have John to keep me relaxed and help me de-stress (and take me delicious food every once in awhile).

Did I mention he is a super awesome Dad as well?

Youth IS Wasted On The Young

I am extremely excited to introduce this little girl to all the things I loved to do as a child. I keep a mental list and strive to be super fun awesome mom who wants to go-go-go!

Then I start to feel a little pang of jealousy that I never thought I would feel. Even into my 20's. I have memories of frustration, anger, unfairness and feeling out of control as a child. I longed for adulthood. Mama didn't raise no fool, I knew what the trade off was. Gladly would I give up my lack of responsibility for the freedoms I knew were coming. I still feel all the emotions I felt as a child but they are dulled, we deal with it. It's not a bad thing, I know my brain has evolved and we deal with our emotions more efficiently.

I still felt that way as an adult. However, when I go over that mental list for Vi and I get excited, I know I won't ever see or experience or feel the same way again.
The fear and fearless contradiction of youth is lost. Forever. I get to imagine how she is feeling when she goes on a roller coaster, sees Niagara Falls, feels powerful ocean waves, makes her first basket, rides a water slide, swings and HITS the ball, watches something scary, gets up on a horse and looks upon (then off of) a mountain for the first time.

Perhaps the reason we choose to reincarnate after we die is to one day appreciate childhood.

At least I get to go to Disney World again. Hell yeah.

 

Or being INSANELY surprised when you thought you had a dentist appointment but instead your Dad shows up and takes you for a super fun weekend for your 10th birthday.

That was the best.

Brains and Bodies in Love

Your body is relaxed, the day is done and you get an unintentional brush of a hand on your back as he rolls over. Your brain is ecstatic, it sends your spine into a tingle. You relax even further.

The weight and warmth of a small baby on your chest. You take a deep breath, exhale and close your eyes. You can feel your chest swelling and its overwhelming,

There is nothing like it.You're in love.