More Please!

 

Months ago, I tried teaching TerraDactyl baby sign language.  And she never used it.  So I gave up on it.  And then...  A few months ago, TerraDactyl just sort of started using the signs a bit.  Basically, she just said "all done" and "milk".  And then, very recently, she started using the sign for "more" (pictured above)!  I mean, I haven't tried to use this sign with her in over 9 months!  It's nuts!  One day we were eating and she just started doing it when she finished all the food on her tray.  I cannot even fathom how she tucked this knowledge away for so long, just to whip it out now.  

So, TerraDactyl has been asking for "more" food for a little while now.  But she's only ever used the sign for food.  Probably because that's the only time I ever used it with her.  I'm not sure why all the signs I introduced were focused on food.  Captive audience?  Anyways.  Yesterday, TerraDactyl used the "more" sign to indicate that she wanted to read another book.  I think this might be even more impressive than remembering a sign for 9 months before using it.  She applied it in a totally different context.  It was awesome.  Blew my mind.  

OK.  Now the less good news about "more".  The other night, DH was feeding TerraDactyl dinner and she just kept asking for more.  And more.  And more.  When I got out of the shower, we had this conversation:

DH:  "are babies like goldfish?"  

Me:  "uh...  like 5 second memories?  TerraDactyl's way past that.  She's got object permanence and everything"

DH:  "Not that!  Like, will they keep eating until their bellies explode?"

Me:  "what?!  Goldfish will eat until they explode?  Seriously?"

DH:  "well, they probably don't explode.  But they'll die."

Me:  "really?  Weird.  No.  The experts all say to let babies decide how much to eat.  Parents choose what babies eat, and babies choose how much to eat.  Why?"

DH:  "Cause she's eaten like two dozen blue berries and she keeps asking for more.  And this is after she had meatballs.  And Spaghettios.  And Cheerios."

Me:  "Wow.  Well, I guess it's fine.  But this probably means we should save blue berries for dessert."

DH gives TerraDactyl 3 more blue berries.  TerraDactyl shoves all three in her mouth and then promptly vomits everywhere.  TerraDactyl has not eaten a blueberry since that.  And I'm still not sure if goldfish really will eat until they die.  

TerraDactyl LOVES wearing my clothes.  She used to satisfy herself with just my socks.  But we've moved on to my shirts.  DH caved the other day and dressed her in a T-shirt that she'd stolen out of my dresser.  She can be quiet emphatic, so I probably would have caved eventually.  But since DH gave into her demands first, I can blame all subsequent problems from this on him.  ;)

Sometimes, TerraDactyl just lays down on the floor.  It's not a tantrum.  It's like she just can't be bothered to sit up and play.  So she's just going to lay down and play for a bit.  It doesn't last long, and it doesn't seem tied to needing a nap.  It's just kind of weird.  And funny.  And if we pay too much attention to here while she's lying, she'll get up again.

After watching the video below, my MIL asked DH and I where the toddler fork and spoon set she gave us was.  DH and I look at each other and we're like "What?  When?  Nah, I don't think that happened."  But she was certain, so I started looking...  Turns out, MIL was right.  After the move, they'd ended up in the wrong drawer -- with serving spoons instead of baby spoons.  Oddly enough, it's ALOT easier for babies to use baby forks instead of adult forks.  (I know, big surprise, eh?)