At 19 months, Ruth can say (pretty closely anyhow) the following:

Mom, Dad, Eddy, “Owie”, stuck, butt, asleep, red, fish, eat, “B” (for Ernie), “B” (for bird), mine, please, thank you, me, no shoes, toes, down, help, woof-woof, meow, wet, poop, hop, oops, wow, ear, noes, eyes, soup, shirt, juice, bottle, book, read, hi, bye-bye, moo, ball, hello, push, pull, hot, “ah-ah” (for count), fall, snow, nope, teeth, beautiful, back pack, pea, bite, food, stop, go, share, Here you go, hat, baby, frog, swing, uh-huh, boy, “elephant noise”, “rooster noise”, duck, “peek a boo”, peekaboo, doll, tickle, boo boo, up, choo choo, sit, outside, feet, sick, …

She can sign:
Owie (hurt), asleep, red, fish, eat, bird, Please, thank you, shoes, food, stop, share, hat, baby, frog, boy, blanket, sorry, blocks, more, build, bear, car, paper, draw, bunny, cracker, potty, brush teeth, sad, awake, grumpy, bath, “StarWars (made up sign), “bottle” (her own sign), cheese, apple, candy, cold, milk, cookie, caterpillar, monkey, gorilla, tiger, train, popcorn, dirty, pig, surprised, all-done, school, play, penguin, stinky, cereal, owl, thirsty,

that we can remember.

“Ruth, do you want me to read that book?”
“mm hmm.” [nods]
“I’m cooking right now. Can Eddy read it?”
“mm hmm.” [trots off]
“Eddy, could you read that book to your sister?”
“Why should I?!”
“‘Cause that’s what good big brothers do.”
“Oh… OK.”

the mic on the camera’s not so good, so turn up your volume a little to hear them.

As you can see, she alternates from cutesy wootsy to “DOWN! DOWN!!” demanding.

I need to remember to take vid in higher resolution….

We eventually discovered Signing Time at the library and have since borrowed every episode at least once. These are fantastic videos! Each episode has a theme and focuses on several signs for each topic, each signed by children and the host, Rachel. And the songs will get stuck in your head forever.

Eddy, our five year old, discovered that if he signs the things he wants, we have to actually look at him, and pay that much MORE attention to him. hmmm….

Ruth, at 18 months, is obsessed with Baby Signing Time aimed at kids “3-36 months.” She’s picked up so many signs in just the short time we had it checked out and is now very good at communicating. Her pediatrician says that at 18 months her cognitive level is on par with many 2 or 2 1/2 year olds!

Update
At 19 months, Ruth can say (pretty closely anyhow) the following:

Mom, Dad, Eddy, “Owie”, stuck, butt, asleep, red, fish, eat, “B” (for Ernie), “B” (for bird), mine, please, thank you, me, no shoes, toes, down, help, woof-woof, meow, wet, poop, hop, oops, wow, ear, noes, eyes, soup, shirt, juice, bottle, book, read, hi, bye-bye, moo, ball, hello, push, pull, hot, “ah-ah” (for count), fall, snow, nope, teeth, beautiful, back pack, pea, bite, food, stop, go, share, Here you go, hat, baby, frog, swing, uh-huh, boy, “elephant noise”, “rooster noise”.

She can sign:
Owie (hurt), asleep, red, fish, eat, bird, lease, thank you, shoes, food, stop, share, hat, baby, frog, boy, blanket, sorry, blocks, more, build, bear, car, paper, draw, bunny, cracker, potty, brush teeth, sad, awake, grumpy, bath, “StarWars (made up sign), “bottle” (her own sign), cheese, apple, candy, cold, milk, cookie, caterpillar, monkey, gorilla, tiger, train, popcorn, dirty, pig, surprised, all-done, school, play, penguin.

There’s a lot of crossover words between the two lists, and we were never worried that signing would make her speech delayed.

Since Ruth keeps asking for Baby Signing Time again and again, I had to break down and buy them.

Allison has really taken to signing with Ruth, as well. Actually, Ruth and Eddy know more signs than I do! I guess I’ll have to watch more with them to figure it before they start secretly communicating amongst each other.

See if your library has a set, or if you can find it on your local PBS station. Or browse the Signing Time Store.I hope you love it as much as we do.

Ruth shopping with me at the hardware store. On halloween. In costume.

Part 2

This video is the second round, a few minutes later. With a diaper on. I’m sure someone would never forgive us if her first steps (and tushy) were plastered on the webby for all to see.

Today she was walking down the hall (20 steps or so) at various speeds and even pulled up on the wall to launch herself.

It’s official. She walks before 10 months.
Did I mention her food of preference right now is canned, organic, beans & rice. Tons of it.

pb

Ruth likes to do backflips.
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Get the Flash Player to see this movie.

Ruth Laurel Becker
Pictures in the photo album. If Eddy looks like Allison and is built like me, this poor girl looks like me and is built like Allison.