Random Thoughts Thursday!

We went to the Mac store the other day to look for a mouse for Joel. They were pricey and we didn't get one. While we were there Holly found this neat little round cushion chair and perched herself at the computer.There was this neat Dr. Seuss game I think it was like shapes, or numbers, or the ABC's. It played little video and music clips and showed different items when you clicked on them. She isn't really old enough to use the mouse on her own and just kinda hit any random key, but she loved watching the screen.I think Holly needs her own iPhone (YES I am Just Kidding) but I have a handful of apps for her on mine and she loves them. I spent about 150$ on this set of 300 Language Development Cards, its the main set that the Doctors/Therapist usually have, so far she hasn't used them, she tries to bend and chew them still. But the iPhone has a few Flash Card Apps that each only cost me about 99 cents and she loves them. One has pictures and voice and says the item name when you press it. Another is all animals with the animal name as a word on it and when you press the picture it makes the animal sound.One is just pictures with the name written in 3 languages and you say them. Most have letters, numbers, shapes, animals, foods, and regular random items. We normally play in mix-it up mode. Holly is starting to try and talk much more recently. She is beginning to try and make the beginning sounds of words, like Bah for bath and Moooh for More. She is also signing a lot.Above is a picture of her saying more, and directly above is a sign she made up. At first we thought it meant ball pit. The single finger pointing at her palm, but it has evolved to mean Help, or I can;t do this myself so do it for me, as in Open the Door for Me, Pick Me up into the ball Pit, take me out of the carseat, turn on Yo Gabba Gabba. This is a sign for eat, or thirsty or baba, its hard to tell because her signs have started to generalize, which I think is a normal developmental "milestone" in language, for example a baby will call all 4 legged animals doggie. It is a milestone because they can apply the name of one creature that is furry with 4 legs to other's that are similar. It is much later that they typically learn all the very specific names of things when they are having a vocabulary explosion.We think Holly is on the verge of talking and while her friends have started, they are mostly saying single words here or there when prompted, we think when they start really talking to her to try and communicate with her, it will give her a boost and she might cross that chasm.But even without words, she makes sure we know exactly what she wants, in subtle ways of course, like dumping out everything in the tub, and carrying it to the bathroom door from the kitchen where we store it, then saying Bah Bah over and over and of course making the Sign for bath which she learned on her own from Baby Einstein.She is such a little Rascal. Here is a picture of her just waking up from her nap. I posted a similar image from right before her eyes opened. Here her eyes are opening and she is thinking of waking up and stretching. She is so cuddly!