Don't recall when first but she inititates a game: turn-taking body-jumping while she's in my arm.

12 months old, week 4

Referential babbles that were once obscure now began to grow into a bit more translucent words.

For example, the baby Juli possibly had pointed to herself sometimes before. But, I couldn't confirm that. Because, she pointed to herself with an open (5) handshape that was more ambiguous to interpret a few possible meanings: "me", "bath", another or nothing.

Pointing to self

Lately I did notice that Juli had pointed to herself with an index finger sometimes, especially when reading that specific book with her.

The video clip above from last week shows Juli pointing to herself. I had been pointing to her when reading that book with her several times.

Acquiring referential words

Juli made a clear reference to an orange. She pointed to it and produced orange. She has made this request twice. In other word, "I want that/this orange."

Juli produced bread many times in the last days but I had a benefit of doubt. But, she also produced pop-up-toast and I was sure of this reference.

Then there was a time Juli has beautifully and clearly articulated bread pop-up-toast (two ASL words) when Dude put a couple of bread in the toaster. I realized that her production bread in the previous days was indeed a reference.

Juli has produced work (two fists clapping) when referring to my work bag and when seeing me work in my office, and when touching my work binders.

She also uttered cold when opening a door to the outside on several occasions.

She sometimes talked with herself about drive-car.

During reading, I pointed to an image of the turtle and articulated turtle. Juli turned her gaze and finger pointed to a nightlight turtle sitting on the top of the dresser.

There were some other productions that I couldn't figure out their connection to meanings. So they remained to be "babbles." But, eventually contexts would help me discover a link of Juli's productions to meanings.

For example, Juli produced which resembled to sweet in adult production. Later, I realized its meaning when a context came. She referred it to a light.

If she were using an index finger instead of the "B" handshape for light, I'd likely have recognized. That's what I recalled my younger brother producing light with the "1" handshape. But every child is different.

Language development: ASL words

The following emerging words that Juli had used with references: bath, bread, cold (when opening the door to the outside), please, light, bicycle, shoes, poop...

The following emerged referential words that Juli had used: penguin, snow, orange, toast, work (when tottling toward the working mother's office)...

Introducing numbers

Though toddlers grasp a concept of number at around age 3, it's also a good time to introduce the idea of numbers. It's more about interacting and talking with her.

Introducing a number to Juli occurred quite a while ago. Counting sneeze and cheerios (or some fruit pieces) is my typical. For one thing, sneeze doesn't require a number of more than two or three and it's practical and spontaneous.

Juli appears to watch a ladybug disappearing or appearing in each page (when flipping backward or forward). She also enjoys the tactile bumps as well as the holes.

People

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A bird in our house

One year old hard-of-hearing baby sign "more drink" in ASL.