Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

August 9, 2006

This past weekend, I went to Sacramento to visit my niece Erika. Now, as much as I enjoy visiting with my fellow mothertalker, I REALLY enjoy visiting with my great niece, Maya.

Hanging out with my great niece Maya, I began to yearn. No, not for another child, but rather for things I wish I had done when my kids were small.

I wish I would have breast fed. I didn’t. Why? Because I often thought aloud, “I’d be feeding my kid White Russians!” Another reason? “I don’t want saggy boobs!” (Got them anyway…) I wish baby sign language was around when my kids were smaller. Witnessing Maya communicate via baby sign was enough to melt the heart. But, according to the article I linked, baby sign has only been around for approximately 7 years.

Once confined to communicating with the deaf, sign language is undergoing a rebirth as a way for new parents to understand the needs of their offspring long before they can talk. “It is about empowering children to communicate. They can communicate with you at an early age and not be frustrated,” said Etel Leit who runs baby sign language classes in Los Angeles.

At one point, Maya gave her uncle a BIG, WET KISS, then looked over at me, baby signed AND spoke the word “mas”, (Spanish for more) and proceeded to plant a wet kiss on me.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda! Oh well…at least I know I’m one hell of a “great aunt”!!