Little thing, Big victory

Clear communication is something that we take for granted sometimes.  Most of us can speak and hear well. Or at least we've been able to hear well for long enough to learn how to speak well and figure out what others are saying (Grammy lol).  Reagan can neither speak nor hear well.  And the suspicion is that the lack of speaking well is tied to the lack of hearing.  Oh this mommy is so very glad that we are finally, finally moving toward getting a hearing aide!  We can tell that Reagan understands what we ask of her and that she has big ideas but no words for them.  That is where sign language has been so very good for her.  She likes to sign,  she is very clear that signs have meanings and she can use them to tell us things.  The only problem is she doesn't know as many signs as she has ideas.  We have been working with her on following instructions such as go get a diaper.  Many times she can't reach or open the drawer so she will start whining and sometimes pointing.  But today...ah today....she can up to me and indicated that her diaper was..er...okay she said "poopoo", and sure enough she was so I told her good girl for telling me and please go get a new diaper.  She wandered off to her room and in a minute she walked deliberately back up to me, looked me in the eye and carefully pounded her fist into her palm twice.  The sign for "help".  Oh how proud of her I was for not getting frustrated but rather using her skills to tell me what she needed!  And how proud she was because it worked and mommy understood and mommy was happy to help!  That skill...spontaneous, accurate communication of her needs is right there and she's almost reaching it.  I can't wait to see what she thinks when she hears how words are really supposed to sound.