How Do I Start Signing with my Little One?

This is the second video in a series where I answer key questions to help you start your signing journey.  The first video answered, "When should I start signing?" and in this video I'll tackle the big HOW.

To help get you started, I'll teach over 10 signs that you can start incorporating into baby's day--including MILK, MORE, ALL DONE, EAT, HUNGRY, THIRSTY, SLEEP, TIRED, WATER, DIAPER, DIAPER CHANGE, MOM, and DAD.  Plus, look closely and you may spot these signs as well: OUTSIDE, BALL, CAT, DOG, MUSIC, BATH, BOOK, CLOUD, and BIRD.

But don't get overwhelmed--I suggest starting small with these first four "starter signs"--MILK, MORE, ALL DONE, and EAT.

In the video, you'll also come across numerous signing tips, hear a snippet about Ellie's first signs, and learn what my all-time favorite tool has been for teaching her American Sign Language.  (Countless mamas swear by it!)

I have thoroughly enjoyed taking a summer break off of {Little Sign of Mine} classes with my Peanut, and I'm also glad I was able to pull this together for any mamas who are wanting to start now.  (Classes resume in September, and eek! I even have a couple new class locations!!)

So here we go... here's the run down on how you can get started today!

Help me decide which question I should answer next!  And please share any of your favorite signing tips in the comments below.  What worked for you to help teach your little one signs??

Secondary Infertility

Not knowing and having to wait for answers has got to be one of the toughest things in life.  Can I get an amen??  I still remember being in the NICU, holding our full-term baby Ellie all hooked up to monitors and an IV, waiting to find out what on earth was going on.  It was heart-wrenching.

Similarly, one of the hardest things for me about navigating this infertility road has been not knowing WHY we couldn't seem to get pregnant.  The first time I'd heard the term "secondary infertility" was in the comment section of a favorite blogger's post about her journey to getting pregnant.  I have to say, it FREAKED me out.  My husband and I had just had a miscarriage and I was still healing before we could try again.  And all of a sudden I was terror-stricken that we weren't going to be able to have another baby.

The Lord gently reminded me that in Him there is no fear, and I'm so glad He pushed that aside so I wasn't daily living in that fear (I swear I think it would've crippled me).

The good that came from that was it corrected something I was mistaken about--that it gets easier to get pregnant each time.  I don't know why I thought that.  Maybe I'd heard so many instances of that after it took us a bit of time to get pregnant with our daughter, Ellie.  I hoped for that ease for sure.  So learning about this thing called "secondary infertility" helped me realize that that wasn't necessarily the case.

For those wondering--secondary infertility is basically where you've successfully had a baby before (without fertility treatment), and now you're either not able to get pregnant again on your own, or you keep miscarrying.

I gave it a year, knowing that it could take a year for even a young, healthy couple to get pregnant.  I even gave it a little more time, thinking it was bound to happen soon.  Right?  It had to happen soon... Okay, any day now... No, still not happening?  My husband had just changed jobs and we hadn't figured out our new insurance yet.  But with each negative pregnancy test I started to feel like something must be up.

My husband and I went through every thought in the book--maybe it was because of a new medication I was taking.  Maybe something had gone wrong from the miscarriage and emergency D&C.  Oh look, this website says to stay away from hot tubs and boxer briefs.  This one says to take these supplements.  Okay so that should help.  Still nothing.  I thought it had to be me.  He thought it must be him.  Maybe my tubes had become blocked.  I even wondered if this was going to be God's way of alerting us to some bigger health scare that was going on.

It was horrible not knowing.  I was finally able to schedule an appointment with a general practitioner who would then refer me to an OB, and I started down the road of physicals and blood tests, etc.  David got good news on his end so we kept wondering what it could be.

My referral for an OB took longer than we thought, and then a mishap with the referral letter and a new insurance number prevented me from being seen.  (Oh the tears of frustration that day!)  The new referral letter came, and I was disappointed to see it was for an entirely different doctor's office. (I'd already filled out paperwork, etc. and had an appointment ready to go at the first one.)

But what do you know, it was for a fertility specialist.  Hey!  That might be even better! I thought, and called to schedule an appointment right away.  (This was in February of this year--2015.)  The cheerful voice that greeted me asked if I'd be available Monday, June 15th at 1:30pm.  Inside my heart sunk, but I quickly picked my jaw up off the floor and said, "Yes, that should be fine."  (Haha, as far as I knew I didn't have any plans for FOUR MONTHS OUT.)  I tried to stay optimistic.  Maybe by June we'll know what problems we're up against and may need the fertility specialist!  "Would you like to be called if anything earlier opens up?" the receptionist asked.  "Sure, that'd be great!" I answered.

Y'all... that very week she called me back with an opening for the following Monday.

I couldn't believe it!  Thank you, Lord!! I laughed and was so excited.  Until I opened my email with the paperwork and saw how much the initial consultation was... $$$  Cue heart sinking again.

Soon I was able to get a hold of our insurance provider to ask what coverage (if any) we might have to see a fertility specialist.  And what do you know--thank you husband's job--the consultation was covered!  Lab work, ultrasounds, appointments, medications--everything for testing and diagnosing had a very reasonable copay, and the only thing we'd be up against was if we needed treatment.  I was so surprised and thankful.

And after that glorious first consultation with our fertility doctor, the best way to describe how I felt, was I could finally breathe. *big exhale.*

I finally saw potential for a light at the end of the tunnel.  I didn't have to keep assertively trying to schedule appointments at different places and press doctors to tell us the next step we should take.  We might actually find out answers soon. (!!)  There was more hope than ever before that a baby could be in our future after all, and we were relieved to be in such good hands.  We're so thankful the Lord led us to this doctor!

It's been a few months now of routine appointments--so much so that Ellie has gotten the drill down pat (where to get her lollipop, where to stamp our parking pass, etc. haha).  With each test we've done, we've anxiously awaited the results, and with relief (mixed with confusion) we've continuously gotten good results.  Which is great and all--but the doctor knew if we found a problem, she could fix it.  We were starting to feel discouraged (or mostly confused) again, until the day we did our post coital test.   (Sounds so scientific huh?!)

Well... it's with great relief that I can FINALLY say we have figured out at least one of the contributing causes for our infertility.  And it's not as scary as I thought!  It's even something that can change over time (which is why we were able to get pregnant before--and who knows, maybe things will go completely normally for future kiddos.)  But for now, it's looking like IUI (intra-uterine insemination) will hopefully be a great treatment for us.  That was a relief for David to hear, too, as it's MUCH more affordable than IVF.  So hopefully this will be what God uses to grow our family!!

So there you have it... our journey to--first realizing we're facing secondary infertility--to then navigating it, and finding our first steps in hopefully beating it.

We know it can take several times doing IUI before it could potentially work for us (and obviously there's no guarantee--there could be something else going on that we haven't come across yet).  But it feels amazing to know we're taking steps forward, and that there's actually a chance that I COULD be pregnant soon!  While I'm teetering between hopeful and realistic, I'm just beyond thankful that things are happening.  I'm incredibly thankful for our doctor.  I'm grateful to be walking this road with such supportive and prayerful friends and family.  And I'm just feeling ready to ride out this roller coaster to see where God leads us.

Hopefully it's to baby town!

Until then... {Growth}

Previous posts in this "series" from a little over a year ago: Until then... {Gratitude}  and  Until then... {Being Proactive}

It took a long time for me to say the words.  That my husband and I are struggling with infertility.  It felt so final, so heavy, and so scary--full of unknowns.  Up until then I was just saying it was "taking longer for us to get pregnant" this time around.  After all, we'd been able to get pregnant two times before.  So I wasn't "infertile," right??

Our little ones' "numbers" are etched in my head, because each one tells a story.

Ellie--7 months to conceive.  I remember not knowing if it was going to happen for us.  At the 6 month mark I finally let myself cry.  And that day became the one I wrote on all the paperwork for "Date of Last Period," giving us our due date for sweet little Peanut.

Pistachio--1 month.  I remember we had just decided in June 2012 that we were ready to start trying. Not knowing what it'd look like this time around, but hoping it didn't take as long.  We couldn't believe it happened on our first shot!  Ellie was 15 months when we found out--they were going to be a precious 23 months apart.  And then we lost our little one at 10 weeks.

And now--here we are at 26 months and counting... (with another negative yesterday)

Sometimes I can't believe it's been 3 years since our date at the Irvine Spectrum where we sat at the Wood Ranch Bar & Grill, and decided we were excited to start trying for a brother or sister for Ellie... I look at our spunky 4-year-old, ready to start pre-K in the fall, and I can't believe that still hasn't happened.  That there's going to be about a 5-year age gap (minimum) between her and her next sibling.  And my heart aches...

These are the hard things.  The monthly roller coaster of hoping and being disappointed.  The negative pregnancy tests.  The longing.  The sadness that comes when well-meaning people ask, "Is she your only one?"

But each month I also know God has a plan for our family.  I cling to the hope that He will be glorified through our family.  And each month I have seen God stretch me and grow me in ways I never would have without experiencing infertility.  I've learned things about God--our Father and Creator--that wouldn't have been nearly as meaningful.  I've been tested as a friend, and have learned more than ever how to truly rejoice with others, even amidst my own pain.  I've learned how to wait.  I've learned what a miracle life is.  I've learned how to not be in control.

This time is precious.  By recognizing my deep need for God each day as I struggle through infertility, I end up walking closer in step with Him than if things were going according to "my plan."  You better believe I can't wait for this trial to be over.  But I'm also strangely grateful that God has entrusted us with this painful journey.  It has shaped me in more ways than I even know.  And I pray that He'll continue to use this time to grow me into the friend, the wife, the woman, and the mom that He has called me to be.

If only growing pains didn't hurt so much... ;)

Happy 4th Birthday, Ellie Joy

I got a tripod for myself for Christmas with the hope of making more signing FAQ videos and such--without having to play a balancing Jenga-esque-type game with my camera on top of some shoe boxes, on top of a chair, perched on a coffee table. :)

Fast forward to May... Since Ellie's birthday decorations were still up from her party last Saturday, I had an idea for a video project that she could help me with.  She has become quite the little teacher, having gone with me to all my Little Sign of Mine classes for the past 2 1/2 years, and I knew she'd love to take the spotlight to teach some birthday signs for this one.

I shared our little video with other Signing Time Academy instructors, and Rachel Coleman shared it on her Facebook page, too--commenting that Ellie could be an Honorary Signing Time Instructor. :)  She'll take it!!

At the end of the video is some info to enter a giveaway that I'm hosting through Friday, May 29th.  I'll send the Signing Time "Happy Birthday To You" DVD to one lucky winner, and all you have to do is send a clip of you (or your little one) signing the two words, "Happy Birthday," to Ellie. :)  Email me at littlesignofmine (at) gmail (dot) com or tag me on Instagram with @littlesignofmine and using the hashtag #happybirthdayellie.

So without further ado, here's my little Peanut teaching a few birthday signs!

P.S. These signs are great for attending parties as well, and beginning to explain to your little one what birthdays are like.

Signing with Preschoolers

Once Ellie turned three in April, my thoughts about preschool leaped from the back-burner to the front of my mind.

As a kid, my sisters and I didn't go to preschool (we were at home till kindergarten), and I remember being proud of myself for learning how to read before starting school (thanks, Mom!).  But now it seems like it's the norm.  What kids once learned in Kindergarten seems to be what they're expected to know already before they start. (Or is it just me?!)

It's pretty amazing how much our little ones are capable of.  I didn't think Ellie could be reading at this age--and whether it was sign language or just her own interest or iPad games or what--it's been fun seeing her learn and grow. :) 

Some friends and I have banded together to do a preschool day once a week for our little preschoolers.  We introduce some concepts to work on at home for the next week, and it's been really cute seeing them learn and play together.

My goal right now is mainly exposure.  I try to surround Ellie with fun ways to learn, and try to go with what she gets excited about or what her interests are.  With her starting to read, I can already see her expressing frustration with herself when she can't sound out a word.  The little perfectionist. :)  So my hope is to keep it light and enjoyable so it stays fun, and only do little bits at a time.

With fun in mind--and for this sign language loving mama--I get excited about how well sign language and learning go hand-in-hand.  It makes sense after all--it taps into all the major learning modalities of our little ones--tactile, kinesthetic, auditory (since you say and sign together), and visual.  AND it helps with memory (so all that learning will stick).  AND it gets our silly energetic ones moving and staying engaged!  So basically, two big thumbs up all around. :)

This is why I'm absolutely thrilled that the creators of Signing Time have come out with a preschool program, called Rachel and the Treeschoolers!  Ellie has gotten so excited each time a new episode has been released (the fourth one JUST came out!).  I still remember how she'd ask me to sing  "tiny tiny" every night before bed after she first saw it a year and a half ago. (Click link to see a preview of this song from the "Rainy Day" episode.)

 

The themes so far have been about weather, plants, insects, and now the human body.  They're full of cute animal characters (the "treeschoolers"), who are taught by Rachel as she leads them through the steps of wondering, searching for answers, learning, and then sharing with others.  I love that the episodes all have a free Activity Guide to go with them as well--which has been perfect to include in the homeschool preschool we're doing!

Each episode includes a few signs, along with a game, learning from an expert, and a handful of energetic songs.

That's probably Ellie's favorite part--following Rachel's and the kids' dance moves, and singing along to all the songs.  The energetic peanut doesn't even realize she's learning as she's busting out these songs. :) Her favorites that she always hops up to dance to are about thunder & lightning, how a seed grows, photosynthesis, the parts of a bug, and now a funny body-twisting extended version of head-shoulders-knees-and-toes.

Do you have a preschooler (or soon-to-be preschooler) of your own?  If you would love to win your own copy of the newly released episode, "The Amazing Human Body," fill out the rafflecopter below (a $22 value)!  (Shipping to the U.S. only.)  Feel free to email me at littlesignofmine (at) gmail (dot) com with any questions!  

Here's a preview for the newest episode for you to check out!  "The Amazing Human Body" Preview

And you can find out more about Rachel & the TreeSchoolers here.

*Disclaimer: This isn't a sponsored post from Two Little Hands--I purchased the DVD/CD for the giveaway myself, and the rave reviews are my honest own! :)  And if you'd like to purchase any of the TreeSchoolers episodes or any Signing Time product, feel free to email me to place an order. (As a certified Baby Signing Time instructor I'm also authorized to sell their awesome products!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pinch Me...

This is the story of how Ellen Degeneres blessed my socks off.

It all started when my friend Ashley invited me to go to the Ellen show with her...

You know, just another ordinary day...

touring the WB studios in Burbank... 

hanging out on the Central Perk set of Friend's... 

seeing Ellen Degeneres... (along with Emily Blunt, Ansel Elgort, and of course--Twitch!)...

Photo cred: The Ellen Show

Photo cred: The Ellen Show

and going home with a Bvlgari necklace, a 2-year subscription to Netflix, and a Samsung Galaxy S3 mini phone.

Photo cred: The Ellen Show

Photo cred: The Ellen Show

WHAAAAT!!! :)  

We were ecstatic the entire day...  My face seriously hadn't hurt from smiling that much since my wedding.  And apparently it showed--we were invited to come back to another show!!

In the end it worked out that I brought a good friend, Jen (who got some air time asking guest DJ Loni Love for romance advice!).

We got to dance next to Ellen and were completely star-struck. :D  And then it was game time... I still remember hearing Ellen reveal what the players would be playing for.  My mouth dropped at the amazingness that was this prize--I was just in total awe for whoever would get to win it.  And then I heard Ellen say my name...

"Where are... Bethany Sloan and Alisha Michaelson?!?!"  

HOLY PICKIN COW, ELLEN DEGENERES did NOT just say MY NAME!!!

All of a sudden I'm running down to the stage, hugging Ellen, and jumping up and down.  Guys, it was INSANE.  Amidst the blur of it all I remember how piercingly beautiful Ellen's blue eyes were up close, and hoping I was showing enough how excited I felt inside!!

Photo cred: The Ellen Show

You can see the clip of our trivia game, Farmville 2 Nashville, here!!

The story behind the Beyonce answer was my favorite part--neither Alisha nor I knew the answer to, "Who is the mom of Blue Ivy?" so we tried turning to the audience for help.  I had a chance to steal, and I could tell my bud Jen knew the answer, but there was absolutely no way to hear her shouting to me with the entire audience shouting, too.  Ironically, just before the taping, the audience had been warming up by doing Beyonce's infamous dance to "Crazy in Love," so Jen just starts busting it out, using charades to help me get it!!  As soon as I saw that it CLICKED and I got my ONE point!! Hahaha.  

So the lovely Alisha wins the game and the amazing prize, but gotta love Ellen who gives prizes to her losers too, because hours later I'm busting through my front door and announcing to my husband, 

"WE'RE GOING TO NASHVILLE, BABY!!!!  

AND we're going to THE CMT AWARDS!!!!  

AND we get to meet KEITH URBAN!!!!!"  

Shocked, laughing, and hugging, David kept exclaiming over and over, "BABE.... Are you SERIOUS?!?!  SERIOUSLY??!!  WHAAT!!!!  BABE!!"

It still felt unreal when Alisha and I were boarding the plane at LAX with our country music-loving husbands just three weeks later.  (Gotta love that they were just as excited as we were!!)

And thanks to an incredible integration between Farmville 2 Country Escape, Ellen, and Keith Urban, we were given the trip of a LIFETIME.  Round-trip tickets to Nashville, a 5-nights' stay in a hotel, tickets to the Country Music Television Awards, a surprise opportunity to rub elbows with all of our fav country celebs on the RED CARPET before the awards, a meet-and-greet with Keith Urban, AND surprise tickets to the Country Music Association (CMA) Festival that was going down that weekend!!!

We're talkin SECOND ROW SEATS to THREE NIGHTS of concerts, where we got to see Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts, Alabama, Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert, Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Sara Evans, Travis Tritt, Florida Georgia Line, Darius Rucker, Little Big Town, and Keith Urban!!!  

HOLY MOLY GUACAMOLE... It seriously just kept getting better... and Better... and BETTER.  

I even got to see the incredibly handsome and charming Chip Esten, who plays my favorite character Deacon on my FAVORITE drama, Nashville (which is returning for its 3rd season this fall on ABC, woot woot!!!)

Y'all, we can't even capture what an amazing time we had and how thankful we are, or how blessed we feel to have gotten to experience all that...  We especially loved gaining a friendship out of it--with Alisha and her husband, Sven!  Both of us got to use this trip as an early anniversary trip, and man will we never be able to top this one!!!  We kept saying it was a trip of a lifetime, and man was it... 

Photo cred: Keith Urban, AKA master selfie taker

The Ellen Show put together a clip of our time on the red carpet for the CMT Awards, and you can check it out here!  I also have several more pictures on Instagram (@bethanyjanae)

And for those who are curious--the award show aired live on June 4th, and the CMA Fest will be airing on ABC on August 5th.  

Back home I've still been riding the high from the trip by rewatching the first two seasons of Nashville on Hulu, and by ordering a huge sampling from Nashville's Loveless Cafe online store that I cooked for David for Father's Day (complete with sweet tea). :)

Also, I'm pretty sure I'm still weaning off a slight accent.  I just love the south too much...

Thank you a MILLION--to Ellen "the most generous and wonderful talk show host" Degeneres, to Farmville 2 Country Escape, and to Keith "the handsome Aussie cowboy" Urban!!!

If You Give a Former Teacher a Preschooler

If you give a former teacher a preschooler...
Chances are she's going to want to teach it...

And if she's going to teach it, she will need to make a curriculum plan.
She'll sit down with a cup of coffee, and start by pinning "The ABCs of How to Home Preschool" (#PNRL)

After getting bogged down by the bajillion preschool ideas on Pinterest, she'll need to take a break.
So she'll print the Homeschool Supply List, and focus on #1. Glue.  She can do glue.

She'll head to the nearest teacher supply store.

She'll probably faint from excitement at all the fresh school supplies and that new pencil smell.
She'll want to fill her cart with teddy bear counters and Do-a-Dot Markers, gallon sized paints and wooden pattern blocks.

When she brings home the new supplies, she'll realize she still needs to pick out the curriculum.
So she'll call her best friend/homeschool guru to ask which is the best.

Then she'll go online to order All About Reading and Handwriting Without Tears.
But they'll take 5-7 business days to arrive.

So she'll wander back onto Pinterest to scope out (read: get lost in) all the best homeschool preschool blogs.
She'll download 227 files in one day.

When the curriculum boxes are delivered, she'll tear through them like it's Christmas morning.
Holding the thick books labeled "Teacher's Manual" in her hands, the clouds will part, the angels will sing, and she'll know... she's arrived.

She'll want to run and put on the apple necklace her husband gave her when she first became a teacher.

On her way to her room she'll notice their tiny home and realize... crafts and sensory play were already starting to take over.
So she'll have to rearrange everything.

Mid-way into dumping the entire hall closet contents into the living room and getting learning materials somewhat situated in their new spots, she'll get inspired to start making the Letter of the Week packets she'd downloaded.

Before you know it, she'll be elbow deep in sheet protectors and low ink warnings, so she'll have to go to Walmart.
When she's at the store, she'll remember what another blogger said about a LAMINATING MACHINE (cue heart skipping a beat).

So she'll ask the store clerk if they carry them.  And if they do...
She'll decide it would be counterintuitive NOT to get one.

She'll probably want to try it out that same night.
"I'll just laminate one thing," she'll think.  "And then I'll go to bed."

But, being the night owl that she is, she'll get a second wind.
She'll need to print, cut, laminate, and cut again--FIVE WHOLE WEEKS of lessons.

She might even Mod Podge letters, hot-glue magnets to pom-poms, hole-punch lacing cards, and make play dough mats.

She'll be so excited that she'll want to set out the "T is for Turtle" activities for her preschooler to try in the morning.
She probably won't realize it's 2am.

After making 14 cute little learning stations, she'll happily step back to take a look.
But her eyes will spot all the laminating scraps, toys that had been left out, and some other things to put away.

She'll intend to do a quick tidy-up, but it will end up being a bit more in-depth.
When she's finally done, she'll feel ready to go to bed.  At 4...30...am.

The next morning, her preschooler will probably climb on her to wake her up at 7am.
She'll need to trudge to the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee.

And chances are, her excited preschooler will jump right in ready to learn...
While she curls up on the couch with her coffee, relishing the joy of seeing her little one learn and grow before her eyes.

And she'll be SO thankful God gave her this little preschooler.