I usually put together a mental list of must have items I would like to acquire with each fashion season. One season I extensively searched for the perfect riding boot. I found it, thanks to Steve Madden. Another season I wanted a denim vest. Thank you H&M for making me look like a bounty hunter.

I almost put harem pants on the list but M.C. Hammer has forever ruined my interest in making harem pants look fashionable.

One item that I’ve had on my list for years is a little black dress. The LBD is one garment that every woman needs in her wardrobe. It transcends seasons and pairs well with any shoe or accessory. I dreamed of the perfect LBD. I imagined what that LBD would look like when I found it, how I would try it on in the dressing room and not run out crying and banishing myself to the racks of Lane Bryant for the rest of my life. Instead, it would fit like a glove as I zip it up then look at myself in the mirror and say, damn I look good.

I found my LBD. Thank you Forever 21.

Here I’m planning to pair it with a pair of platform booties I also picked up at F21 and a vintage leopard necklace for a wedding reception this weekend. I’m so excited about my purchase that I wish I had more formal events to dress up for, otherwise I’d be wearing this dress until it falls apart at the seams.

Damn I look good.

I even checked to see if my boobs stay in when I dance and jump around.

Shimmer Woven Dress, $24.80, Forever 21
Booties, $29.80, Forever 21
Vintage leopard necklace, $24.00, Love Me Two Times Consignment & Bridal Boutique

We’ve been feeding Aiden cereal since he turned six months last week. He seems to like the stuff even though it tastes like boxed mashed potatos (trust me, I tried it) and gets more of it everywhere but in his mouth. It’s a relief to my boobs, though, they’re starting to get tired pumping out milk for a baby who is obviously more hungry than these two things on my chest are willing to provide. I’m also crossing my fingers that moving to solids will eventually eliminate his need to wake up for nighttime nursings, of which he still does twice a night.

Please oh please oh please I want to sleep!

As if he needs another toy. That face gets him a lot of things.

When you are starting with Baby Sign Language, it’s best to begin with a few simple signs you can use on a daily basis. Good signs to start with are: Mommy, Daddy, Milk and More. Mommy and Daddy are obviously the people baby sees (and loves) the most; Milk is a thing of great joy to babies! More is also a great sign to learn – this is often the first sign a baby makes. Signs which represent something concrete and meaningful to your baby will be easier for her to learn. Once you have mastered these starter signs you can begin to introduce more, increasing your baby’s repertoire.

The Signs To Start With And How To Do Them
Follow these simple instructions to make these four starter signs, then read on for our expert advice about signing.

MOMMY

To sign Mommy, extend and spread apart your fingers. With your little finger facing forward, tap your thumb on your chin.

DADDY

To sign Daddy, extend and spread out your five fingers on your strong hand. Tap your hand on your forehead. Done right you will look like a turkey. This is a lot like Mommy, but higher up.

MILK
The sign for Milk is a lot like milking a cow, but without the vertical motion – you are just pretending to squeeze the udder. Take both hands, make them into a fist, relax, and repeat. You will notice most babies have trouble moving their fingers together this way, but any kind of repeated squeezing and relaxing of the hand is likely Milk.

MORE
To do the sign for More, flatten out your hands then bring your thumbs under to make an O shape. Then, bring your hands together and separate them repeatedly. Baby will often simplify More by clapping their fists together. As they get older and more proficient you may want to encourage the more correct sign of flattening out their hands and creating the O shape with their thumbs as a fun way to help them develop fine motor skills.

How To Sign Successfully
It’s best to make the sign every time you say the relevant word to your baby. Say the word clearly, with good eye contact, while pointing to the object or person you are describing. Sign when your baby is alert and not tired. Practice the signs above beforehand so you feel confident and clear about what you are doing.

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
Make the sign and say the word every time you do an action or use an object. Repetition is really important when starting to sign. Your baby will learn the signs through repetition (and so will you), and eventually it will be natural for her to sign back to you.

Be Patient
Don’t expect too much too soon. Dr. Joseph Garcia, one of the founders of baby sign language, says that a typical baby needs around two months of repetition and exposure to a sign to start using it.

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This guest post is brought to you by your dear friends at the Baby Sign Language site. We are here to help make signing easy and fun. Be sure to check out the free flash cards, first 10 signs to teach, and the blog.

Photo courtesy Sweet Spot

Before you start signing with your baby, it’s important to understand what baby sign language is, and how and why it works so well. There are many reasons to start signing, such as improved bonding and earlier speech, as well as lots of ways to make it fun. Read on to find out more…

#1: You can start signing to your baby from birth
You really can begin baby sign language as early as you like. The sooner you start signing the sooner your baby will begin to sign back. You can start at any time, even from birth.

#2: Signing to your baby improves bonding
Because baby signing is a two-way activity, encouraging communication from parent to baby and back again, mothers who sign often feel closer to their babies. Signing moms often notice and appreciate their baby’s efforts at communication earlier than non-signing moms.

#3: Children who learn to sign as babies often learn to speak earlier too
Research has shown that baby signing can act as a ‘stepping stone’ to speech, supporting the young toddler’s efforts to express himself/herself. Research has also shown that many babies who have early exposure to signing have larger speaking vocabularies later.

#4: It’s easy!
If you are thinking of starting baby signing – go for it. It really is easy to learn. You can start signing with a handful of signs, such as Mommy, Daddy, Milk and Diaper. Find more useful starter signs here.

#5: Remember – it’s supposed to be fun
Parenting these days can be hard work. Baby signing should be lots of fun – that’s one of the reasons it works so well. If you are finding it hard work, you’re probably doing it wrong! Find fun ways to incorporate signing into your day – when shopping, playing, reading together. Get all the family involved.

#6: Dads love baby signing too
Don’t forget that this is an activity dads and baby can do together. Often dads feel left out when bringing up a young baby. Signing can also help the bonding process with daddy and baby.

#7: Baby signing can help with the baby blues
The bonding aspects of baby signing cannot be underestimated. Post-partum depression can strike at any time, even during the second year. Many early-years programs teach baby sign language to moms and babies to help them build communication and trust.

#8: You can use flash cards to help learn Baby Sign Language

Baby sign language flash cards are a valuable teaching aid to help you develop the signing vocabulary of your baby. Flash cards work because they are a visual stimulus for you and baby, and create extra interest in the idea or object you are signing.

#9: Baby signing will make your friends really jealous!
When you and baby are out with friends, they will be amazed when your baby tells you she’s tired, hungry, or too hot – just by making hand gestures. While your friends struggle through the baby years, you and your baby will be communicating happily with each other.

#10: Signing reduces tantrums
The last – but by no means least – thing you should know about baby signing is that it has been proven to reduce frustration (for babies and for parents), and to help children through those toddler-tantrum years. Most tantrums are caused by communication frustration, and when your child can express what he wants he is happier and calmer – and so are you!

Please visit the Baby Sign Language website and follow them on Facebook.

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A big thank you to Misty from BabySignLanguage.com for the first of a series of guest blogs on baby sign language. I am very excited to have you join me in learning and teaching my (and your) baby some signs. I think it’s going to be an easy and valuable experience that’ll help ease the communication between Aiden and me.

Photo courtesy of Momz

(Sorry Aiden, we’re two days late in posting this but we’re pretty important people and we have lives too! Just kidding. Kinda. Here’s a letter from dad and I put together a slideshow of your best moments thus far. I love you little man.)

Happy 6 month…day…!

I missed the first five, so I feel like I have some catching up to do. Luckily, you’ve almost completely stopped screaming in terror whenever I touch you, and you even laugh at my shenanigans every once in a while. I can hear you laughing with your mom right now and I can’t help but smile. I love holding you, and I love when you look into my eyes and laugh. Seeing you happy makes my day.

I can’t wait to be able to do more for you than just make you laugh, since I can’t even imagine how that would make me feel. I can see your intelligence in your eyes, and I can’t wait to see the kind of man you’ll grow up to be.

I love you, Aiden.
-Your dad

I need to apologize for being absent here for over a week. Long story short, Aiden and I are currently moving into a new apartment with the baby daddy, I’m working on perfecting a wedding cake before September 4th, I’m launching a small business, trying to get to the gym more than once a week, and OHMYGAWD MY FACE JUST BROKE OUT FROM ALL THE STRESS.

I just whisper-shouted that last part because the baby’s taking his morning nap. Please don’t wake the baby. If you do, I will kill you.

I managed to grow a third arm that can hold an attention-seeking baby while I do other things like pack, bake, and wipe my butt. It’s amazing what the hormones after childbirth can do! And for my next trick, my breastmilk can cure cancer!

Something something why buy the cow, something something milk for free… mehhhhhhh.

I’m a little disappointed that I haven’t been able to take as much photos of Aiden in the last few weeks as I usually do. My cellphone camera is getting a lot of use at the moment, for when I want to take a quick photo but my digital camera isn’t nearby. Plus Aiden does more moving so it’s become more difficult to take a picture in focus without making my baby look like he’s doing his Linda Blair in Exorcist impression.

So, as a consolation to the handful of you who have been wanting to see new pictures of the cutie who can be yours for 3 low payments of $19.99! here’s some halfway decent cellphone photos from mine and his dad’s phone.

And my favorite:
 

He’s still cute, right? High five!

Apparently there’s an iPhone app that turns pictures of people into zombies. My friend Bill turned Aiden into a zombie.

Before zombification

And after

Sweet dreams, kids.

Aiden is only a few days short of six months but he’s already so long, or tall, or however you measure babies’ length. I still put him in a rear-facing carseat and I’m pretty sure he’ll need to face the rear until he’s about 12 months. Car rides make him fall asleep which makes me happy. Though a tiny part of me wonders how comfortable he really is back there. I mean, the other day I took a peek at him from the driver’s seat and I saw his feet propped up on the backseat. If I raised my head any higher I’m pretty sure I’d see him relaxing and drinking a Corona and lime.

Hey, I don’t remember throwing all those empty beer bottles on the floor of my car….

I’m going to be brave. I have something to admit to you.

I’ve never told anyone this before. It’s been on my mind a lot lately and I spent a lot of time thinking about how I was going to break it to you. Honestly, the following information is too sensitive for me to even reveal for fear of how you’ll react. Here goes.

I sing these (awesomely) bad songs alone in my car. Loud and proud.

Enrique Iglesias – Hero

Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name

Meatloaf – I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)

Celine Dion – Because You Loved Me

The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be

Destiny’s Child – Say My Name

TLC – Waterfalls

Spice Girls – Wannabe

No Doubt – Don’t Speak

Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Barenaked Ladies – One Week

Natalie Imbruglia – Torn

I’m sorry! It’s not you, it’s me. I didn’t think this would ever happen. It’s just… well… I mean… I’m not sure how I have all the words to these songs memorized. I don’t even really like these songs so much to want to know all the words. But I do. And when the song comes on the radio I can’t help but sing along for the duration of the song. The dramatic instrumental introduction. The catchy chorus. It’s all too sexy to avoid.

Wait, c’mon. Don’t look at me like that. Please forgive me! Please! If you love me, then you’ll tell me it’s okay. And admit that you know the words too. Do you?

What songs do you sing along to when you hear them playing?