Baby Signing Time - "Hurt"

Except for steering, Matthew pull himself up on his Fisher Price activity walker and walk behind it with good enough balance and control without my help. It's a good walker, plastic and light but sturdy enough for an 18-month old who can't walk without any support yet.

Unfortunately we had a little accident today. It slipped out from underneath him, he fell and hurt his cheek (and the fall most likely scared him too). And more unfortunately, I wasn't close enough or fast enough to break his fall. Crocodile tears streamed down his face as I picked him up and held him close. I quickly looked him over. He wasn't bleeding and didn't have a bruise. Poor baby! I guessed that it frightened him more than anything. I looked him in the eye and said, "You'll be fine. I'm sorry you fell. Where does it hurt?" Then it seemed like time stood still when he looked back at me and touched the tips of his pointer fingers together (the sign for "hurt"!!!) before he proceeded to cry more. I was surprised... happy... conflicted. Why should I be happy? He's hurt. But should I praise him for signing "hurt" for the first time? So I just calmly said, "Ouchie? Your cheek hurts? I'm sorry it hurts. You'll be fine" and held him close. He was back playing with his toys within a few minutes.

I'd been told that some kids really take to signing, others don't at all. We had started signing to him since he was around 7 or 8 months old. Doing signs with him and watching Baby Signing Time Vol. 1 (his all-time favorite DVD) seems to be really clicking with him now. To date, he signs - "more", "all done" "help", "book", "milk". And now, my baby can sign "hurt"!!!