I swore I wasn’t going to let me son watch any television for the first few years, although videos where he was learning something seemed to be on a different plane of my thinking, so I popped a video in and let Spencer watch it. Within a week, Spencer was signing “milk” and “more” and he was only 9 months old! I was so excited that he could communicate with us and knew at that time his brain was going to be fine!

So each day during meal times, we would pop in a Baby Signing Time video and Spencer would stare at the TV as he ate, happily watching Rachel, Alex and Leah and of course, Hopkins the frog!  He was quickly picking up more and more words, so we actually had to start watching them as well so we could keep up with him and understand what he was telling us.

Here’s the small disclaimer for parents that don’t have Signing Time (and the ones that do will totally agree)…be prepared to catch yourself singing the songs even when your children are not around.  They are catchy, hence why the kids love them, and apparently addictive.  Today I even went somewhere without Spencer, and about 1/3 into my drive I realized that I didn’t have to listen to the Baby Signing Time CD and put on grown-up music…what a concept!

When Spencer hit 15 months he crawled over to me and signed “please food” and I knew this was really working and man, this kid is smart!  I mean adjusted age he was 12 months (11 weeks early)  and was putting signs together!  At 16 months Spencer received his walker and picked it up right away, and at 16 moths he started crawling on all fours for the first time and also got himself into the sitting position for the first time.  I truly think Signing Time got his brain going and he realized he could do more…you might think that is crazy, but it’s my story and I’m sticking to it!  The only issue with Signing Time I have had, I told Spencer to “Go Go Go!” in his walker, so rather than start walking, he let go and signed “Go Go Go!” and fell face first into the cement.  Ok, not so much Signing Time’s fault, but it was funny that he signed it back so quickly. 

Spencer is up to over 50 signs at 18 months and now as soon as he wakes up, he’s actually signing Baby Signing Time and pointing to the TV.  I recently purchased three new DVD’s when they had their Anniversary sale and now he’s hooked on those.  He becomes pouty and mad if I put the wrong one in, so I have to figure out quickly which one he wants to watch.  No…he’s not spoiled.   But don’t all preemies deserve to be spoiled?

Another down side to Signing Time…your children CAN communicate with you much earlier, which is AMAZING…except when you sign to you child “NO, NO, NO” and he looks at you and signs back “YES, YES, YES!”  Crap, he gets this way to well.   He signs animals now and is even saying some words and signing them at the same time.  He’ll sign airplane and I have to look around and try and find it as he apparently has spotted it before me.  And yes, we’re in Seattle, where it’s still in the 50′s and raining on 1 June…and yesterday we got caught in the rain coming out a store and he started signing rain and then wet.  Yes sweet pea, it was raining and we were indeed wet.

What I also find fascinating about Signing Time is the reason behind the company Two Little Hands, and the fact that Rachel discovered her daughter Leah (Leah and Rachel’s nephew Alex are the stars of the DVD’s alongside Rachel) was deaf at 14 months.  And her second daughter Lucy, born 8 weeks early, had spina bifada and cerebral palsy.  So Rachel took things into her own hands (pun intended) and begin Signing Time with her sister Emile. 

It’s not only an amazing family and story, imagine how many lives they have impacted in such a positive way…and I know one for sure.  A little boy named Spencer, born the day his mom hit 29 weeks weighing 2lbs 5oz who was scheduled to have a brain shunt when he was born (real due date) due to ventriculomegaly and hydrocephalus and later diagnosed with Rhombencephalosynapsis.  That little boy is one happy child, no brain shunt, but an amazing smile, desire to learn and some tiny hands craving more words to be able to share with his mom and dad.

Although if you keep reading, you will see I’m giving away a copy of Volume 1 of Baby Signing Time, I HIGHLY recommend getting more!  And the wonderful folks at Signing Time have given us a discount code for preemie parents to use!  Enter in preemie starting on 3 June and  it expires June 17th it is for 10% off $50 or more and can not be combined with any other coupon or offer.

**GIVEAWAY**

When I bought my last DVD’s for Spencer, I purchased a Baby Signing Time Volume 1 knowing I’d be writing this review soon and wanting to share with another preemie family my love for communicating with our tiny miracles.  So to win Volume 1 of Baby Signing Time, here’s the scoop!

1.  You must be a parent/grandparent/aunt/uncle (related) to a preemie so the preemie gets the DVD!

2.  You must be a fan of It’s a Preemie Thing  and Signing Time on Facebook (leaving love on Signing Time from IAPT is optional)

3.  Comment on this post about your little one or the preemie you’re winning it for!

BONUS ENTRIES (make a separate comment for each):

4.  Follow It’s a Preemie Thing on Twitter @apreemiething and tweet:  Preemie only #giveaway with @apreemiething for @signingtime DVD http://tinyurl.com/3jojzgb

5.  Share about the review and giveaway on your FB status!

Giveaway closes on 9 June 2010 at midnight PST, and I will use a random winner generator from WordPress to select the winner!  Thank goodness since I’d give one to everyone if money grew on trees.

The review above is my own opinion after purchasing SEVEN various Baby Signing Time and Signing Time DVD’s on my own.  I was not compensated in any way for my review.

Spencer using his walker and probably listening to Baby Signing Time!