We’ve been signing at Ruby since a very early age. Our vocabulary isn’t big, but Ruby is starting to pick them up more quickly. Like her words, though, she tends to latch onto a favorite sign and then use it for everything.
Ruby’s verbal vocabulary right now is limited to “down” and “this”. She has said other words in the past (“up”, “mama”, “papa”, “gargoyle”) but for now, those two words are just about all she uses.
Similarly, her favorite sign right now is “more”. She uses it to indicate that she wants to eat, which apparently is all the time. She also knows how to sign “all done”, “bedtime”, and she can nod in agreement.
“All done” and “more” can sometimes be confusing for her. When she’s eating I’ll ask if she’s all done and she’ll sign it. Then I’ll ask if she wants more and she’ll sign that. Then I’ll ask if she wants down and she’ll say, “Dooooooowwwww…”. Then we’ll start over from the top. Sometimes, I’ll see her run through a bunch of her signs — “milk”, “more”, “all done” — as if she’s not quite sure what she’s trying to say.