Linguistics Study, Etc.

The Infant Study was actually last Friday... but of course, we had a very busy weekend so here's everything in one post.

Abby hasn't done one of the Linguistic Studies before (obviously if they are studying language and hers is just developing - she did do some Speech and Hearing tests early on). I filled out a survey before we came about all the words she could SAY. Which meant I had to distinguish what she was actually say from what she could sign. This was harder than I realized because I have become tuned into her language.

The first part of the study she watched a video (as usual, I was asked to close my eyes), but I could hear the narrator identify two similar animals (a mouse with a yellow hat and a mouse with a red scarf) and then another character was introduced and an interaction took place ("see the mouse with the yellow hat hug the dog"). She was video taped so they could track where she was looking the whole time.

The second part was more annoying. I had to wear head phones (given the option of listening to Aretha Franklin, The Beach Boys, or The Beatles - I chose The Beatles). A light would start flashing on one side of the room, when Abby turned towards it a recording of nonsense syllables would begin and play until she looked away. Then the light would flash on the opposite side of the room and again say nonsense syllables when she looked at it. Abby did not enjoy this very much - and since I was simultaneously listening to The Beatles and nonsense syllables, I didn't either.

On Saturday, we went to hear the Dangertones which is the band of a friend of a friend. They played at a marina on Maryland's Eastern shore near Chestertown. Despite traffic, the drive was pretty nice - it reminds me that not everyone lives in the suburb of a large city.

On Sunday, we visited our last church, Manassas Presbyterian and got to have lunch with some good friends. Abby does not nap when there are people to interact with, so it was a very long morning for her. Because a lot of the youth that Rob had worked with at MPC were on their summer trip, we will probably make another visit in the Fall.

Yesterday, Abby slept - a lot. And I did laundry - a lot.

Make sure to check out all the awesome pictures of our weekend.