I think I might have mentioned before that Hannah has been a bit delayed in talking. This has been challenging for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which is we don’t know what the heck she wants and she grunting/whining is getting a little old. Still it is possible there is a light at the end of the tunnel. At the ripe old age of 22 months it appears she is beginning to hit her groove.
We now can do about 7 family members names, hi, bye, nigh-nigh, no-no, mo (more), wa-wa (water), dip-dip (for dipping her food). Actually now that I write that out, we still haven’t made whole lotta progress. I can’t forget that we still have 150 different animal noises in the repertoire. In fact this weekend when we stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge they had carpeting with wolves, bears and moose on it (classy!) and Hannah would walk down the hall howling and growling every couple of feet. Perhaps she is the next Dr. Doolittle.
This is just so weird for us because her sister was soooo verbal sooo early. She continues this trait to this day. Sometimes painfully so. I have no idea where she gets it (ahem). Also I find myself treating Hannah a bit like a baby and not disciplining her for stuff that Lily so would have gotten in trouble for. Somehow I keep forgetting that Hannah “gets” anything. She is getting free passes all over the place. Luckily Lily hasn’t really caught onto this fact and started the whole, “How come Hannah doesn’t get in trouble for that and I did?” thing. Someday this blog post might come back to haunt me.
It doesn’t help that Hannah still just looks so little. Her 18-24 month pants are still falling of of her. She can’t seem to grow any hair. Well that isn’t quite true. She is growing it the back, just nothing on the sides or the front. Oh yeah, you guessed it…she is growing a mullet. We put it in pigtails as often as possible to hide this fact from the viewing public, but make no mistake, it’s a mullet.
I know someday in the not so distant future I am going to be on the receiving end of some verbal tirade and wonder why I ever longed for this child to talk, but right now I wish she would a just little so I knew what was going on in that little brain of hers. Then again, her favorite game as of late is my asking, “Who loves you?” Her little face lights up and she says, “Mama.” What more does she really need to say?
The Diaper Diaries 
You are so right! My second daughter was just like that. The kid hardly said a word until she was well into her two’s. The Dr. told us it was because I had an older child that had learned to speak her language and did everything for her (ie. give her what she wants to make her stop screaming because she couldn’t communicate), so my older child wouldn’t make her say the words to get what she wanted (she was only 5 at the time, this was certainly not her responsibility, but the older seemed to always know what the younger wanted, so it didn’t occur to me that this was a problem). When I finally realized the error of my ways, I changed my habits and made the younger one ask for things using big girl words. Within a month her vocabulary exploded and she hasn’t shut up since! She’s now 6 and only stops talking when she’s playing Build A Bear on the DS or is asleep. So, enjoy these quiet years. It will change soon enough!
I would definitely rather have the crawling/walking delayed than talking – so I feel your pain. I think there is some school of thought that says second and third children tend to talk later, if it makes you feel better. something about the big siblings being able to “translate” for them so the need for speech isn’t as much at the beginning (or maybe big sis just won’t let her get a word in edgewise, so she’s learned to communicate in other ways). In any case, I take comfort in knowing that all babies go at their own pace (mine is pretty severely delayed in gross motor – he just started rolling both ways last week and he’s almost 9 months… still can only sit for a few seconds without toppling!… and doesn’t bear any weight on his legs.. EVER). and you’re right – MAMA is all we need to hear anyway!!!
thanks jill – he was in the hospital last month with some rapid weight loss (I feel you on the my-baby-is-tiny thing too!), and they evauated the gross motor then… they suggested a few exercises and toys and games to encourage him (and told us to, you know, stop getting his toys FOR him so he has to manage himself!) and he does seem to be better. but they don’t think he has any physiological problems – just a little slow in this arena. which is ok – he’s ahead in others!
I really like your blog! 🙂
Jill,
Halle was over 2 years old before she started talking. Now she talks non-stop and can be understood over the phone, which is no small accomplishment. Grandpa understands her, too. She talks in sentences and puts thoughts together to express herself. Everyone grows at their own rate — even us adults in the spiritual realm. I’m so glad God doesn’t say, “this is the norm for spiritual growth and you are way behind.” Instead He takes us where we are gently, lovingly encouraging us and wooing us along. Praise be to God!! So be of good cheer. Hannah will blossom in her own time. In the meantime, hold her accountable:-)
Love ya.
Just a thought…have you considered signing? I had never considered it for my first three…I never even really heard of ‘hearing’ people doing it at all. So I suffered through your same struggle. I remember my oldest heaving great sighs of frustration at my incompetence and inability to understand him. =)
My sister signed with her children and it was so intriguing to me that when our fourth baby was born (who will be three in May~and was a huge surprise…she is 6 years younger than my youngest son) I gave it a shot. It was marvelous. She was communicating with certainty by 9 months or so and we averted much frustration, both for her and for all of us.
Everything I have read suggests that it is not too late to start and the fact that she (your daughter) is a little older may mean that she catches on much quicker. It was great fun for all of us. I still use it a little with the boys in situations where I cannot yell…ha, I can sign STOP NOW or I SAID NO with a lot of passion. =)
I’d be happy to recommend some resources for you if you are interested. =)
You are so right about the talking and how you will want it to stop. I’m on my fourth child and I still haven’t gotten the concept down! How fun to go to the Wolf Lodge 🙂 I’m a little jealous!
I remember at the 18 month check up they asked if she had 8 words so that is the expectation. A friend who is a speeth therapist says that she counts animal sounds as words from the standpoint that they know that a sound represents and object and they are able to reproduce that sound.
My son was referred to speech services at 22 months by this doctor, only to be rejected 2 months later because he was… get this… “TOO ADVANCED” (?) So much for what the experts thinks…
Since his second birthday last Friday, he has NOT. STOPPED. TALKING.
He has a new word (or fifteen)a day. Today, he wanted to know about everyone’s shoes… and I wonder, “why did I ever worry?”
I know this is kinda off the subject, but we just discovered Great Wolf Lodge here in Ohio and love it! My kids ask to go back every three days or so.