Turn on the 'ight

Drew has been babbling almost non-stop for the last few months with extremely good intentions, but he has yet to say an actual word (including an intentional "mama" or "dada"). We thought he had said "dog" a couple of months ago, but turns out that was just "da" which, as we've learned, could mean anything from television to penis.

So to compensate he's been using what I call the "22-year-old ho at a bar" technique. He bats his eyes, does a little wiggle (and sometimes a belly flash), and smiles -- all of which sucker us into giving him exactly what he wants.

And then, if we give him the wrong thing, he just stands there pointing while saying "uh" for as long as it takes for us to figure out what "uh" means. It's like one of those demented Chinese game shows that I have never actually watched or enjoyed (ahem) where some poor yet totally willing contestant traipses through some impossible gauntlet with weirdly dressed people hold a battering ram ready to beat him into a pool of mud. Except I almost feel like that might be better than standing there like a complete idiot picking every single thing up off your kitchen table hoping it will make your toddler stop saying "uh." Not to be matched, of course, by reading a book or walking through the house and having to name every single thing he points to while saying "uh" or "da" or "at."

My husband tries to make it more interesting by using the actual name for things; so for any type of bird, I just say "bird" while he'll make it sound like he's some sort of ornithologist, spouting off words like "egret," "ostrich," and "emu." Probably why the poor kid has yet to say "bird" or well, anything for that matter.

Regardless, we've tried not to worry about his lack of language, particularly since the kid has been running since 10 months old and can clearly communicate (in his own caveman-like way) what he wants and needs. Plus, he can also sign "more" after we plead with him a few 100 times and withhold bananas and bread (his two favorite foods). So he's definitely trying to communicate, just not in English.

However, when you've got a daughter who uses the words "challenging" and "particularly" in regular conversation, and has been talking quite clearly since she was just around Drew's age, it's hard not to worry, if only just a little tiny bit.

But last night as I got him ready for bed, he pointed to the light on his dresser and I said "light." And then he said "IGHT!" And after a [10,000] few times of me asking him what it was to every light in our house he said it.

Either that or he thinks our choice in lamps is alright, or "A'ight" as the kids like to say.

Only 14 months and talking in slang.

I'm doomed.

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If you want to see some pics of my trip, check them out here.

Comments

[LiteralDan]

I agree about being patient-- my son didn't start rolling with his vocabulary till after 18 months, and he had speech therapists helping him.

My daughter, on the other hand, now exploded in words around 15 months, so either way you've still got time before you should worry.

I'd bet he adds 3 more words before a week goes by.

(Oh and isn't baby sign language great? I think that's one thing that really helped my daughter.)

[Manic Mommy]

I contacted Children's Hospital in Boston for a referral because HRH talked so late and my babysitter's speech therapist friend heard him say 'gung' for yogurt. Once he started he's never stopped.

Let 'im go at his own pace.

[Michelle]

I still say you need to add "warsh" to his vocab. Just kidding.

Four out of five scientists say "boys talk later," so nothing to worry about. Plus, if you have a hyperverbal firstborn, the second one always seems "retarded" or "autistic" by comparison.

It's getting them to shut up that's the trick (ages 9, 11, & 13).

[submommy]

17 months and we get mama, dada, nana (banana) and a whole bunch of babbling.

He signs more, eat and milk.

The word explosion is coming. Hopefully sooner rather than later. The little caveman thing (which is EXACTLY what I was thinking tonight as I was putting him down for bed) is cute & all - but some words would be nice.

Athough, K. talks enough for the whole family.

[Mom101]

He's definitely saying a'ight. Time to confess to the husband that Drew's real father is Flavor Flav.

[RubiaLala]

This is hilarious. Don't worry. I worried that my kid was never going to talk and now I wish he's shut the trap occasionally so I could think. A'ight?

[carrie]

My sister"s 3 year old made up words for everything and refused to say the real word. She likes to say that instead of us teaching him how to talk, he just taught us his language.

[Her Bad Mother]

Now just teach him to high-five - and maybe a gang sign or two - and he'll be set.

[Jennifer H]

One day, he may just take off talking and never stop. My son was slow to talk, but he got there.

I'd say your boy is doing a'ight. :-)

[MommyTime]

Yes, my daughter is talking much more coherently than Son was at this age (nearly two). She's making sentences. Not genius ones, but ones like "I feed it, fish," while pointing to the fishtank. Son was still in two-word combos at best by the time he was two. Now, he likes to tell me about things that "inspire" him -- and he's just four. So don't worry. Once they catch on, they run with it...

[Molly's Mom]

I'm an SLP who works with birth - 3 kids and Drew sounds to be perfectly normal for 14 months! It would be time to worry if he wasn't babbling or seeming to understand you...

[Nicole/wksocmom]

The differences are fun, but worrying. My oldest was my "verbal" kid, talked early, now "uses his words" excessively when he's mad, droning on and on about his horrible life and lack of toys. His little bro, only fourteen months younger, talked way later, basically meeting the milestones for talking but no more. At four he can spin a yarn like no ones business, but still reverts to hitting and yelling when he's mad. And I always could remind myself I didn't talk till I was two :)

[mandy g.]

Friends of ours were over for dinner with their precocious older son (who sounds like he swallowed a dictionary) and their 18 month old. The younger says nothing, he just grunts "Uh" and points... but his parents proudly informed us he lately grunted the entire Bob the Builder song. So they're not worried. Yet. :)

[caramama]

He'll probably be talking up a storm in no time! Very cute that he's first word is slang. hehe.

Great pics. I thought you guys were kidding about braiding each others' hair! You really had a hair braiding session?

[Hyphen Mama]

I just wrote a post about this same thing, and was so pleasantly surprised to find that most of the commenters who have sons said the same thing...regardless of having older siblings: Boys talk later. I guess it's a blessing for those of us with daughters that don't ever stop talking!! I've settled into the fact that my son will talk later and until then, it'll be just a tiny bit quieter in this house.

[Christina]

In no time at all he'll have the southern drawl mastered and will ask you for some grits.

Cordy knew 3-4 words by Mira's age, but Mira is still content with only uttering "bA!" to everything she sees.

[FishyGirl]

Something I learned by completely freaking out and taking my 14 month old to the pediatrician because he wasn't talking is that boys tend to talk later than girls. A lot later. And that I needed to chill the hell out. My first born was using complete sentences before she was one, but couldn't walk until 14 months. She was my first, so I didn't know she was weird about the talking thing. My second, a boy, didn't talk until LATE, like about 2.5 really, but walked at 11 months. The following two have followed suit - Sunny talking early, Nemo won't say much at all, except ut-oh, uh-huh, and ut-uh, complete with appropriate head nods or shakes. He's just like Roger on "Max and Ruby" and he's 17 months. So once Drew gets to be 3 and won't shut up AT ALL, EVER, even in his sleep, then you'll look back and laugh.

Plus aight looks real cute in the baby book (blog?) as his first real word. Go Drew!

[amy]

HAHAHA! I love it! Hey, Drew's Aight!!

[Heather]

I remember both of my kids' vocab really took off at about 15 months, so maybe there's an explosion on the horizon.

[Stacey]

My almost 15 month old is about the same - He knows several signs now, but alas, the words escape him. My 3 year old daughter has an extensive vocab, and began speaking rather clearly linking several words together at his age, but I've often heard boys are much slower... oh, and my guy still refuses to walk either ;) He CAN... he just refuses for the most part!

[b]

GO DREW!

[Angie in Texas]

JC is almost 6 and has battled speech all his life, but it doesn't stop him from being the kinder pimp (the ladies like jc - LL JC), having 3 friends who are completely devoted to him, or charming his way with the teacher and the school staff . . .

[Christina]

Mine is 2 1/2 and doesn't talk much but I got him a few of the "Signing Times" Dvd's and he is signing up a storm. It's funny because as soon as he started learning more signs he started trying to say the words to go with them.
Less frustration in our house now and he's learning more everyday.
Good luck.