4.25.2008

Late Bloomer

She is my late bloomer. She crawled late - around 9 months. She walked late - almost 15 months. She is a late talker - she has only about 10 words in her vocabulary. 

When she wasn't crawling, I was not concerned. I knew it would come eventually and life was fairly easy when I could leave her in a room to play while I made dinner or helped one of the other kids. There was never a concern that she would crawl off and be near the stairs or get into somethings that she shouldn't.

When she wasn't walking, I was not concerned. She was taking a few steps but for a long time had no desire to walk or even cruise around the furniture. The fact that she wasn't walking kept her my baby for a bit longer.  Since she is most likely our last baby, I enjoyed the fact that she wasn't walking and still depended on her mama. I knew when she started walking their would be a whole new list of challenges and a fight for independence.

When she wasn't talking, I will admit I was a bit concerned. I was excited for this stage, I love watching kids develop their language. Since her sister and brother were early talkers, I wasn't sure my expectations should be at this stage. At her 15 month check up I asked the doctor about it.  Our doctor assured me that she was within the normal range for vocabulary.  (I reminded myself to stop comparing her to her siblings!)  I know her language will develop, like all her other skills but there are many days when I wish she could/would be able to express herself with words instead of frustrated shrieks and cries. 
 
There will be days when she surprises me with a new word. I am not sure how words like duck make it from brain to mouth yet eat, drink, up, or help - words that are used in her daily life- escape her vocabulary.  

This week she has gained a new word that she is practicing throughout her day.  Her new word is  NO!  It seems to be a favorite as she says it with a smile and a shake of her little head.  Oh how I have been waiting for her words to come, longing to watch her vocabulary develop, but this is one word I could have waited a little longer to hear.

5 comments:

Rachel Slagle said...

she is so cute... dillon was a late bloomer too - at his 18 month check-up he was using about 5 words and now, 6 months later the kid never stops talking :)

Jenni S. said...

I remember when Anna learned the word "no" - we thought for sure it would be her first word since we were always saying it to Ruthie and our dog we had at the time. But no - her first word was...dog. What a little sweetheart you have on your hands!

Short Stop said...

She's just precious, Kristen.

Max was a a late crawler, walker, talker. About 3 weeks ago, he decided to talk and is talking in almost full sentences now. It's funny...like he was just saving up his words til he could get it just right.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Earen said...

What a cutie! If she was a late crawler at 9mo, then my Levi was a really late crawler at 10mo. I guess they all come around in their own time...

Marie Louise said...

They all progress at their own rate, so don't worry about it. With being the youngest, too, there is so much going on around them that sometimes they have no need to do any talking when everyone is yabbering around them. She will be talking and bickering with her siblings soon enough!