Noah did so well today at Walmart that I told him I was very proud of him and would do whatever he wanted when we got home (which is turning out to be a nursing session and a nap). For a kid who won’t talk he is very obvious about what he wants.

I started to worry about him again. There are so many kids that are a month or two older than him and they seem so much more advanced vocally but my mom reminds me that I didn’t start talking until I was two and when I did, it was like I memorized the dictionary. I was using sentences within a week or something like that. I know my dad would tell me that I never shut up as a kid and he loved it…that I’d make a good public speaker or lawyer. (I think he was kidding about the last part. He really did love me.)

With that in mind, I try to remind myself that Noah did exactly that with walking and he’ll probably do exactly that with talking. He really has no need to talk because he can grunt, reach and point his way to whatever he needs. It was suggested to me that I withhold objects in an attempt to get him to speak but that just seems mean. I wouldn’t want someone to do that to me, so why should I do it to him? If he gets frustrated with the fact that he gets eggs for breakfast instead of cereal or he has apple juice instead of milk, he’ll learn to start talking real quick…but if he’s hungry, I’m not going to starve my kid. I mean, would you?

I think I have successfully cheered myself up. My son is brilliant in all the right ways…he’ll get to where he needs to go when he’s ready. In the meantime, I’ll watch him hug me and dance to music and talk on the phone and type on the computer and change my power settings and put puzzles together and…

And and and. There are so many “ands” that they’re neverending…that’s how brilliant my son is.