2 year checkup

Shelby had her 2 year well baby checkup last Friday. She is 31 pounds and 35.5" tall. She is still in the 95% or higher, which she pretty much has been in the 90's since she was born. It looks like she might be tall and skinny, like I "used" to be! We spoke with our pediatrician for a while about Shelby's speech, or lack thereof. Our problem is, she babbles constantly (which is a good thing), she understands everything we say, she responds to us and follows directions, but she refuses to use real words. She says all kinds of different sounds and uses lots of letters, but does not use them for communication. We know she can say words because she will say a word a few times and then stop. At this point she finds it easier (or so she thinks) to communicate with us by whining, crying or pulling us to where she wants us to go. This of course has been a huge worry for me, I am afraid of her being behind or delayed. We had her evaluated about about 19 months and they considered her around 30% delayed but we chose to wait on speech therapy hoping she would have a verbal explosion. That hasn't happened yet. So we have decided to wait and take her back to the pedi for a checkup at 2 1/2 years old and we will do speech therapy then if she is still not speaking. We are fairly confident that she will need very little therapy. We are also in agreement that she most likely does not have any kind of disorder. Her pedi says that he won't be surprised that if after one or two sessions she isn't speaking (not because of the actual therapy but because she decides to speak after a stranger works with her). So that the scoop on that. Everyone has told us that she is too young for this therapy stuff or just let her be, she is fine, or my son, daughter, granddaughter, or whatever didn't talk until they were 3. Don't get me wrong, Mike and I think SHelby is prefect, but if she needs "help" in this area, all statistics and research shows that it is better to help them earlier rather than later. Our pediatrician's opinion was, he typically tells parents to wait until 2.5 or 3, by the time they are 3, there is more cause for concern as there just may be something else wrong, and/or the later you wait, the more difficult it will be to work with them. It can also take months to get into the program with therapy, so you don't want to wait TOO long. Six months after she turns three she will be going to preschool, so she needs to be talking by then and she also needs to be talking more than she is now, so she will be able to fully learn her ABC's and numbers and other developmental stuff kids her age are doing. Another thing we hear QUITE regularly is, "count your blessings, because once she starts talking she will never shut up". While I COMPLETELY understand this (you all know me, right?!?!), and I try to appreciate it while it lasts, BUT unless you live with a child who only communicates by whining, crying, pulling on you, etc.. you have no clue. We are really trying to get her to say words by asking instead of the whining, etc...sometimes it works, but most of the time is doesn't. I have also had people tell me that she seems fine. ONe thing people don't understand is, that is a large crowd or when Shelby is running around playing with other kids, she seems perfectly fine, and most people don't even notice that she isn't speaking words. But at home, when it is just the three of us, it is beyond frustratingly apparent to us. WHen other kids are coming up to you or their parents and saying mommy or daddy, and clearly asking for things, Shelby doesn't do that, she comes up to us and pulls us or points or whines. When she wants me on the floor with her she will grab my hand and push me down to the floor or point to the floor, when she wants something to eat, she has started pointing to her tongue. It very hard sometimes to know what exactly she wants. A lot of people also tell us "why don't you just make her say the words". Not so easy! Have you ever tried that with a 2 year old? Usually she gives up or she goes on forever. I may be weak in this deparment but I just don't see how getting her upset to the point of gagging is going to make her say anything. So anyways, those are some of my thoughts and feelings on the subject! A few hours after Shelby's checkup she started hacking up a lung! Go figure right, we were just at the doctors so I won't get sick until we leave! Shelby has never had a cough, EVER. SO this is new territory for us. She has no fever, so we are just watching it closely. On the house front, they are hopefully going to be pouring the basement slab on Wednesday and start framing next week! YAY. We also went and ordered all the carpeting for the house and the tile for the bathrooms. That way when it is framed up, they can come and double measure and it is already all picked out and they will deliver it and install it when we want. Now that Shelby turned 2 recently I have been looking back on the past 2 years and what an adventure it has been. I was just talking to a friend about how Shelby was such an easy going and relaxed baby, she was great, and then she turned 1 and that is when the tantrums and her personality and attitude really shined! She is still a great kid of course, but she was an awesome newborn. I just might be in the minority here but I loved those newborn days. Shelby would sit like this for an hour or more, just as happy and content as could be. We were are are very lucky!