So far, silence

Captain Adventure still isn't really talking. Oh sure, he says "mamamamama" and makes other word-like noises, but he isn't really talking.

It's driving me crazy.

I don't care how often people say, "Well, he's a boy, they tend to talk later" or "Well, but weren't ALL your kids pretty slow to start, word-wise?"

The kid doesn't talk. And it makes me nervous.

He doesn't say, "My hat!" or "Where's daddy?" or even the perennial almost-two favorite, "No."

He doesn't even say "juice" when he wants some. He'll walk over and stare fixedly at the cupboard where we keep his sippy cups, but he won't point and/or say, "Juice!"

Or "joos" or "jjjjjjjjjj" or "mine!" or "gimmie" or "abba-gus" (which was how Danger Mouse used to ask for apple juice).

Just…a fixed stare, with the occasional glance in my direction to see if I've noticed yet.

But just when I say to myself that the kid is obviously broken in the eardrum department, he'll utter something like, "Dank doo!" when I hand him a plate of bananas, or "shhhhhh!" while holding up his shhhhhhhoes, or grab his bare feet and laugh when I say, "Where are your socks?!"

But if encouraged, he will immediately stop all communication and revert to staring. If you get in his face and said, "Where's your foot? Where's that foot?!", he will neither say 'foot' nor touch his foot. Just…stare. Full of surprise at your audacity. Is it addressing the Royal We? he seems to be wondering.

He also does this while singing. He'll be happily going through the ABC song, but if you join in – he stops. And watches you sing it. Fixedly. With great interest, and focus.

But he won't sing it with you.

Honestly.

Kids just like to drive their mothers crazy. I think it is some kind of massive kid conspiracy. Boo Bug went from not talking much at all, or speaking some language of her own device, to having a serious case of logorrhea overnight. She was three years old, and about five seconds from being sent by her pediatrician for hearing tests.

But it is frustrating to read the gushing reports from The Experts™ about how my 20 month old (week 3) ought to be moving on to simple sentences now. Acquiring ten or more words per day at this point. Turning into quite the chatter box, they inform me eagerly, along with many helpful tips for continuing the flood unhindered.

Meanwhile, I'm still trying to get him to say "juice" when he's thirsty, or to call for me by name when he wants to get up from his crib, or to in any way indicate that he understands his voice can make a difference, his words mean something to others, that we want to know what he thinks, feels, wants, dreams…

So that we can then turn around and say, "Gosh, do you ever stop talking? Geeesh! Give it a rest! Holy smokes! Talk talk talk talk TALK!"