Weight (as of today) 34.6 lb
Age: 2 years. 6 months, and 12 days old
He has discovered "flies" and for a few days had an intense phobia. Any mention of a fly, would send him running in fear from the room. We used this to our advantage a bit, to get him to move where we wanted (it's not that evil, he's a strong willed child and we use any advantage we can get to control things). After days of reassuring him though that flies won't hurt him, the fear is starting to subside a bit. Now every bug is a fly, and he makes a "buzzz" sound, still with a slightly apprehensive look to his face, whenever a bug is around.
My child said "bubbles" last Friday and it was cause for a celebration. Not only has he never been able to say a B word correctly (he either wouldnt attempt, or his attempts resulted in an M word. Ie, Baa was Maa) So we were really excited that he said a word so full of Bs. He said it during therapy and of course won't say it again. Such is Callum.
He's been saying lots of new words/phrases in general... although still not consistently and often he still reverts to his jargon or just plain tells you NO! when you tell him to use words. So sometimes I think he chooses not to say things, because it's more work. I mean, words he has said, he just tells me NO he won't say them. If we bribe him, then sometimes he will. For example, last week he wanted something, a toy or food, and he said "I want please" (the please was signed). I told him to say that and I'd give him the item. He still doesn't speak much unprompted/spontaneously, or if you tell him to say something but it doesn't fit the context of the situation. So he CAN say some things... he just doesn't always. That's not to say he isn't delayed - he is, and he also struggles with placing his mouth in the right spots to get words out. You can see it, you can see his mind working, specifically during therapy, trying to figuring out how to say a word.
Sometimes if you tell him to use words though he will do this thing where just opens and closes his mouth making a random sound and tapping his mouth with his finger, minicing his SLP.
Callum starts daycare next week. We're going to send him to an in-home daycare, near my work, 1 day a week. And I am starting him my first day of summer break. Because we need a break to get things done at home! But really, he needs to socialize with other kids and be around someone that is not us. I really think that'll help his speech, and social skills. He's not socially awkward and he plays well with other kids. however he is a bit shy in new situations, and usually will "hang back" from groups of others kids for awhile, until he suddenly warms up. He does this with kids he knows well, his friends, not just stranger kids... so I want to try to work on that. He has been SO much better lately though, warms up a lot quicker and plays well, joining in after his initial "observation" stage.
Just to note... I was the same way, I was really shy. More so than he is. It's hard to see the personality traits you dislike about yourself (or their other parent!) manifest in your child. So when he does the shrinking violet routine... hiding behind me, sitting out from other kids and observing them, explaining mama!mama! if someone approaches him... I'm like, omg that is SOOO me, haha. I was so so shy when I was little and just wanted my mom and was scared of being away from her, and of big groups, etc. He's actually way less shy than I was, and it's not a horrible thing, but if we can work on that, why not?
