Speech Therapy?

Annabelle had her 2 year well check up on Tuesday. I voiced my concern to the doctor that Annabelle was using some consonants in place of others, such as "dorse" for horse or "durse" for nurse. He said that he would make a recommendation to me on how to assist her with the pronunciation, but if it did not get better in 2-3 months, then he would recommend she see a speech therapist. I have actually been concerned about it, but I actually had not mentioned it to anyone because I didn't want other people to assume that she had a problem (if maybe she didn't). I didn't even mention it to hubby as I didn't want him to worry about her. He (the doctor) recommended that I focus on the consonant sounds that she has trouble with such as "ha ha ha" for "horse." He said that is what a speech therapist would do.

So, all that being said, this is just another thing that makes me feel like the worst mother in the whole wide world. I feel like as a mother I am constantly judged and compared to other mothers. It makes this job that much harder. Why are men not judged and compared as much as fathers? Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how Annabelle turns out), I feel like her intelligence and behavior is a direct result of my parenting since I am the primary caregiver with her the majority of the time.

Before I had Annabelle, I honestly did think that a "late talker" was often a result of the parents not spending enough time with their children. However, I changed my view on that over a year ago! I think I expected Annabelle to start talking shortly after birth or something and when she didn't start talking fluently or clearly by 12-15 months, she was definitely "behind" in my eyes. Of course, no mother wants their child to be "behind" as we all think our child is the smartest.

Maybe I should completely disregard the even tiniest thought of homeschooling! That is scary to think that public schools could do a better job at teaching my child than me. No offense to my best friend who is a teacher in a public school as I know she must be a wonderful teacher because she's a wonderful mom!

So, all of that being said, I'm sure I'll get over this "pity party" tomorrow or the next day or maybe the next and move forward. But, in the mean time, I wanted to document all of the words that I know Annabelle knows as of 2 years of age. I'm hoping it will make me feel better.

I read somewhere that a toddler should have 50 words in their vocabulary at age 2, so it looks like she's right on target (or above target) with her vocabulary. It also said that "late talkers" were considered to be those toddlers who did not have 50 words in their vocabulary at the age of 2. They apparently know more than the 50 words they say, which I know is true with Annabelle because she can find and point out just about anything I ask her to find. She understands everything I say. For those who know her well, please comment and let me know if there are other words I am missing.

Dr. Calk said she should be 80% understandable between 2 - 2.5 years of age by other people. However, I read on the internet that at age 2 she should be between 50-75% understandable, and I think that was only by the primary caregiver. Maybe I misunderstood the doctor?

1. Annabelle (I have no clue how to write out the spelling on her name!)
2. Mommy
3. Dattie (Daddy)
4. Ganmama (Grandmama)
5. Gandattie (Granddaddy)
6. Nonnie (Nonnie)
7. A-am (Adam)
8. Pierce (Pierce)
9. Baby Attie (Baby Adie)
10. Baby Ella (I don't know how to write out her pronunciation of this word.)
11. Juice
12. Apple Juice (pronounced correctly now)
13. Gasshopper (Grasshopper) (new word over the last few days)
14. Bilk (Milk)
15. Durse (Nurse)
16. Dorse (Horse)
17. Kit Cat (Kitty Cat)
18. Boon (Balloon)
19. Bird
20. Cow
21. Dog
22. Pick Fowers (Pick Flowers...Annabelle has a book she loves called Once Upon a Picnic where Little Red Riding Hood picks the flowers in it for the big, bad wolf. We ask her what the big bad wolf is doing, and she says "Pick Fowers.")
23. Batum (Bottom)
24. Baby Doll
25. Paci
26. Balk (Walk)
27. Down
28. Doctur (Doctor)
29. Ball
30. Bite Bater (White Water)
31. Baterball (Waterfall)
32. Pictur (Picture)
33. Mickey Douse (Mickey Mouse)
34. Sing (Swing)
35. Side (Slide)
36. Sitch Sides (Switch Sides while nursing)
37. Shooz (Shoes)
38. Socks
39. Boo Boo (Boo Boo)
40. Bow (Bow)
41. Money
42. Chair
43. Sit
44. Hold You (as in "Hold you Mommy, hold you")
45. Oer Dare (Over There)
46. Dose (Those)
47. Dis (This)
48. Ont (Want)
49. Park (This was a new word she said on her birthday. It sounds sort of Bostonian.)
50. Bowl
51. Boon (Spoon)
52. Pork (Fork)
53. Book
54. Reed (Read)
55. Peas (Please)
56. Tank You (Thank You)
57. Yes Mam (Yes M'am)
58. Potty
59. Tee Tee (Tee Tee)
60. Poo Poo (Poo Poo)
61. Ticker (Sticker)
62. Hot
63. Tea (Tea)
64. Bup (Cup)
65. Ice (She actually started pronouncing this "dice," but I think she pronounces it correctly now.)
66. Nana (Banana)
67. Cado (Avocado)
68. Pear (Pear)
69. Booberries (Blueberries)
70. Orange
71. Pink
72. Purple (as in "Purple Beads")
73. Boo (Blue)
74. Big, Big, Big, Big, Big Piece
75. Sungasses (Sunglasses)
76. Teas (Trees)
77. Choo Choo Bain (Choo Choo Train)
78. Stower (Stroller)
79. Beads (Beads)
80. Biper (Diaper...although, I think she may actually say "diaper" now.)
81. Keen Up Mommy (Clean Up Mommy)
82. Butterbye (Butterfly)
83. See Outside Mommy
84. Dattie Home (Daddy Home)
85. Bye Bye
86. Hi Dare (Hi There...although, I think she may be saying "Hi There" now.)
87. Shooz Off (Shoes Off)
88. Sirt On (Shirt On)
89. No, Me! (No explanation necessary!)
90. Bash Hands (Wash Hands)
91. Rinse Off (Rinse Off)
92. Purse
93. Me Too
94. One, Two, Free (One, Two, Three)
95. Deese Fingers Down (These Fingers Down...she says this when she's trying to hold her fingers down to show us that she's two years old.)
96. Talk Dattie, Talk Nonnie, Talk Ganmama
97. Toofbrush (Toothbrush)
98. Toofpaste (Toothpaste)
99. Cheese
100. Fags (Flags)
101. Atch TV (She started asking to do this after she got sick with her bladder infection. We introduced the movie, and she loved it. Fortunately, she doesn't ask me very often, and I normally refuse.)
102. Movie (Ditto # 98)
103. Dies (Eyes)
104. Diebrow (Eyebrow)
105. Dose (Nose)
106. Boo Boo Hurt Mommy
107. Fog (Frog)
108. Bus
109. Barn
110. Cover Up Mommy
111. Wuv You (Love You)
112. Gas (Grass)
113. Tetty Bear (Teddy Bear)
114. Highchair
115. Hat On
116. Big Bird
117. Elmo
118. Help Mommy
119. Kit Kat Stoo (Kitty Cat Stool...She requests the "Kit Kat Stoo" when she wants to help Mommy in the kitchen.)
120. Butt (Butt...yes, we aren't quite sure who she learned this word from, but when we pointed to her bottom this pasty Sunday, she told us it was a "butt," "bottom," and "Heine." She said each word at a separate time, but she used them all.)
121. Heine (See # 117) (Did I spell "heine" correctly?"

The above words are not in the order they were learned (by any means)! I just listed them as I could think of them. And, I am sure I have missed some!

Okay, now (after compiling my list) I am trying to understand why I was having a "pity party." Annabelle knows a lot of words (more than the "norm"). She needs to learn to pronounce some of them better, but she is honestly getting much better with her pronunciations. As you can see, I've already noted on some words where I think she has actually improved her previous pronunciation. I think my problem is that I constantly feel that Annabelle is judged and compared to other children. Annabelle is her own self. She succeeds in other areas. And, she is NOT behind on her words even though she needs some assistance with the pronunciation. Most people do not know how much Annabelle actually does talk because they aren't around her on a daily basis, and she tends to be shy and quiet around other people besides her Mommy and Daddy.

I do think we have a VERY independent child, but I think it will serve her very well in the future. Of course, it drives me crazy on some days! She insists on doing almost everything herself (including emptying the pot to her "big girl potty" every single time she tee tees in the potty).

So, here is hoping to hear 10 or more new words every day! That is what the experts say they'll start doing around 2 years of age! Holy cow!