Thanks for that link. I’ll share it with my husband, too.
I’ve loved following this thread and hearing all the wonderful stories.
Admit to being a bit jealous, hoping to be able to join the club.
DS, 35, has been married 2 years to a lovely woman we love.
They’vs been pretty close mouthed on the subject.
Yesterday they stopped over and announced their baby is due in August.
We are thrilled!!!
This will be the first for both sides.
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Sweet news, @musicmom! I am very happy for you and your family. 
S1 had six words at 15 months when his brother was born. Had six words at 23 months. Had several hundred words at 25 months. Once the light switch went on, that was that! He was the same way with walking – 15 months, but the first time he did it, he walked across the room.
I took S1 to a Mom and Me class when he was little – we had recently moved to DC and I was looking for play dates for S and friends for me). The teacher had been a nurse who specialized in ChildFind – early identification of potential issues, and since S had frequent ear infections, we were paying attention. She had handouts about speech stimulation, and S was always happy to be read to.
When I was doing the speech stuff with S1, S2 (8 months old at the time) was soaking it in. He started talking at the same time as his older brother.
S2 had speech therapy – ChildFind kept telling us he was borderline starting when he was two, and at 4.5, said go for it. He was having trouble with dipthongs and ‘s’ sounds and was getting frustrated. She took that frustration and turned it into motivation – -she taught him phonics and by the end of speech therapy he was able to read, too. She told us afterwards he did a year’s worth of work in less than four months. I think she was an exceptional SLP and knew how to get him motivated.
If a child is understanding directions and your spoken language, then the foundations are there. Some kids like to observe and process things in their heads before they actually attempt a new skill. Others plunge right in and learn by trial and error. I had one of each!
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Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s very helpful and reassuring.
@Silpat I was just talking to my daughter about this, and she mentioned a program that many friends have use; both the free and paid versions.
There is an Instagram account that my daughter said has useful tips. While I haven’t looked at the program, it seems while there is a paid program, there is plenty of information available on the site and IG. Maybe, since you are with your grandchild a good amount of time, you could look into the information. According to my daughter, there are great tips even for toddlers without language delays.
Hope this might be helpful for you.
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Thank you so much!
This is the main reason, I think, that many of us remain on CC and especially Parent Café. I can always count on the experience, wisdom and generosity of the posters here.
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I spent another wonderful day with D and GD. GD has silent reflux & colic. D is an overachiever who likes to be in control. She is being challenged! She starts working again in a week & a half, and I think it will be good for her. Both sets of grandparents will split the job of watching the baby for a few months. D is so worried that we won’t be able to deal with her high needs child. Well, D was the poster child for all-day/all-night fussiness, so she certainly doesn’t need to worry about me. And I keep reminding her that her in laws raised two children … and lived in a war zone … so I imagine they can handle a fussy baby. I think D will relax once she realizes that her child is hardly an outlier!
GD is certainly fussy, but she gets cuter & cuter every day. She is interested in everything, smiles and babbles … she loves it when I sing to her. It’s definitely wonderful to be a grandparent.
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Preparing to head back home after spending the last 2 months at D and SIL’s house helping take care of the twins. Since D is the “new guy” at her medical practice group, she ends up with lots of evening, overnight and weekend shifts–times the nanny isn’t available. I’d stay longer, but I need to go home to catch up on stuff–car needs to be inspected before I can renew its registration in April, plus I have appointments for the dentist, my PCP, the eye doc, a mammogram, bloodwork and my first haircut since September. I told my SIL I will fly back if he needs help with managing the twins while D works. (I’m fully vaccination now so I can fly instead of doing an exhausting 12 hour marathon drive to their house.) SIL’s parents are coming out to see/help with the twins in May, but they’re only staying for 3 days. (Wimps! I’m been here for 15 weeks and counting…)
Both babies babble like crazy. Twin B mastered rolling over (stomach to back and back to stomach) before her 4 month birthday. She also cutting her first tooth already. (An upper tooth. I guess she’s just going to do things her own way…) Twin A’s GERD has improved greatly. She’s still barfy, but she’s no long screaming in pain after feeding.
But two such very different personalities already! Even the pediatrician commented on how different they were at their last check up. (Of course, Twin B was having screaming meltdown on daddy’s shoulder while Twin A was sitting calmly in grandma’s lap chewing on her fist…) Twin A is such a calm, gentle person while her sister is a bit of thrill-seeker.
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@WayOutWestMom ~ Wow! What a blessing you have been to your D, SIL, and babies! Thanks for a great update. Safe travel.
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I get to spend next weekend with D1 and the baby again. This time, D1 and her H are going to dinner while I am there. It will be their first date night. They are looking forward for me to some early morning feedings and I am looking forward to some alone time with my GD. She is getting so big and cute. She has rolls on her legs. I kidding said that they’ll need to put her on an exercise regiment soon.
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My S, DIL, and GS just left after spending the weekend with us. They came on Friday and on Saturday S and DIL went to a hotel for an overnight escape before baby #2 arrives next month. Let me tell you, GS was a little off. He knows something’s going on even though he has no idea how it will affect his day-to-day life. He is adorable, so very verbal, and able to twist his Pop-Pop around his little finger but when he woke up from his nap and mommy and daddy were home he attached himself like glue. It’s been a joy to watch him grow this year and we have been so luck y to have been part of their pod through Covid. Now H and I and DIL are all vaccinated, so there’s even less worry.
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My GD (2) is soooo into the new baby coming. Boy, she doesn’t know how her life is going to change! She talks to B all the time, drives trains across Mom’s tummy, carries the sonogram picture around, etc. It’s adorable, but, again…she is in for a big surprise next month.
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DIL is being induced today. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of GD#2!
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My Nashville GD turned 1 over the weekend. It was fun to spend a few days with D, SIL & GD. GD is talking up a storm, but only dada & mama are translatable. She will stand for a second until she realizes she is doing it and then sit back down. Walking behind a walking toy up and down the hall. Eats like a horse. She’s so much fun, but exhausting at the same time.
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Our sweet GD#2 arrived this afternoon. She is small but healthy. They will likely go home tomorrow. What a relief!
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GS turned one March 3. He got to come see us on his birthday because they didn’t want to do a big think like his cousin (born 7 days later) did. His parents are still trying to make it work but it is hard. They try but have a lot of things going against them. They did start going to a church and he has held his job all year. They have been able to pay the rent without help for several months. I have had to help with groceries… We will see. They need more than a 590 sq ft one bedroom apartment now that he is growing and is so active.
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Congratulations, @tx5athome, to you and your family! Enjoy every single minute!
@momocarly ~ Lucky GS and lucky you to get to celebrate turning one together! It is nice that you are able to help. 
@momocarly My D and SIL live in a slightly bigger apartment; I’d guess about 700 sq ft at best, with a 2 year old and another one about to join them. And a dog. It’s four of the tiniest of tiny rooms. there’s an even tinier alcove off the living room that they’re fixing up for the new baby. It’s amazing what people can do with small spaces. GD, luckily, doesn’t run around too much inside, and they try to get her out every day. (Upstairs apartment, small yard, but parks nearby.)
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GD was definitely diagnosed with FPIES by the allergist. They have a card now and are to go to the ER if she throws up 3 times quickly like she did after having a new food or after eating in general. Her blood pressure could drop too low and/or hypovolemic shock. Wow. The first day it happened she was cool, temp was under normal a bit, lethargic and pale. Scary and I’m so thankful it turned around okay that time and the other. There are no allergy tests for this. Just food challenge. Thankfully, MOST babies grow out of it by 3 y.o.
I have to admire their pediatrician for picking up on this as it’s very rare.