Little Linguists

As preemies, as triplets, and as boys, the littles are expected to have some speech delays.  They are expected to have some global delays as well.  I have always been pretty laid back with their development knowing that things may take a bit longer for them.  I have no idea how many words they're supposed to know, but I am shocked to hear them speak!

Ben is our verbal rock star.  All those concerns we had for him initially with his oral motor issues have been thrown right out the window.  He speaks the most clearly of all three.  This is evident when other adults hear him AND understand him.  He doesn't just speak clearly, he has a great vocabulary as well.  This morning he said, "I finished!" and pushed is plate away.  Yesterday he said (in regards to his beloved binkie) "I find it!" and "I got it!"  There has always been one "word" that he says that nobody's been able to figure out.  It sounds like "achin" or "ajin".  This one took me a very long time but finally I figured it out when he picked up a blue shirt (his color) and said "Ajin shirt".  He's refering to himself!  Apparently his new name is "Ajin".  We're thinking this is short for "Benjamin."

Nate and Sam are somewhat less intelligible to outsiders, but usually with context I can figure out what they're saying.  They are both little parrots and mimic everything they hear. 

Nate is going to be the king of tattle-tales.  He will often announce "Bennie naughty" or "Shabye (his version of Sammy) no hit!".  We always know who's in trouble from 3 rooms away because of who Nate is yelling at or telling on.  He definitely knows the rules and very often puts his brothers in Time Out.  "Bennie, no dump it!  Time out!"  Hysterical!!!  "Jijah (his version of Elijah)-fresh!  Time out!"  Eli does not find this amusing in the least!

Sammy is our greeter.  Someday, in about 80 years, he will be the guy at the front of Wal-Mart.  Whenever somebody enters the house, room, vicinity, he will say "Hi, (and their name)".  The same goes when they leave or he leaves.  He stares out the windows to see who's coming and will anounce a visitor before the doorbell rings.  He also knows cars.  If he sees a small-ish black SUV, he will wave at it and say "Hi, Giggy!"  (his version of Gigagak-what they call my mom).  Amazingly he say a white Jeep Patriot the other day and he said "Hi, Memere!".  Dave's mom has a blueish Jeep Patriot.  Honestly!  I can't make this stuff up! 

This morning he was especially fidgety on the changing table in their room so I handed him this book.

 

He opened to the page with the stinky diaper and said "Peee-yeeeew!  David, you stink!"  Dave must read them this book at bedtime and he has memorized this page.  This is amazing to me.  Of course I am their mother so I think they are all amazing and they do something to shock me on a daily basis.

 

Keep up the good work, boys!!!