speech delay

when our second daughter robin turned 1 last february, we realized that she doesn't know a word yet and this got us worried. so i consulted our pedia and some of our friends. they said that we worry too much. and to give it a few months more. they also said that according to studies, the second child and up have a tendency to have a delay compared to first borns. anyway, so me and husband gelio decided to wait until she is 18 months old before having her checked. a friend recommended we see a neuro developmental pediatrician.

since she is now 18 months old, we had an appointment with dr. mark reysio cruz from capitol medical center. the result: there is a slight delay because of lack of opportunities.  the good doctor, who happens to be husband's sunday school teacher when he was young, encouraged me to continue what i do to robin like reading aloud, pointing things and repeating it slowly, listen to music, etc. he also assured me that the delay is not my fault (got that? NOT MY FAULT!). it happens to some. and like what i read in books or magazines, the delay might just be at the beginning and as the child grows up, the child turns out to be  talented and becomes exceptional. wow! i cant wait. lack of opportunities also may also mean lack of interaction with kids her age. so he gave me a go signal to enroll robin in a class at kindermusik or at gymboree. and just to be sure, he prescribed rob to have a formal hearing test (BAER). we ought to do those soon.

im being extra patient with rob. reading more. walking with her around the village and acquaint her with the things around her. i want to research on activities online. she likes my laptop. that might encourage her more. at 18 months, she understands a lot of stuff. she know what she wants and dont want. when she wants something, she grabs my hand (or her daddy and whoever) and bring us to what she wants or points at what she wants. she nods her head when she doesn't want something. its really just the speech. she was born on a full term via normal delivery. she was exclusively breasfed for 4 months and mixed until the 6th. she eats a lot of veggies and have complete shots. so i am assuming (and hoping) that everything is ok. Dr. mark also performed some tests and asked questions. most things that an 18 month old baby should be doing at their age, robin can do it. so i am somewhat assured.

i really hope that i can help her more.  Lord, please help.