13 month old, no real words yet?

Okay I am going to try and explain the best I can everything I can.

I have a 13 month old boy, who is 20 pounds and tall for his age. He is in 50th percentile for height and just over 5th for weight..right now we are still struggling with his eating as he is extremely picky, so he has dropped from 25th percentile for weight (which was at 9 months - it seems that he has become quite active and as yet is not gaining enough calories to gain good weight - the docs told me he is not in any danger or anything, just on the thin side, and that some babies are just like that. I personally would like to see him a little bigger and we are working on the calories and have started pediasure just as a supplement twice a day) to the 5th percentile, or just above that.

Anyways, he is still growing in height, im not sure exactly how much but everyone says he is tall. He is hitting milestones - he started walking last month. He can almost run now - although its clumsily(very cute too).

Now, the thing I am concerned about - and i do plan to ask the health nurse at our appointment but wanted input from you guys - is that he doesn't really even have one word yet. He does babble tons, and says what SOUNDS like ma-ma-ma-ma-ma and na-na-na-na-na(nana, I think?) Do these qualify as words, or is he just babbling? He has yet to say a concrete word though, and that worries me.

However, I am a very quiet person - I try to remember to talk as much as I can around him, but it really is not in my nature to talk alot and sometimes i find myself having been quiet for a good peice of time. As well, he has been a fairly quiet baby from even before he was born. This both worries me and reassures me...
Before he was born he was what they called "non responsive" a few times on ultrasound - he just didn't want to respond to being poked alot i think lol. He moved plenty, just not when YOU wanted him to... When he was born too he did cry, but not often. Even the nurses said what a good baby he was...Im not sure if that is because I am a very responsive mother(in that i respond to his needs as soon as they become apparent) and we are well bonded from the start(he nursed as soon as he was born!) or if thats indicative of an issue too. As he grew older, he still was not much of a crier or a cranky baby. He has been babbling since he learned it from my best friends little girl at age 4months. This is part of what concerns me, because you would think that if he babbled since then, he would be speaking by now.

As far as other milestones go, he hit everything physical and social early. He rolled over early, smiled early, laughed early,sat early and crawled early. So everything seems to be good on that end.

I just am concerned, because Im afraid that this not eating good plus the not talking thing(and actually, not waving yet or really giving kisses or throwing things etc) may be indicative of some type of Failure to thrive issues.. i cringe just saying that because it has such a bad stigma for parents whose children have it.. but i mean I cant force him to eat - he just spits it out..its very frustrating.

I do make sure to spend a while each day going over words with him - saying them slowly, repeating them etc.. he loves it, he laughs his head off.. but will not repeat. Maybe I should try cursing, LOL. Kids like to do things adults do maybe that will work - JUST KIDDING!!

We read books, usually 3-5 a day, sometimes more if hes having a cuddly day. We play together, although he doesnt often care to play WITH me - he will wander off and play with his toys by himself, coming back to me every so often for a cuddle, hug or sippy of milk.

Do you think im over analyzing? Or could there be a problem developing here. I will say i've seemingly been a worry wart before - I think I called the doctor everytime he looked at me crooked for the first six months LOL.
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Edit: I realize this is really really long, and you do not have to read it all..just skim if you want. I just wanted to provide as much information as I could in case anyone had questions about anything

All I know is that they seem to concentrate on one thing at a time it could be walking it could be talking ! Boys tend to go with the walking/climbing girls tend to go with the talking not always though, there are no hard and fast rules.

My brother was two before he said his first word or even tried to walk (mum was pleased as she had twin girls 18 months later and made her life easier) he is now six foot five and worth millions ! I wouldnt worry too much about it he will do it when he is ready.

My dear Rainbowzz, you are a worry-wart! lol!

Not to worry, it is early days yet, he will get there and then you'll wish he would shut up!

You are doing a great job!

Every child goes at their own rate, I don't think it's anything to worry about, my youngest was almost two before she started talking and now she is almost four and wont shut up and her language is at or above normal for her age.

I am about to post a big update to the situation - in the other thread I have in parenting about beefing up his weight. We got GOOD NEWS today!

My son said few words as a toddler. We had him evaluated by a speech therapist at age four and she said he was normal, just delayed and she was right. He is fine now.

Bowz,

While there could potentially be a problem, as the others have said, some children simply take longer to really get started on talking, and some of the kids that are late in that department end up speaking "normally" and even exceptionally. I knew a kid once who spoke, but he didn't speak a lot, I guess. However, suddenly, he took off and due to his mother using large words in front of him, he was getting quite the advanced words in his vocabulary, too. However, I would advise trying to speak more in front of him because a child will only learn to say and understand what they have heard. I know it must be hard to remember to do it sometimes, since you are naturally quiet, but it might help your kid's vocab develop a bit more fully, faster. Okay, I am responding as I'm reading and I noticed you say you do spend time each day going over words, and also read him books. These are great steps and the fact that he likes listening to the words is positive, I think.

As far as the not forcing him to eat thing, I don't think doing that would be a good idea, anyway. As I'm sure you know, eating too much is bad for your health, just like eating too little. And on top of this, eating too much sometimes make me feel nauseated. My guess is he will probably accept the food if he's hungry, as long as he doesn't think it tastes like absolute ick, and as long as everything is okay with his digestive system- if nothing about it hurts him or makes him sick, in other words. You seem to be handling it the right way. If your kid is eating enough that he's getting tired of it and spitting it out, I'd bet he's well fed. Maybe he's just not eating as much as you would have expected, but it's not necessarily abnormal.

About him playing mostly alone- this could simply be a difference in his temperment and personality. Also, this may change a bit overtime. The fact that he still comes to you for hugs and cuddles and enjoys the interaction time when you are speaking words slowly to him, sounds to me like he does still like interacting with you, and therefore, I wouldn't suspect an inability to connect with people. I am not a parent, but this is my take on things, for what it's worth.

By the way, you sound like a wonderful parent.

Economics profeessor Thomas Sowell in the last few years has taken interest in the subject of "Late Talkers" He has found that Late Talkers are often misdiagnosed with Autism. His own son suffered from this as well, and spoke very little as a child. His book also notes some famous late talkers as well, including Albert Einstein who was not known to speak until he was two years old.

Dr. Sowell has written 2 books on the subject, Late Talking Children and The Einstein Syndrome. Both are worthwhile reading.

I don't think that 13 months is even considered late...

Lmo! HI! HUGS!!!

Some kid are just delayed I think. My nephew has almost the same problem before at that age. But when he turned 2, boy was he talkative with most of his words sound whole. Don't fret, but keep training and talking to him.

((((((((((((Rain)))))))))))) I think he's just fine. My daughter's motor skills did not advance as quickly as her talking. My son's motor skills were very early and he did not really talk until he was almost 3. My daughter started with one word and added another and another until she was saying sentences. My son hardly said a word and we kept talking to Drs about it and then all of a sudden he started talking and talked in sentences first thing. I guess he was listening and storing up lol. From that point on, he talked from the time his feet hit the floor in the morning until he fell asleep again.

He will learn as he will. At 13 months, I wouldn't worry. Cuddle and read. And enjoy.