Emmett gleefully honks his horn and plays charades much to the annoyance of all the candy givers.

I would be much more likely to give out candy if there were more kids dressed as Harpo Marx. Kids who also did Harpo-like charades, would get double handfulls.

Kids who dress as Keystone Kops would get the whole bowlfull.

My Yankee's shirt is causing double takes around the office - it is great.

Ugh.

Just talked to the intake person from Children's Hospital's speech pathology lab. She's sending me a questionnaire for me to fill in my observations of Annabel's language use and comprehension, which I will send back. They're then supposed to review it to see which of their therapists would be most appropriate to work with her. The way the schedule is currently looking, it's unlikely they'll have space for her before January.

I wasn't expecting this, not after I was able to get her a hearing evaluation so quickly. I'm frustrated. Dammit, this is IMPORTANT. This is my daughter's social and intellectual development we're talking about here! If there's anything hindering her, be it as simple as the tongue tie or as complicated as an autism spectrum disorder, I want everything that can be done for it done YESTERDAY.

I know I'm being irrational. If they're overscheduled, they're overscheduled, and every other parent dealing with these issues thinks their kid ought to come first. But dammit, January is over two months from now! I so wish I could just take her down to that clinic and camp out until I have my answers.

Susan, have you checked with your school district?

In both PA and NJ, speech therapy is free, and it's for children as young as Annabel on up. I'm not sure who either of my friends in PA or NJ called to get set up, but both of them accepted the free services, and in the PA case, the therapist came to the house. Can you check with your school district to see if anything like that is available?

I know there was still a wait involved, but I don't think it was two months.

Susan, why is your simplest explanation tongue-tie? Her hearing is fine, you said. The pede thinks that more than likely, there is nothing wrong. You aren't getting her tested to help her, you are getting her tested to help you.

I can try. Maybe I'll start with my pediatrician's office, and say Children's is ridiculously booked up, and are there any other community resources?

Right now part of the problem is my own inexperience and ignorance, and I'm fully aware of that. I haven't been around enough children to know the difference between "perfectly intelligent and normal child who's just slow to talk, either because of her personality or something physiological like the tongue tie" and "child showing signs of serious developmental issues who needs help right away."

I wonder if we should just preemptively get the tongue tie snipped just in case that's the problem.

Susan, did the pede say there was a problem? I thought that hadn't really even been established, but maybe I missed something?

Susan, quit assigning false problems to your child. Hell, why not get her fitted for a helmet to preemptively rule out some sort of physical disability. You have several several several people who have had children and have been children telling you that there is nothing wrong with Annabelle's speech. That's she IS intelligent and that she IS smart and she IS normal. You seem to not be able to accept that. Why? Why do you seem to be so certain that there is something wrong with her?

I'm on Lexapro, and it seems to have kicked the feet out from under my anxiety issues. Hubby says he can see a definite difference. The only side effects I've had were what could best be described as morning sickness (nausea) the first three days.

Dammit, Aimee, I don't know that there's a problem. I just want to do due diligence to find out if there is so I can help her before it's too late! I'm trying to be a concerned mother here, and the pediatrician took me seriously enough to make the referrals.