Tell me this is going to work....

I have 20 month old (18 months adjusted) twin boys and I'm having a girl due March 18th. I am feeling pretty anxious now. I'll be 36 weeks tomorrow. When I first found out I was PG with a singleton, back in July, I figured the boys would be more advanced at 20 months than they are. I thought they would be communicating their needs better, for instance. But both boys are speech delayed and in speech therapy and a developmental class. They don't communicate their needs well at all, and have been very whiny and clingy lately. Now I am really worried about how this is all going to work. Any advice?

 

It will work. I won't lie and tell you it will be easy, but you will make it through. You will learn the boys cues and get better at figuring out what they need as they start to get even slightly more vocal. I had my singleton when the twins were 23 mo and at the time one of them had maybe 4 words and the other 10. We managed, and you will too.

 

I haven't been in that situation, but my oldest was 21 mo when my 2nd was born. She was speech delayed, too. It was actually surprising to me how much she grew up when Trey was born. She was so much help, and a wonderful big sister (still is, LOL). And at that age, they just make leaps and bounds of growth month to month. They may really end up surprising you!

 

I dont have any advice just a :hug:

 

Mine aren't officially diagnosed speech delay but their language is a bit on the slow side. Mine were 21 months old when baby girl arrived. It is hard, but certainly doable. I make sure that the boys help with baby sister (their receptive language is very good) by getting me diapers, getting her blankets, etc. And I try to spend at least a some one on one time with each of them and them together.

The boys have their moments of meltdowns/whining/tantrums but they are also soon to be 2 too (this Friday) so I think some of that is related to age. Lucas has also lately been very attached to me and he has never been attached to me like this (Jonas has always been a "mama's boy" so to speak).

There are times I wish the boys could tell me what they want, that they didn't just flop on the floor and throw a tantrum, that they could be more "gentle" with sister, etc, but they are 2.

You will survive and so will they...you'll get it figured out. It will just take some time, practice and patience. I'm just now starting to feel like I have a decent grasp on things but I wouldn't be surviving without DH's help...he has taken over a lot of the stuff with the boys and for that I'm grateful (a little sad because I miss doing a lot of those things but with baby and bfing I just can't do some of those things with the boys right now...hopefully before long though).

Not sure if that helped, but just so you know you're not alone.

 

QUOTE(jenn- @ Feb 17 2009, 05:31 PM) [snapback]1194091[/snapback]
It will work. I won't lie and tell you it will be easy, but you will make it through. You will learn the boys cues and get better at figuring out what they need as they start to get even slightly more vocal. I had my singleton when the twins were 23 mo and at the time one of them had maybe 4 words and the other 10. We managed, and you will too.


Did your boys catch up eventually?

 

Thanks for everybody's replies! I am hoping that maybe their communciation will kick into higher gear when the baby is born, because of necessity! It sounds like that has happened for others.

 

QUOTE(heybabalou @ Feb 19 2009, 07:33 PM) [snapback]1197223[/snapback]
Did your boys catch up eventually?


Their vocabulary grew about 2.5yo, but their articulation still sucks. They are in speech therapy and they are improving in leeps and bounds now.

 

QUOTE(jenn- @ Feb 23 2009, 06:54 AM) [snapback]1201312[/snapback]
Their vocabulary grew about 2.5yo, but their articulation still sucks. They are in speech therapy and they are improving in leeps and bounds now.


That is good to hear! I am hoping my boys catch up.

 

no advice. :hug: you can do it!

my dd was speech delayed and now at 3 y/o is doing much better. Her articiuation is good (not great) and talks all the time now but that is much more recent.