Eli, my little boy: I was thinking about you Mommy and I wanted you. Eli: If me hear Sound, me get you Mommy? A few moments later after I've left the room... Eli: Mommy, I need you. (Mommy enters the room.) Me: What happens Eli if you hear a sound? Eli: If me hear sound, I get out of bed and get you. Me: No Eli, I will take care of any sound. I love you. It is an amazing thing to me to have an actual conversation with my late talker. When he turned two, he didn't say a word. He started speech therapy two months after he turned two. I learned a lot. It was very humbling. When I became a parent I resolved not to think that what my kids did or didn't do was about me. I saw that in my dad when I was a kid. He took my actions personally when they weren't about him. As our children grow, we want to make sure they're hitting all the benchmarks they need to. And when they haven't hit one that other child...