E finished her breakfast before her daddy left for work today (which is unusual, she usually lags). Since he had been busy getting ready for work, he wasn’t sure if she’d already eaten or not so he asked her, “Hey, E, did you eat breakfast yet?”

I’m so accustomed to answering her questions for her, anticipating the need to fill in the empty pauses that form in conversations due to her language delay. It’s become so second nature to me that I don’t stop to think that maybe she’s ready to answer for herself when someone asks her something. 

Our answers collided as we both started speaking – “Yes,” she replied. “Ye–” is all I got out before I realized she had already answered. 

On a whim, I told J to ask her what she ate. 

“I eat .. Bagel .. And, and … And MILK!”

If you’ve never had a child with language delays, I don’t think you can understand how momentous this is for me as a mother. She has the ability to understand a question, think back in time to what previously has happened, recall that information and answer appropriately. Typically-developing children do this naturally and most people take this for granted. I don’t. 

She’s 4 years old and I just heard my child answer what she ate for breakfast for the first time. 

Of course I burst into tears. What a way to start Tuesday.