Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
3 unrelated toddler questions
I appreciate your insight on any or all 
1) Vitamins - Lucas is my little eating champ these days (so happy!). He's made so much progress from where we were a few months ago and will gobble up most things I put in front of him. That being said, I still worry about his total nutrition. When can you give young toddlers vitamins? And what would you suggest (drops, soft chews, etc)? Mini-AW.... he's a rockstar with a fork too 
2) Language - yes, I know kids all develop at different times. And quite frankly, Lucas has been behind in hitting those 'milestones' as the bump so kindly puts it But regardless, he gets there. That is what's important. So is language the same way? His 'understood vocabulary' is pretty massive. He can discern between his spoon and fork, if I ask him to bring me something specific he can, etc. But he doesn't say a whole hell of a lot. He is very 'talkative' with gibberish and will spit out some words like hi, mama, dada, doggy, bye.... but when is the 'explosion' supposed to occur? I'm ready
3) Birthmarks/moles/freckles - I'm kind of suprised Lucas doesn't have any of these. I have a few small moles (more like dark freckles) and a light birthmark on my arm. DH has a birthmark on his leg. When do these things show up on children? I always assumed at birth, but I'm just amazed he doesn't have any.
PHEW. What a laundry list. Thanks for reading
Re: 3 unrelated toddler questions
1. I don't know about vitamins, I was wondering that as well with my 2 1/2 year old. I will be interested to see what others say.
2. I wouldn't worry about language yet. It sounds like Olivia when she was his age. She didn't say a whole lot until about 15 months. I was so worried too! But she would "talk" just not understandably. She could say ma, daddy,papa (grandpa) and cu (cup) and that was about it. The dr said that as long as she understood commands, was making some sounds, it would come. A couple months after her first birthday she started talking and hasn't stopped!
3. I have LOTS of freckles and DH has many moles. Olivia didn't have any of these marks. I have noticed she has gotten 2 frecklish marks on each of her forearms, so I am wondering if she is developing them. That was within the last couple months. I guess its a waiting game!
I don't know how informational I was! Sounds like your little guy is doing great though!
2
SO Not going to be much help but here it goes!
1- I haven't done vitamins only because I don't take them myself, I don't see a point in them, flame away. If she were to have an issue and needs them then OK, but for now, I'm holding off, and my pedi hasn't said to do it, I trust my pedi, if he were to tell me to do it, then I will, so why not call yours and ask? (hope that doesn't come off as snarky, just one of those things we all do differntly) If I were to do them, I'd probably do the gummies, because they're soft, the hard Flinstones freak me out until age 5+ LOL. AND YAY for the fork!! WOOHOO!!
2- My friends little boy is a month older than El, and he still isn't fully talking, he understands, but isn't saying words, he can point and whine, but that's about it. El can say a few words, and she understands, I just can't get her to say Please! LOL She'll say Thank You, but no please, it's frustrating. I say keep working on him with words, I'm sure you do the "Can you say Fork" game, as long as he KNOWS what it is, little man is great!
3- El still has the red spot in the middle of her eyebrows, but that's all I've really noticed, I think moles come whenever. I think that's why you have to watch them like we do. I've seen a few *spots* on El, but nothing that I'd think of as a mole. Like the one on my neck. It's been there for as long as I can remember, but not in baby pictures? LOL
No flames from me, but we both do take a daily multivitamin. DH does because he's a health freak. I do because I eat like shiit. Also, LJ had low iron before so I figured a multivitamin couldn't hurt, just unsure on timing.
These are all questions that I will ask at my 15 month check up as well, no need to call the doctor early. Just wanted to hear your thoughts too
Married 10.11.08
Baby LJ 05.21.10
TheRookieChef.com
1. I just buy generic gummy multivitamins. Lucas might be a little young to chew them. I haven't actually tried one myself, so I don't know if they're more like gummy bears or fruit snacks.
2. Nicholas had a big vocabu-splosion around 22 months. From 12-22 months, he picked up a noun here and there, but that's it.
My H is too, drives me nuts!
At one time my Uncle, was taking 45different multivitamins! YES! 2sheets of legal paper, to let the doctor know what he was all 'taking' before his tests. My Uncle is WEIRD! LOL
I think I don't take one beause I suck at remembering to take pills in general. And my BCP has iron in it, I'm always low on iron.
I thought my sister was bad. She was on a fad diet and had about 20 different supplements to take. We went out to eat and instead of bringing along whichever vitamin she takes with dinner, she brought all of them, in their bottles!
1- Both of my kiddos take gummy vitamins that we get at Campbell's - organic and gluten free. They also sell a liquid form.
2 - I would say he is right on track. Language is a sensitive subject for me as we've been through a long journey with DD on speech. She just recently at 27 months hit her "language explosion". Yes, far delayed....but she did it. If I can stress anything at all - embrace his milestones as he hits them and put no extra thought/worry into those that he doesn't hit "on schedule". DS is also a bit delayed in speech and I vowed this time around I will put no extra thought in it as I know he will eventually talk
3 - DS has a birthmark on the side of his face. DD has nothing. Neither kid has any noticable freckles - which I'm assuming is due to their limited exposure to the sun.
Most kids vitamins don't have a dosage on them until age 2 (except the liquid vitamins). Also, most kids vitamins don't have iron because its too easy for kids to get too much iron. I started giving Ava a gummy vitamin at age 2 and now at almost age 4, she gets 2 gummy vitamins. I would call Lucas' pedi and ask about giving a vitamin before you start anything at his age..
Talking: both my girls had a language explosion between 15-18 months, although Ava more than Aubrey.. Aubrey can/will say pretty much any 1 syllable word but doesn't talk in sentances.. some kids (like Dec's Jovie) can talk in sentances much younger. I have a friend though whose little boy didn't say any coherent words til he was almost 2. They will talk to you more about it at his 18 month checkup and if he doesn't have like 15-20 words then, they may refer you to early intervention..
Birth marks: both of my girls had theirs since birth..
WHAT? I would have died! Mike isn't AS bad! he's special! LOL
1.) I'm going to ask about vitamins at our 15 month appt. I was going to at 12 months but forgot.
2.) G is ahead in language (although I have no idea how, we don't really work on it). But I think Lucas is right on track! The other LO's we hang out with are about the same as him. I've also learned that sometimes they say words in a weird way...G always said "kuh" but we didn't know what she meant until we figured out she meant drinK, but couldn't get the beginning down yet. Just a thought too!
3.) G has a birthmark that showed up around 12 months. It's really tiny brown odd shaped spot...just like what mine looks like. Pedi said it's just a birthmark and completely normal. I wasn't really expecting to see anything like that for quite awihle! Although again, I have no idea what's normal...
1.) We started giving a gummy daily vitamin to C at 12 months after we checked with the pedi that it was ok.
2.) I know exactly how you feel. C was always hitting the milestones okay but I kept waiting for that verbal "explosion" of words, not just gibberish and baby words. For us, he learned a few new words up until 18 months. Then at 18 months he started saying 3 and 4 word sentences. He would pretty much repeat anything after you and say it correctly (even "twisted wrister" during hockey season). I felt like 18 months was kind of late for this sort of thing but since he came out talking in sentences after it happened, it didn't bother me so much.
3.) OMG, I have been wondering this too. C has no birthmarks but he did have one small mole on his hip from birth. It has gotten proportionately bigger as he has gotten bigger but it is still the only flaw on his skin. I have no idea when freckles and other moles make their appearance.
We started both girls w/ vitamins around 12 months. G b/c she ate horribly (still does) and Ingrid b/c she hated being left out. We were concerned about iron since they were bfed and didn't ever tolerate polyvisol (sp). G did flintstone vitamins in 1/2 for a while, then went to gummy (in 1/2 as well). Ingrid started right w/ gummy. G now gets 2 a day, and Ingrid gets 1, which we divide in 1/2. It has never been a problem for us.
G had a language explosion at 18 months. Ingrid hasn't had one yet. Our girls are late/average for language when young. Now G talks a ton, so we'll see where Ingrid ends up. I definitely wouldn't worry about it. Receptive vocab is what matters now.
G has had a birthmark on her foot since birth, ingrid is on the back of her head, so you can't see it now under her hair. I don't think every kid is born with one. he might get freckles later after he has had more sun exposure.
Wes still doesn't do vitamins. It's on my list of things to ask about @ his 18 mo appt. I am glad to hear LJ is doing better with food. Wes eats everything but won't use utensils very long or if he is really hungry.
Wesley says two words, and he's older than LJ. When we were at the doc Wed for an ear infection, I asked about this, and he told me not to stress. I wish he would learn drink or food, but for now, he says "touchdown" and "bye." He understands lots more than that. Though he uses "mama" and "dada" interchangeably....
Wesley's birth marks showed up at 2 months (on his hip) and 4 months (on his foot). He has no moles (I have TONS) and no freckles.
1- We do gummy vitamins for Ella since she is a picky eater. She loves them and gobbles them up like they are the best thing ever. I would say as long as he can chew them up okay it wouldn't hurt.
2- Ella was always behind on all of her physical milestones but for language had her explosion early than I expected at a little over a year. She carries on a conversation with me now like a little lady haha. But I think most kiddos have an explosion around 18ish months?
3- Ella only has one tiny birthmark on her foot and it has been there since birth so I am not sure if there are more to come but I am guessing no? No real freckles or moles yet!