To say I Love You so late?

[FTEngineerM]

DC is 4.5 months old and I caught myself looking at them today and said I Love you, then I’d realised I hadn’t actually said it at all over the last few months.

AIBU to think that’s odd? It’s taken me by surprise. I just blurted it out. Isn’t it weird that it took so long? I didn’t ‘not love’ him before. I realise saying it to him makes no difference as he can’t actually hear/understand.

At 4.5 months unless your dc has health issues he can hear and understand perfectly well. Say to him often, it makes more difference that you realise.

Generally the more you speak to him the faster his speech will develop. I’m sure I got some strange looks when mine were that age, I’d have full on conversations with them, telling them what I was doing, what we were going to do next, showing them things when out and about, pointing to buses, pigeons, squirrels etc. I used to read out loud to mine, even when they were asleep. Now I can’t shut either of them up the constant chatter is relentless!

Late? You can still count his age in months on one hand. He is 4.5 months - a babe in arms not a 45 year old man in therapy.

Don't over think this - you love him. Enjoy your baby.

If you mean you didn’t get the overwhelming wave of love at birth, that’s totally normal.

I love both of mine overwhelmingly, but at birth i mainly felt “gosh, what a tiny defenceless thing, i hope i look after it okay!” The totally crushing adoration came many months later when, like you, i found myself gazing at them and saying repeatedly how much i loved them like a teenager with a new boyband poster

I never doubted i loved them, and i didn’t have PND, it just took a few months for me for that connection to click into place.

I’ve only just started saying it out loud and my DS is 2! It felt strange saying it before when he didn’t understand, and a little strange now when it’s such a big concept and also it felt a little redundant as obviously he knows it through my attention and snuggles and kisses (and middle of the night breastfeeding marathons!). I think saying it out loud to kids is a relatively new thing. It’s nice to say and hear but I don’t think I was damaged by my parents not saying it constantly back in the day. Actions speak louder etc.

Nothing bad about it, but do say it!! I say it all the time to my two, ds2 is 15 months old and it was one of his first 'words' - Wuvuu!!

I’ve got a 3 year old who I say it to all the time but I’m not sure I say it to my baby so much; not because I love him any less and I know I show him that I love him in hundreds of other ways but I guess maybe I don’t say it so much until they’re nearer a year. I’m not even sure why but I know I’ll start saying it more

He feels your love so don’t give it another thought.

That being said, I’m of the mind that you should say I love you whenever you feel it. It’s not something I ever want to risk any of my loved ones not being certain about. Saying it is a wonderful thing.