Delayed speech

My boo is still not saying ANY words at all. I have been trying to learn sign language with him and he does the simple signs I've taught him but will not speak. I feel like a failure. Any tips? We have a referral for a speech evaluation but we live in Hawaii and it's overcrowded and takes months to get in. We did a hearing test and he passed with flying colors. He makes A LOT of noise but doesnt say any words. Not even mom 🙁. He said mama consistently around 9mo but then stopped and hasnt said any words since. In the meantime any helpful tips?? Am I over reacting? I know all babies are on their own schedule.