Eliane stood up without anything to pull or push up on for the first time two days ago. And she's done it a few more times since. It's not easy, and she can only stay up for a second or so with grabbing hold of something, but it's definitely a milestone.
Also she's (finally) making some almost recognisable sounds other than 'Uh'. I mean, she's been saying "nang nang nang" and "mum mum mum" and very occasionally "dadad" but that's about it. Oh, and a few weeks ago she was saying "ooooo" for a cow sound (probably should have put that in the baby book).
Buy now she's also saying "eeooo" for meow, in this cute, sing-songy voice. And today she said a definite "oof" for a dog. But the moment when I looked at her and thought "you're really not a baby anymore", was when she lifted up her trunk/arm in imitation of us doing an elephant's trumpet.
That's not her first sign. She waves goodbye, hello and goodnight. She started blowing kisses (in a manner of speaking) a week of two ago, she points down at the floor to say she wants to get out of the high chair, shakes her thumb (though actually it's hard to distinguish this one from a wave) to say she's finished eating, recognises the sign for drink, although if she does it *I* haven't recognised it yet, and is just starting to narrow down from shaking her whole body to just her head for 'no'.
I still nurse her to sleep most times, and when she's asleep in my arms in the rocking chair (as she is right now as I type this on my iPhone) she's still my baby. I wouldn't trade these moments for all the sleep filled nights in the world. I know I will look back on them and not regret for a minute that I took so long to teach my babies to go to sleep on their own. Because this child here in my arms? She is my last baby. And while I am discovering - again - how much fun it is to have a toddler, I know I'm going to miss having a baby too.
