The first word.

I find, as a parent, we seem to be constantly overshadowed by 'developmental milestones’.  When will they first smile?  Is your baby rolling over yet?  Has she got any teeth coming through?  As if the first few months aren't stressful enough, we're also under the microscope for something that is essentially left up to nature... And then there's the big two - walking and talking!

It's fairly safe to say that for the last seven months of her nine month tenure here on earth, our little India has been, what most people would constitute as vocal.  From the early gurgling sounds that would ricochet off the nursery walls to the rather loud obsession with the wa-wa sound, and of course not forgetting the ear piercing squeal that she found hilarious, yet made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.  And now, with bated breath and a sense of anticipation that I’ve not experienced since waiting for my first kiss, I spend most of my time when at home, waiting for the inevitable first word.

And here's the thing, I didn't think babies and/or toddlers actually spoke until they were about two.  Call me naive, call me uneducated, but in my mind, I'd never really needed to know - until now!  As the months tick by, and the sounds become more pronounced you start to wonder when you might first hear it, and then panic slightly inside that you might actually miss it due to an overhead jet/the doorbell/CBeebies (delete as appropriate), your mind then starts to wonder if they'll ever actually speak.  A friend of mine did actually manage to lay my worries to rest when she quipped "I'm yet to meet an adult who hasn't yet mastered how to walk and talk, I think you'll be fine".

And then yesterday it came...I think.  Amongst the gargles, raspberries, moans, clucks and giggles came a rather distinct, and crystal clear... NO!  Then as if she wanted to ensure we both heard it, for reconfirmation she belted it out again, NO!

Then silence.  Almost as if to allow us to gather our chins from the floor and to allow our stunned minds to race, thinking about what she might say next.  I'm not really sure still if it was her first word, as doesn't it need to be intentional?!  I think what she's really trying to tell us is, with all intent and purpose, that she's not ready to talk just yet...