Ap-ple!

One day before her first birthday, Mara said her first word that was two distinct syllables.

Two days before, Daddy had lifted her high in the air so that she could reach two gorgeous apples in our apple tree. She picked them herself off the branches. The look of satisfaction on her face was priceless, as she was holding both apples in her arms. For an idea of the scale, it looked like a grown up person holding two giant watermelons - must have taken quite an effort.

Back to "Milestone Day before Birthday": Mara decided for the first time to steadily walk for longer than five steps. She took four steps and reached a garden hose; then she stared at the new obstacle in front of her. Daddy came closer and moved the hose out of the way, after which she continued walking. She did several walks like this, seven steps or more, over the course of the next ten minutes. When we finally got our cameras ready she was already tired.

Half an hour later, we all go indoors. Mommy has Mara in her arms as she passes the fruit basket on the kitchen counter, and Mara's pointed finger springs out suddenly toward the fruit.

I don't remember what I said, but most likely it would have been something like "You are pointing at the apple."

Then the word came out of her small mouth: 

Ah-pun!

It was too sudden, completely unexpected; my eyes probably bulged out that second. "You just said Apple! That's the right word!".

Aaah-pun!

This is when all other conversations in the room halted. Parents and grandparents are paying attention to Mara. She is pointing at the red apples, and repeating loud and clear:

Aaaaaaah-pun!!

We all talked about apples for the next hour or so.

PS: Here's a tiny walking demo, three weeks after her birthday: