One step at a time...

Yesterday, December 22nd, Sage took her first independent steps. She walked from the couch to her grandma Alice, and the whole room erupted in cheers and applause! Then she repeated the feat two more times that evening. Mommy and Daddy are so very proud. Here's a picture Grandma took yesterday to commemorate the occasion.

Doesn't she look like a big girl? Just a few more steps and she'll really be a toddler.

I know that in my excitement about her learning to crawl some months ago, I hinted that walking wasn't a very big deal because she could get around just fine by crawling anyway, but I may have to change my perspective at this point. There's something about walking upright that makes a child seem more like a person to others... and to themselves. Sage is obviously quite proud of herself, and seems to be thrilled to move more like her parents (and grandparents, and aunts and uncle, etc). She's been very interested recently in comparing her body to our bodies, imitating, our movements, and having us copy hers (like chewing on her toys for example. She loves that!). This is certainly a new stage in her little life--one characterized by a new awareness of herself as a person, and culminating in her learning to walk.

I also want to add that Sage's second word is "Dada." :-)