Dear Otis,

Today you took your first real steps.  I was a little anxious that it might happen before your Baba got here to Taipei, but after a couple of scares, it became apparent that you were going to take your own sweet time.  We have been trying to lie, cheat and bribe you into walking, but to no avail.  Finally you did it today, with some clever trickery from Lao Lao.  One of your favorite toys is this floor sweeping contraption that Lao Lao owns, and you love to roll it all over the floor.  Yes, you are your grandma's grandson, you love to sweep the floor and wipe the table.  She convinced you to let go of her hand, and just hold onto the sweeper.  She held onto the sweeper for a while and finally let it go and you took a few wobbly steps towards your Baba before collapsing in a heap and refusing to exercise your body again until we got something fattening into your body.  

Every time I see you doing something new, I think to myself, I have to remember THIS.  THIS is significant.  But you have been doing so many new things every day that I just can't keep up with you.  You've done so many new things, seen so many new places and met so many new people lately, and your changes have been keeping pace with all of your new experiences.  I can tell you understand so much more of what we're saying to and around you.  

You can't walk by yourself yet, but you're already becoming independent.  This morning we were at Tai Lao Lao's house, and you were walking in circles around her red swivel chair.  Third Aunt Grandma G was afraid that you were walking too fast, that you would fall and hurt yourself, so she tried to slow you down by applying pressure on the headrest.  You paused, looked at her, and shook your head until she let go and you were able to go on your happy way.  Later, when Little Aunt Grandma A did the same thing to tease you, you saw that she was having fun, laughed and shook your head at her. Then when you walked by her, you kissed her on the cheek to pay the toll so she would let you pass.

When we first arrived in Taiwan, everyone wanted to hold you.  Sometimes you let people pick you up, and you would get a scared look on your face and look for someone familiar to go to instead.  Now, when someone stretches out their arms to you and asks you to bao bao, you'll glance at them, size them up, and then shake your head no before returning to your task, too busy to indulge them.  You've been shaking your head A LOT lately.  We may have to stop asking you for your opinion.  

You went on your first vacation to a foreign country, where you tried to charm everyone in sight, particularly when you were supposed to be napping.  You waved to everyone within view, and if they didn't see you, you repeated, Eh! Eh! Eh! in steadily increasing volume while flapping your little muscle tone-less arm, until they were shocked out of their reverie and looked at you.  Middle aged men on the subway, older ladies selling goods in the department stores, attractive young singles, none escaped your affections. 

You love people and spend most of your day trying to engage them.  You spend a good percentage of the remainder of the day picking up random items, holding them up to your ear and barking into the "phone" (loud talking – another unfortunate trait you picked up from my side of the family), pausing to listen to the response, and then cackling at your conversation.  

You went to your first wedding, and met your first model.   You must have gotten a lesson from one of the models while we weren't looking, because you seem to have developed your own version of the "model face."  You've always been hyper-aware of the camera – how could you not be?  There's been a flash or six going off in your face almost every day since birth.  But now, as soon as you see a camera, you sit still, turn your face towards the camera and give a big, toothy and very squinty eyed grin.  I think we need to have your new aunt give you a few pointers, because it ain't exactly the most flattering face.  Today, you even grabbed a camera in your hands, pointed it backwards at your own face, and gave it a series of your best squinty eyed grins.  

Up until very recently, I looked at you every day and mourned the time that had already passed, wistful that I could not make time turn backwards so that I could always hold the tiny newborn you in my arms.  But now, I'm actually starting to look forward to tomorrow, to see the next new stage that you will conquer, and to see the man that you will become. We are going home in four days, and the sadness here is already palpable and heavy.  They wonder what you'll be doing, knowing that you'll be running everywhere, doing so many new things.  None of us will be able to catch up with you.  

Millions of sMOTHERy kisses,

Mama