There is a reason why I avoided this place for almost two years.

And that reason is the pile of shit that is now laying on top of my head.

Dear Takeshi,

You have changed so much in these past few weeks — both physically and developmentally. You are now able to really focus on objects and you react to the different people that you see. You can track object as they move across the room and you have much better head control (although you now have a flat spot on the lefthand side of the back of your head).

You are now obsessed with sucking your hand(s) and do it all the time — sometimes to signal hunger, other times out of boredom. You also chatter a lot when you see me; I’m assuming you’re trying to tell me about your day since you typically do this when I see you after returning from work. When you talk your hands move and play with one another. It’s the cutest thing and you remind us of Mr. Burns from The Simpsons.

You still hate tummy time but I think it’s because your movements are somewhat limited so you can only lift up your head and stare at your toys. Once you can actually move towards them I’m sure you’ll have no qualms about being on your stomach.

You love it when we toss you up and down and you giggle and squeal. Sometimes you get so excited all you can do is smile as big as you can and nothing but a high-pitched little “Eeeeeeee” comes out of your mouth.

You are so well-behaved when we take you out. You hardly ever fuss — you’re usually too busy looking cute. However, the other week a man grabbed your stomach while we were at the mall and said, “Hey, big boy!” You looked at him with a furrowed brow and a look that said, “Do I know you and did I give you permission to touch my belly?” He apparently did not amuse you.

It is still hard for me to imagine that you were once small enough to fit inside me. Although you are just 3 months, you can fit into some 6-9 month clothes (and you are not by any means a large baby but you are big compared to your small 19″, 6 pound frame when you were born).

Two weeks ago your bachan moved in with us and you love her company. She watches you during the day and you love to keep her on her toes. You still wake up at 6 every morning and have been sleeping through the night for almost 3 weeks now. Your favorite time of the day is still bathtime and once it’s over, you know that bedtime follows. We put you to bed at 8 pm even if you are still wide awake and within 15 minutes you are out for the night. Like your father, you move a lot during the night and by the time you get up in the morning you are squished into the top left corner of your crib.

You no longer enjoy your swing as much as you once did; you’d rather be carried and walked around so you can look at your surroundings. Now that you have better head control, you love to look at things no matter how many times you may have already seen it.

Recently you’ve been having nightmares. It’s hard to comfort you when I don’t know what is going on in that mind of yours — all I can do is shhhh you and reassure you that everything is ok. It’s heartbreaking to hear you cry and not be able to have you understand me or me understand you.

You’ve taken to blowing bubbles lately and you like to suck them back in right before someone tries to wipe them away. It cracks me up to look at you with all that spit coming out of your mouth. Oh yes, and you drool. Drool, drool, drool. I can’t imagine what it will be like once you start teething.

Your father has decided that he wants you to call him Papa. He may call himself Daddy from time to time but that is out of habit. Only a few more months and hopefully you’ll be able to say it on your own.

Now begins the period when you will be saying things (probably not real words, but definite sounds like “baaa”), teething, rolling over… It’s so exciting! (And fortunately your father just got his camcorder back from being repaired so we can get all these moments archived.)

I love you, little man.
Mama