What Dobbes is doing these days...

When you turned a year old, I fussed and worried that you weren't saying any words and did not seem as if you could pay attention to anything we tried to communicate to you.

"It's amazing that he can't, he looks so smart," I did think quietly to myself. I admit now, sheepishly: I had become one of those parents. Yes, the kiasu kind.

I sms-ed Pris and asked her: "How is Faith doing? Is she jumping yet? Can she talk or at least say a few words?"

She could. And I was benchmarking you against her.

But I'm being honest: as your Mom, I do worry. Not a lot, but these things do get to me and make me a little bit anxious. Theoretically I know all the right things: every baby is different, every child develops in unsimilar ways. But I can't help wondering when you would show your gifts.

And it would be wrong of me to put undue pressure on you. Because, you are you, no matter what and no one, least of all me, should expect otherwise.

A short month later, you showed me how silly I was to be so anxious.

You had already (since before aged one year) babbled "Mama" and "Dada" indiscriminately, but suddenly the same sounds seemed to hold a meaning for you. You started to call us and give reference to the words.

The you pointed into the sky and said, "Bird".

(Okay, you don't actually say it like that. It's more like, "mmbuhd, mbuhd..." but we know what you mean.)

You show off your billingual ability and can say "bohbok" (sleep) and "pa-pung" (bathe), words in the Javanese language.

You also say "my milk!" when it's time for your bottle and "mam mam" when it's time for meals.

You know that "hidung" means nose and "mata genit" would have you winking your eyes.

And yesterday when we showed you how to greet your relatives for Chinese New Year, you put your chubby hands together and bounce them vigorously.

You can jump, climb up and down, run like the wind and dance to music.

All the while, your chubby-cheeked smile never falters and never fails to make my day.

So once, again, thank you for letting us teach you and teaching me an even bigger lesson in return: that of having patience & faith in the one you love.