Things I love about Otis...

I love his long hair, the white gold threads that cover his ears and curl at the nape of his neck.

I love his two scarily sharpened bottom teeth, the teeth he exposes whenever he smiles.

I love his fits of giggles. His face splits in two and widens. His cheeks redden and his eyes sparkle.

I love his sturdy little legs, legs that allow him to stand with assistance, to crawl at a furious rate, to climb, to pull himself up whilst holding onto my jeans. He stares up at me beseechingly, innocently, as if he knows how irresistable he is.

I love the way he forces complete strangers to interact with him. He coos and laughs and stares until they respond in kind. He's definitely not shy!

I love the way he shakes his head when he's had enough breastmilk or food. He closes his eyes, smiling, seemingly so satisfied in the knowledge that he is communicating with me.

I love his searching toe. I love that he has a searching toe. Phil says its searching for Mama...

I love that he now sleeps so well during the day. His day sleeps are predictable and easy. One 1.5 hour morning nap, and one 1 hour afternoon nap. Perfect.

I love his reaction to other children. The joy and excitement is palpable. He kicks his legs, waves his arms, grins and hyperventilates. You can't miss it. This gives me confidence in my decision to book him into Occy's Place for next year. I know he'll be just fine.

I love that, when he's in the mood, he'll now wave goodbye.

I love cuddling him, warm and stunningly pretty, during the night while we sleep. I used to want him out of our bed — now I cherish the fact that he's still in it, for much of each night, knowing just how much I'll miss it when it no longer happens.