Mommy times two!

There is nothing tougher I have yet to face than being a mother. When I had my first baby, I was completely 100% enamored. Of every scent, every little gesture. I was truly in love with all associated with that tiny being who happened to come from me. As time went by, she grew into a cuddly and naughty baby who loves hugging and playing games with her dad and grandpa - her greatest admirers in the whole wide world.

My husband and I have decided early on that we wanted to have another baby before our eldest was too old to get to play with him or her, but we were truly surprised and pleased when we learned that we were expecting, again. Unlike my first pregnancy, my second one went fairly well. I was able to eat the food I wanted to eat, and I did not need bed rest. Also I was able to go to work until two weeks before my scheduled operation.

When my second baby was born, we learned that he was suffering from pneumonia - it could have only come from me but we could not remember an instance that I was down with flu or even colds. But it was a time coincident with AH1N1 fever and the like and we believed that the virus I had imbibed was passed on to our baby who was then inside my tummy. It was a relatively easy pregnancy but after the birth, the days spent waiting, watching from the window of NICU, speaking to him through the incubator walls and seeing him intubated, with a dextrose attached to his umbilical cord was heartbreaking. Even when we went home, we were at the hospital twice daily, without fail. My husband and even our baby girl would go to the hospital and view our Nan from the window.

We were simply the happiest parents when our little boy pulled through and we brought him home with us. The initial adjustment was hard, my daughter still a little baby herself was confused that mommy's attention was no longer on her 24/7. Although already weaned from the breast, she had bouts of tearful tantrums because of this.

But after a while things settled down. We all established a routine and built a strong network of support. Little by little, day by day, we made it.

I am thankful for all the blessings we received especially my family and friends.

I am a Mom

I find that my greatest achievement is not the fact that I graduated from a special science secondary school, or the premier university here in the Philippines for college. It is not even the fact that I hold a good paying job and still finds the time to teach students. For me, the best thing I have accomplished is to give birth to my wonderful children who never ceases to amaze me with their charm and intelligence.

Being a mother is not a walk in the park, and more so in my case where I hold two jobs both for necessity and as a way for me to get in touch with my creative self. Unlike other parents who are fortunate to see their kids 24/7, my husband and I have to be content to see them after work (fortunate in the case that they are still awake when we get home) and during weekends. Which is why we really try to make good use of the time that we spend with them. Especially in my case, I make it a point to be at home for the majority of my time away from work. Because for me there is no greater regret that I can imagine other than the realization that time has flown and the children have grown up creating their own niches in life. Without me in it.

Every day is a constant challenge for me to be a better parent than the day before. Join me as I walk through my experiences and be with me as I celebrate this wonderful opportunity of being a mother.