Septem-BER means Birthday Prep!

-BER month na po...

For other parents, this would mean that Christmas 2014 is soon to be rolling in. For me however, before I jump on to that particular bandwagon, there is another significant event that is being propelled by this quarter --- the kids' birthdays!

Let me get this straight. I do not have twins. I just happen to have the fortune of having kids born almost exactly a year apart, with their particular birth dates ONLY ONE DAY apart.

When I was pregnant with my son, I would always pray that his arrival not coincide with my older kid's birthday. I wanted them to have their own unique dates arriving into the world - because my belief was, they would begin to value their own selves, and bask in their individuality, if they did not share such a special date together (the year immaterial).

And as usual, GOD answered my prayers in a very special way.

A day after celebrating my daughter's first birthday - there I was again at the hospital giving birth to our baby boy.

Almost five years later, here I am (here we are). And now it is again -BER month.

In the earlier years, this would mean preparing for two parties, and worrying about bills/expenses associated with kiddie parties times two.

Not this year.

This year - both kids will have a shared, and simple family celebration - a real toast of gratefulness for the lives that God have entrusted to us. This year, the birthday celebrants will not have a big party, but will instead celebrate life by having some bit of fun with their friends, and special bonding time with family.

It will not be much of a party, but it will be a very special celebration..

FROZEN NO MORE

Just like my kids' favorite word and movie, my blog has been in "FROZEN" state for a year now.
I never thought I would get the chance to post again...
So I was about to LET IT GO... but found to my chagrin, that I just had to TRY one more time.

And if I needed any proof that GOD is on my side - then this is it!

I am finally in -- my spot has been waiting for me this whole time, and I was just afraid that I would
use the wrong log in details.

Thank you for my vitamins, I am sure they played a great role in my remembrance of details...
You know how it is - as we mature, we do need some bit of help to keep everything in tip-top
shape, most especially the mental portions...

This is such fun - I am more than ready to pound on my keys, and get started again...

So many things have happened -- my niche may have been in a stagnant state, but the kids' lives have been so dynamic :) Looking forward to sharing...

that is an exultant, happy me!

3 years and 10 lifetimes after

More than three years into motherhood - I feel like I have aged several lifetimes.

There is definitely more into the mothers being paragons-of-virtues thing. After being a mother for more than three years now, I realize the humble truth that there is no job task or business as demanding, and as perfection driven than raising children.

Unlike jobs that revolve around routines and hitting your targets, raising children is an ever-evolving task. Kids are unpredictable and uber lovable creatures who act and react on whatever is happening around them with such spontaneity and simplicity. Unlike adults, they do not know how to shield nor monitor their thoughts yet.

They will ask someone - "Are you a mommy?", "Are you a daddy?", without thought that their innocent questions can make the person they are speaking with uncomfortable. And at their young age, they believe in everything that we tell them.

Along with the monumental task of seeing to their needs, we as adults have the responsibility to shape their minds and character. This I believe, is the most significant task that we have as they go through their early formative years but sadly - this can be the most overlooked task as well.

Adults and parents have our life's goals. And often, in our pursuit of making that job or business endeavor successful, we lose sight of the fact that our presence is also needed inside our homes - not just during dinner time and breakfast, but during the day when the kids go through the most significant learning phases in their young lives.

I learned this simple truth after days of spending my days and almost nights at our family shop - driven by the desire to make the business achieve success in the shortest time possible, I lost track of time and my precious time with the kids.

It took some discussions and arguments between me and my husband, and a friend's common tale of what happened to her and her family, to make me stop and take stock of my situation. Lucky for me that I was not yet too deep - I still have the time to pull out and re-plan my days and time.

These days, my time outside the home starts after lunchtime. Though I spend time at the computer blogging, and communicating with the head office for stocks requirements and orders processing, I can stand up anytime and brush the babies teeth after they eat, or I can redirect the browser and see that elephant video that my daughter loves so much. I can stop tinkering at the keyboard and cuddle my son close to me.

There are so many learnings that I continue to get from the passing of years. Yes I definitely aged lifetimes but the great thing about it is that I am learning - and having fun doing so at the same time.

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.