My First Pregnancy

Traumatic as it may seem, I still considered my pregnancy and delivery to be the greatest blessing I've ever received because without it, we would not have Rafa today.  Thank you so much Heavenly Father for making all the pain, discomfort, and tears worth it.  Thank you for giving us Rafa!

Kidding aside, well.. in all fairness to my husband, he really has been the best father to our son, Rafa.  And although a secretly known kuripot, he has always proved to be a great provider of our family.  I know he can make a good father to two, three, or even four kids.  But the thing is, I only wanted TWO.

Since neither of us doesn't want to concede on this petty argument, we have come to an agreement that IF in case our second baby would be a girl, then we'll have two kids; IF NOT, then we'll have three.  I really hope we'll have a girl on my next pregnancy!  *fingers crossed*  But whatever God's plan is, I'm good with that.  Thy will be done!

Please don't get me wrong, I am not pregnant.  But my husband strongly believes that baby #2 is due already.  (We wanted all kids to be finished with college before he turns 60.  He's 34 already, so I guess that explains the rush.)  I am just feeling a little bit apprehensive that I may not be capable enough to take care of a toddler and a newborn while managing a household at the same time.

Starting a family abroad is really challenging, especially when you do not have relatives with you who can give an extra hand during tough times.  Actually, I just realized how important social support is the moment Rafael came and I was left alone at home with him (because my husband needs to go to work).  Having a new born is pretty exciting but it can become equally demanding and stressful too -- it's just crazy to breastfeed a newborn every 2-3 hrs round the clock (or even hourly during growth spurts), deal with baby colic, and do the household chores (cleaning, laundry, ironing clothes, etc.) at the same time!  The very popular advice to new moms that says "sleep when the baby sleeps" was not applicable to me that time.  I was sleep deprived, tired, and overwhelmed.  No wonder I ended up having post partum depression.

You know, mothers are not like superheroes.  We are humans who need rest too.  And I guess, maybe, that's where all my apprehensions are coming from.  I'm scared of failing as a mother.  I'm worried of not being able to shower my children with the love and affection that they need simply because I'm physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.  NO.  I don't want that to happen.

I have made a commitment before the Lord, the moment I married Ronnie, that I will be a good parent when I answered "YES" to the priest's question:  "Are you both ready to raise as good Christians the children whom God will give you?"  And I will keep that promise.

Having a child is indeed very fulfilling but it entails GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.  So we decided to have baby #2 once Rafa and I are both ready for a new baby.  When will that be?  I don't know either.  I just hope it's gonna be SOON!

Forty degrees Celsius.  It's official!  Summer is here and we're stuck at home.  Who in the world would like to get toasted under the scorching sun?  I don't know.  All I know is that this summer season in the middle east has just started and it's going to become even worse once the month of August kicks in.  In short, no outdoor activities for our family in the mean time.

That's  fine!  I prefer the hot and dry season of Abu Dhabi rather than the rainy season in the Philippines.  I don't like rain.  It stresses me.  Honestly, rain scares the hell out of me.  And it's all because of my traumatic "Ondoy" experience.  Good thing we are living in a place where rain only happens once in a blue moon.  That's enough to give me peace of mind.  Thanks God!

Since we're home bound (meaning either my sister or my husband can look after Rafa for a while), I took the opportunity to keep my self busy organizing our kitchen.  Don't get me wrong, I love taking care of Rafa.  It's just that I, being the wife and the only OC (obsessive-compulsive) person in our house, am expected to always keep the house clean and maintain it that way.

I  never really knew I had OCPD until I accidentally stumbled upon this link where I took the test out of curiosity.  The result showed I scored the highest (86%) for obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

I hope informing you beforehand of my OCPD would help in making you understand the reason behind the photos of how our kitchen looks and why it looks just like that.

Wondering if you might have those OCD tendencies too?  Check out this 10 signs you might have obsessive compulsive disorder.

Ever since Rafael officially became a toddler and learned how to walk on his own, he started to turn into a more curious little creature who would always point on things to communicate what he wants.  This pointing attitude had been a big help for us to understand more the things that he likes and eventually made us notice that he would often point to a door as if he wants to say "mommy, lets go out!" Then I realized my son has really grown a lot in that one year span of time.

When he was still a few months younger, he would happily enjoy just crawling around and playing in his room.  He was already contented staying inside that small room full of colorful posters and cute baby toys.  However, a day came when he decided that he doesn't want to just stay inside his playroom anymore.  He started crawling around the house exploring every corner of each room.  Then he learned how to walk on his own and started invading even the kitchen and bathroom area!  Eventually, he realized that our house was no longer as interesting as it used to be, so he decided he wanted to go out of the house and discover a bigger and more exciting environment.

We knew we had to respond to Rafa's changing needs.  So every afternoon, after my husband gets home from work, we take the little man to the park where he can run and play until he gets tired.  (I don't actually know if he really gets tired.  Maybe what I was trying to say is that we allow him to play in the park until my husband and I are both tired of  chasing him.  I guess, that's more accurate.)

I believe we have already been to all parks within the city.  That is because we used to go to different parks before until we discovered Delma Park.  For me, this park is "love at first sight."  I love it for several reasons:  free parking, free entrance, clean restrooms, fitness area has several gym equipments which can be used for free; and they have a playground especially designed for toddlers (1-3 y/o).

Just by looking at Rafa's photos below, I guess it's not going to be too assuming for me to say that I think my son loves their playground too!

Our decision to take Rafa to the park every afternoon has really helped a lot in the development of his gross motor and socialization skills.  This is where he actually learned how to go up and down the stairs.  (We don't have stairs in the house that is why he was so amazed when he first experienced how it's like to climb up and down each step.)  In addition, he also gets the chance to meet new people and gain new friends whom he can talk and play with.  Yeah, our little man is a very friendly toddler!  He's the kind of kid who would never hesitate to give anyone a smile, even strangers.

While Rafa was busy enjoying the playground and exploring the park, me and my husband would take turns in watching over the little creature so that we can also have the opportunity to burn our excess calories in the park's fitness area.  I so love their facilities!  There's no need to spend on expensive gym membership fees anymore.  (We have never spent on such anyway.)

Aside from the children's playground and fitness area, they also have a football court, tennis court (which gave me the motivation to learn how to play tennis), and free circuit training facilitated by professional fitness trainers every Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

I am really glad and grateful that we have found a perfect family park where both kids and adults get equal opportunity to be fit while having fun.  Going to the park every afternoon is indeed a family affair that promotes a healthy active lifestyle.

Oh, how time flies so fast!  Until now, I still find it hard to believe that the fetus who used to kick my once pregnant belly has already grown into a little naughty boy.  Rafael has finally turned one!  It was indeed the most stressful yet the most rewarding year of my life.  I must say that I had the hardest time adjusting to my new role as a first time mom.  The many sleepless nights, my difficult journey to breastfeeding, and all the hurdle of having to deal with colic, growth spurts, teething, and sleep regression were all worth it.  I am very grateful that beyond the struggles, I was given the opportunity to stay at home and be with him every single day, watch him grow and witness his every milestone.  

To celebrate this special occasion, my ever generous sister, who also happens to be Rafael's ninang, sponsored a birthday party for him at Jollibee Shangri La mall.  It was supposed to be kiddie party.  However, most of the invited guests were not able to make it because the event happened to fall on a weekday.  So instead of having little kids enjoy the parlor games, it was participated in by adults who were "kids at heart."  We may have had only a few guests but Rafael surely had a great time during the party especially when Jollibee started dancing and when everyone sung him the birthday song, and that's what matters.

Rafael's first year had been a roller coaster ride for the whole family.  It was a year full of many "firsts" and a period of great adjustment.  I know, more challenges will come our way especially now that Rafael officially became a toddler.  I pray that Ronnie and I will be blessed with a lot of patience and guidance as we rear our child into a God-fearing and responsible adult.  And I wish Rafael will always be healthy and grow up as a man of character.

Let me also take this opportunity to thank Ate Mot for preparing this party for my son, and all those who came and celebrated this special occasion with us.  Maraming salamat po!

Originally, we wanted to have Rafael's baptism ceremony to be held at the UST Church (Santisimo Rosario Parish), where Ronnie and I got married in 2012.  However, most Catholic churches in Metro Manila, including UST Church, require a baptism seminar for the godparents of the baby who will be receiving the sacrament.  We honestly don't have anything against seminars like this but we think that it will be more convenient for everyone, especially to OFWs like us who don't have the luxury of time to stay for long here in the Philippines, to just skip the baptism seminar thing.

So I started looking for an alternative church for Rafael's Christening ceremony.  After several days of searching the internet for churches that don't require baptism seminar, I ended up having only two options: (1) Sanctuario de San Jose in Greenhills and (2) Christ The King Parish in Greenmeadows.

In planning special events like this, it is important to always take into consideration the comfort and convenience of the guests since they  will be required to travel from the ceremony to the reception venue.  Both churches were actually a good option since there are several restaurants nearby where you can hold the reception.  However, since we will be having Max's Restaurant for Rafael's Christening reception (with the Tiendesitas branch's function room being more spacious than Greenhills branch), we decided that Christ the King Parish would be the better option among the two.

The church offers mass baptism, also known as "binyagang bayan," for Php 500 and special baptism for Php 3,200.  We wanted a more private Christening ceremony so we opted to have a special baptism instead.  The requirements include a completed baptismal form (provided by the church) which includes the list of godparents, original and photocopy of the child's birth certificate, and the parent's marriage certificate.  Since Ronnie and I were both in Abu Dhabi and we won't be coming to the Philippines a day before the event, I just provided an authorization letter in order for mama to book the schedule on my behalf.  Communicating with the parish office was incredibly easy and hassle-free.

Let me share with you a few photos of the event!

To clarify things, I decided to call them and I was informed that UAE is running a National Polio Campaign from November 16 - 27, 2014 and January 11 - 22, 2015. According to the leaflet that they were giving away in the health center, UAE had been polio free for several decades already but new cases among neighboring countries had been recorded, thus this National Immunization Campaign was initiated to make sure all children under five are fully protected.  So even if Rafael has an updated immunization, he still gets an extra shot of polio vaccine for further protection.

One thing I am really grateful about living in this country is that they provide full coverage of my child's immunization. Yes, you read it right! children's vaccines are given here for free.  I hope someday, the Philippine government will be able to provide this kind of benefit to its people too. After all, disease prevention has been proven to be far more cost-effective than treatment and rehabilitation.