On Finding My Greatest Treasure

A lawyer at a top law firm.  A writer for a famous publication in New York.  A preschool owner of a school located in a high-end subdivision.—No, I am not talking about myself here; although I somehow wish I were!  These are what many of my friends have become now.  They have achieved so much in their career, that sometimes I couldn’t help but ask myself, “Had I taken a different path years ago, would I be as successful?”

My life

I am a full-time wife to a deacon and a mother to two daughters.  Every day, I deal with preparing coffee for my husband, cleaning up my toddler’s mess, changing my 5 month old’s soiled diapers, and more.  Not very sophisticated, I know, and it could even be sometimes frustrating.  There are moments when I wish I could spend my days meeting clients at Starbucks, spending my salary on those oh-so-lovely 4-inch stilettos, or taking a side trip to Boracay with the barkada, just like what my friends are doing.

But then again, there are more moments when I realize how blessed I am for the life I have now.  Seeing my baby’s toothless ear-to-ear smiles, watching my toddler do things on her own such as putting her dirty clothes in the hamper, and hearing my husband say, “You’re so beautiful!”—all of these are incomparable to anything in this world, not even to a trip to Paris!  Having married a God-fearing husband and being blessed with two beautiful daughters, I realize what I have achieved.  And I can say that I have achieved much.  My family is my greatest treasure.

This ministry of marriage and motherhood is never an easy feat, but it is an anointed calling.  I may not be a big-time business tycoon or a famous celebrity as the world identifies “successful” to be, but I couldn’t thank God enough for transforming me into a wife and a mother who desires nothing but the best for her family.  Still a long way to go, I know, but because God has called me into this ministry, I know that He will provide all the love, faith, and patience I need to be the best wife and mother I can be.

Elise is almost 6 months old!

This cutie's turning 6 months on March 9!

Our lovely Elise is turning 6 months old in just a couple of weeks!  I can't believe how time just flies like that.  I literally stand in awe of her whenever she's on her tummy, trying to crawl her way to her toys.  She used to be so teeny-tiny, and now she's so big and pudgy already!

Because her 6th month is her half birthday, I'm planning to prepare a mini celebration for her.  What I have in mind right now is a half birthday cake!

Literally a half cake!

I might cook some pasta, too, and prepare other foods she can start eating!  Hello, solids! :)

The Beauty of Giving Birth Naturally

Yes, it's been months since my last post, but instead of explaining why I haven't blogged for quite some time, let me just share my life at present.

So I gave birth last September 9 to a beautiful baby girl at 5:05am in the morning at the Birthing Clinic of the Cathedral of the King.  It was around 1am, early Sunday morning, when I felt like going to the bathroom to make #2.  I felt constipated but got through it anyway after a few attempts.  Right after that, I felt a heavy pressure on my lower back--something very similar to what I felt when I went into labor with Caitlin.  I told my husband, "Hon, parang malapit na ako.  I'm feeling what I felt with Caitlin last year."  So we went back to bed, and because Caitlin woke up, I nursed her lying down.  I was feeling contractions already getting stronger by the minute.  I suddenly felt the urge to stand up, then I felt something trickling down my legs.  I couldn't see what it was because it was dark.  When my husband turned on the light, it was blood!  The contractions were very strong then and so we called Mama Chato right away.  She told  us to prepare already and she will see us at the birthing clinic.  We got there at 2:30am...

Many thanks to Mama Chato Flores, a registered midwife, for her anointing!  It was my first time to give birth naturally... as in no medicine, no anesthesia, nothing at all!  Just God's grace and favor upon me and my baby.  I couldn't thank my husband, Mon, even more, for being there with me all the way.  I couldn't have done it without his strength guiding me and supporting me.

Yep, that's me and Catherine Elise just minutes after giving birth.  Such an ecstatic feeling I had at this time--yes, there was pain, but the beauty of seeing your baby and getting to hold her right away is incomparable to anything else in this world!

That's our Catherine Elise!  All glory to God! :)