dear rafa,
it's 1:57 am and i am waiting for the sun to rise so i can finally greet you a happy 6th month birthday! i bought you a new shirt, shades, some birthday banner, a numbered balloon, and a cute cake. beyond this, i am excited because later in the morning, you'll finally be introduced to solid food.
i got you some organic potatoes as i was not too sure what to feed you with. dr simon, your pedia said that we should feed you rice cereal but as i was staring at the grocery shelf earlier and looked at the multitude of baby boxes and cans, i felt a serious tug in my heart - i didn't want to feed with you food that comes from a packaging. i should feel a little sense of relief that now you would no longer fully rely on me for your food but i am feeling a bit sentimental. just before going out today, i tried to get you to latch on for hours. when i arrived from the grocery, i latched you on again and hugged you tight. i latched you on for as long as i could. and when i whispered my prayer as you latched on to me, you looked straight into my eyes. it was as if you were praying with me. i thanked the Lord for bringing you into our lives. i thanked Him for making you healthy and happy. i thank the Lord for having allowed me to bond with you thru breastfeeding. I thank Him for giving our family the strength to go thru this together. As I write, I am beside your papa. I thank the Lord for Him. He has been a real source of strength for me ever since I met him. He has not wavered in showing us how much he loves us.
Do you know that your Papa wakes up earlier every single morning so he can get to play with you just before he goes to work? Every morning, our routine would go like this: at 7am your Ate Jinky will bring you to me so I can feed you before going to work. While feeding you, your Papa would take a shower and right after sing his morning greeting, carry you, and get you to giggle as you look at yourself at the mirror. After that, you and your Papa would settle into the black chair and he will read to you loudly and you would turn the pages as if you cant wait for the next one. By the time you and Papa finish reading, Mama would have come out of the shower and you and your Papa would have been playing in the mat.
If Mama did not take too long to get ready, we'll still have time to do our morning walk together. Your Papa will carry you till the gate and we'll bid you goodbye. During the day, your Papa and I will try to check on you once in a while by calling home and asking your Ate Jinky how you were or by taking a peep at you at the camera. While at work, I would visit the nursing room and try to pump at least 2-3 times during the day so you'd have milk the next day. At around 6-630 pm, both your Papa and I would be rushing home so we can still be with you while you're still awake. Your Papa would usually be the first to arrive. The two of you will play and read together and as soon as Mama arrives, a few mins later, you'd start signalling that you'd want to latch to Mama. You'd wiggle out of your Papa's hugs and try to get to Mama. Mama would once again undress and latch you on till you fall asleep or until Mama gets too hungry and begs for dinner. By the time Mama and Papa finish dinner, you'd be asleep. Like clockwork, your Papa will turn on either his laptop or your Mama's ipad and play bedtime music as you sleep. He'd dim the lights and be the noise police in case your Mama is still making noise. If Mama is not yet tired, your Mama and Papa would sit on the couch and catch up with each other about our day. We'd sometimes head out and go visit the house we are currently renovating and walk hand in hand back to you feeling blessed that our little family will soon have a permanent home. Mama would usually feel sleepy by this time so your Papa would be the one to watch over you until past midnight when your Ate Jinky will sleep with you again because Mama and Papa's room cannot fit your cot. When you wake up at night, your Ate Jinky brings you to Mama and your Papa will get your little inclined bed ready so Mama can feed you. Once you are done, your Papa will bring you back to Ate Jinky until it's 7am again and we once again enjoy another day with you.
On Friday nights until Sunday, your Papa takes care of you 24/7. He would watch over you from Friday evening and even without sleep, make sure you get to do your morning walk (sometimes with Mama if she is not too lazy to wake up). After your morning walk, your Papa would start running a warm bath for you). He would get into the tub and Mama would then bring you over so you and Papa can swim. Papa would play with you so you'd get used to the water while Mama makes a nuisance of herself by splashing you guys with water. Once you're done, your Mama would carry you and bring lay you down on a warm towel. Your Papa will choose the cutest clothes you've got and capture your weekly photos, edit it and post it to share with all your Papa and Mama's friends.
Such is the wonderful life we live together now that you're 6 month old. With you starting on solids, with us moving to a new home, with Mama going to the US soon, I know these precious moments and happy routine will change. This is why I thought I'd record all these moments for posterity. I hope you get to read this someday and know how much more meaningful you've made your Papa and Mama's life. I hope you get to be a great Papa like your Papa is someday. More than anything, I hope that you get to live a life that is as happy. Such is my birthday wish for you. I love you Anak.
Love,
Mama
