Party Preps: Oona turns One!

So it's been a year since I went to the hospital, getting pissed at the driver and cracking up the nurses' station with my drug-induced stand-up comedy routine. God, I should be stoned more often. I was never wittier, funnier and never had a much more appreciative audience than when I was in labor.

Now, a different birthing is going on as I attempt to put together Oona's First Birthday Party and Baptismal at the same time and at the last minute.

And nope, we are not chinese.


THE BIRTH/CHRISTENING DAY

If I had a dollar (wag naman dime lang, para sosyal!) for every time I had to explain the practicality of holding the joint celebration, I'd probably have enough to cash in for the restaurant downpayment. It's been explained to me that it's mostly the Chinese who usually does this. Tradition and practicality reasons.

We just figured it was more convenient. Otherwise, we'd have just celebrated the birthday and waited until she's old enough to choose her own spiritual path. Really. However, family tradition will not be denied. Hence, a Baptism along with the birthday.

It doesn't leave a dent on our liberated views on spirituality after all. It wouldn't hurt to "officially" invoke divine blessings for the child. Besides, RF and I came from Catholicism and we've so far survived.

We also think of it as thanksgiving for Oona's first year of life on this Earth. She has given us so much joy and touched so many other people's lives.

TAG TIDBITS WITH PHOTOS

this is a tag from pheng.

participants: 1. tere-blessings in life 2. yen-me and mine 3. jody-in this game of life 4. pheng - life. love. family. work. travel. 5. laya-mommyluscious 6. your name and site here.

1. what do you want for your birthday?
nothing material although a family vacation would be nice. i would really like to be with family and friends on a beach somewhere.

2. who will be your next kiss?
oona! or daddy...sometimes they ambush me together.

3. when was the last time you went to the mall?
yesterday. met up with rizal for badminton (naubusan kami ng slot sa court) and walking (na inulan kami). ended up at starbucks, waltermart and had dinner with mommy s and jonas.

4. are you wearing socks right now?
am barefoot, barelegged and happy about it. although i AM in my pajama shorts.

5. how did you spend your summer?
i spent the summer transitioning from one workplace to another (LONG STORY), helping my former boss launch a little studio of our own and plan for the future. we went to the beach with oona for the first time (she began to enjoy the beach when she discovered water was splashy).

6. have you been to the cinema in the last 5 days?
nope. would've wanted to watch dark knight but am just leery of the hype. i don't want to be disappointed. i watched a dozen DVDs over the weekend though! oona is a really cool couch potato buddy.

7. what was the last thing you had to drink?
kalamansi juice.

8. what are you wearing right now?
shorts, white linen billowy shirt, messy hair and a determined look on my face (to finish updating everything and work on oona's birthday plans).

9. what was your last purchase?
books! at booksale, my latest addiction.

10. what was the last food you ate?
tilapia, last night's left-over fruity salad from pancake house and half a cup of rice (naks!).

11. who would be the person you would call if you were up in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep?
RF the hubby, but there would be other auto-defaults since work could slam him with meetings for hours on end.

12. have you bought any clothing items in the last week?
seriously, i haven't bought anything in the past three months or so that could be construed as real clothing...serviceable items, most like but real clothing...none yet.

13. do you have a pet?
nope. although oona does a wonderful impersonation of a puppy, a kitten and a vocalizing bird alternatively. she does water sprite and monkey every now and then too.

14. what made you laugh in the last 5 days?
last sunday, when RF surprised oona. she was quietly rummaging happily through my bag when RF came into the room suddenly. she was so surprised she cried and clambered to RF asking to be picked up. she then proceeded to vent her fright and angst on the defenseless tissue paper she was holding on to,shredding the tissue and babbling her gulat, gigil and nerbyos! na-stress! tissue confetti snowed on the floor and i was laughing so hard, i had a stitch on my side. my poor little baby!

15. if you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?
beach. retired. and filthy rich. having family around is a given.

16. what is the last thing you purchased online?
my breast pump from pheng.

17. one thing you hate about yourself?
i wish i could shed pounds faster and my posture! kuba na ako. peste.

18. do you miss anyone?
some of my friends in other countries.

19. what are your plans for the day?
read.

20. last person you msg’d?
mae hao, saowee and rei. yep all at the same time. if jonas was online, he would be the last i messaged, hands down!

21. ever went to a camp?
nope. i went up to famy with my high school class and banahaw with my rizal class in college. does that count? oh and we had a bivouac for PE in college. it was rainy, muddy and very uncomfortable. labbet.

22. are you a good student in school?
i studied. define good.

23. what do you know about the (your) future?
i know it's exciting and largely unknown.

24. are you wearing any perfume or cologne?
eau de tilapia.

25. where is/are your best friend/s right now?
singapore and manila, they are in.


now i’m tagging yas, jonas, johnny and mec.

Love Makes The World Go 'Round

Mec tagged me with this blog award.

Behind the award, is a wonderful story of love and survival of a little boy given another chance to live through a heart donor.

Please help raise awareness for Organ Donorship in the Philippines and abroad.

I am tagging the following people and giving them this award for being great Moms, Dads and Human Beings: Pheng, Den, Jonas, John and Johnny.

Borrowed Pixie Angel

Sometimes I look at Oona and wonder if she's really mine.

I know she came from me, fruit of my womb...the scars I have are way too itchy to be ignored and proof that she inhabited me for 9 months (not to mention the poundage I still have to lose!). But sometimes, she's just really her own little person, if it's possible to see such self-possession in someone less than a year old.

Apart from having borne her and continuing to nourish her, I wonder if I really have any contribution at all to this little amazement.

Of course, the words of a certain poet ring true.

I suspect, many more times in the future will this prophet's words echo in my head, the last never more true than the first time, as my little girl marches steady into the fulfillment of her being with those twinkling little stars in her eyes and that mischievious sunshine of a smile.

On Children
Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let our bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

The Clinic Chronicles: Part 6

Keeping The Bean

“It’s going to be okay.” The doctor said as she patted my hand. “Just keep on drinking the medicine and taking it easy, alright?”

I just nodded and thanked her as Mr. F helped me out the door. I wanted to escape so badly but needed to keep as much dignity I could muster.

Can you imagine how it’s like to swing from ecstasy to utter despair in the space of a few minutes? I could be schizoid for all I know, but given the circumstances, I would have a legitimate excuse. I now felt like a baseball bat walloped the back of my head, my throat was too tight, and my heart was too big for my chest.

It amazed me how these doctors could take on that kind of responsibility. They literally have their patients’ lives in their hands. They could make or break a person with a few words.

How do they handle it, facing mortality every day?

I think Mr. F and I just went on home afterwards. It was exhausting: exhilaration and the dregs in one unbeatable combination. We just ate something to dull the headachy feeling and talked.

We knew we wanted to keep the Beanie Baby, as the sprout was now called. I’ve stopped smoking (cold turkey since the day before), stopped drinking (last drop of alcohol was the week before), and we agreed that I’d have to stop the helter-skelter pace of my work life.

Curled up on our comforter, we cover random stuff, basically musing about how we would be parents. I wondered which of us would be the disciplinarian and the devil’s advocate. Of course, Mr. F claims to be the spoiler.

“You would be the Supreme Court. I’ll be the Court of Appeals!”

I scoffed at Mr. F. Right. Like that’s going to happen.

Nevertheless, we still felt depressed about the news the doctor gave us.