To my dearest baby daughter Marga
It’s been exactly a year now since we welcomed you into this world with so much anticipation and joy. I remember being quite anxious (forgive me, as you may have already sensed by now, this is one of Mama’s least-liked traits J) when Wowo and Wiwa had to bring me to Asian Hospital so we could already have you – exactly 14 days BEFORE your expected due date and 6 days BEFORE Papa could fly in from KSA to be with us for your birth… I guess even then you already had a mind of your own and the makings of being a strong-willed, independent “woman in a hurry” (can’t deny you got this from almost all the women in our family – especially Mama and Grammy J). God has been very good to us, my dear baby, since even without Papa being physically present for your birth, everything went smoothly and any worries I may have felt before you were born were gone when I saw you for the first time – my, as an added bonus, you even had your father’s hairline!
I have always said that you are our “bonus baby”. Why so? Papa and I never really expected that we would still be blessed with a daughter after 6 years. We honestly thought that your Kuya Luigi and Kuya Rafa were going to be our only children. Truly, the Lord cannot be outdone in His generosity since He has given you to us on top of Him blessing us with two already wonderful sons. With your birth, our cup truly “runneth over”! Since we have been so richly blessed, we can only pray that we also be blessings to others and reflections of God’s goodness and generosity.
Aside from being our dear “unica hija”, there were also many firsts that Mama experienced when you arrived. For one, you are the only child whom Mama took care of full-time without any yayas (since we had to move to KSA to be with Papa when you were just 2 months old). Also, you are the only baby that Mama has managed to breastfeed for a longer period of time. True, this tested Mama’s resilience and patience at times – especially during times when you were sick or when you would cry for no obvious reason – yet I still feel that this has brought us even closer. With you, Mama has had the chance to truly feel how it is to be “hands-on” and despite many challenging instances, feel truly fulfilled to be a mom. For this, my dear darling, I thank you very much.
Today, as I look back on the past year, my heart is truly full. You have enriched our lives in more ways than you can ever imagine. Your innocent smiles, precocious laughter, silly antics and even your “now-and then” tantrums have made me see that there is so much beauty in living. Every milestone that you reach in your young age does us proud. Being with you most of the time has certainly lessened the loneliness and homesickness that our being away from home brings. I cannot say it enough – you are truly one precious gift that the Lord has lovingly entrusted to Papa and I.
I pray that you grow up to be a loving, responsible, charitable and God-fearing woman. Know that we will always love you and that we will always be there for you.
Happy, happy 1st birthday, dear Marga!
Your number one fan and “fashion stylist” J
Mama
