This day in 2012, I was half-sedated, half-awake as my OB-GYN tells me, “Umiyak naman ang anak mo. Mahina lang, isang beses. Pero buhay.” I remember praying like I never have. I remember how her tiny body felt both familiar and strange in my arms – all 3.7 kilograms of her – when I held her a first time.
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| Aaaand the baby turns into a tot. |
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| Four days last year. I told you, this is kind of Lia’s default reaction. Haha. |
Today, at 8:06 am, my daughter is officially a toddler.Gawd you don’t know how strangely excited and nervous that makes me. This little girl has never been known to be docile or timid, for one. She’s perennially vigorous, unpredictable, demanding and highly alert. Now those aren’t necessarily bad traits. We’re lucky to have a girl who has the potential to be a star. Of the principal’s office.
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| Get me outta here, lady! |
But understand, a year ago she was tame as a puppy on Valium. Now she yells at me with all might and smacks me in the face whenever I stop her from dipping my cellphone in a bowl of vinegar (Insert facepalm here). She displays temper tantrums at the slightest things: when she’s glugged down her drink and there’s nothing left to sip, when I place a clip on her hair, when I say hello and she has a bad hair day. Imagine what she would do when she’s in her terrible two’s. Just imagine.
The other day, I was assisting her to walk during a work break, and something strange happened: I cried, out of nowhere. She paused, looked up at me, smiled, and I cried. She must’ve thought me strange. Time really passes by swiftly. One minute she can’t even burp on her own, and the next minute she’s already walking three, four baby steps without your help. Amazing. Sometimes I can’t believe how much she’s grown taking in nothing but breastmilk during the first six months of her life.
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| The girl now knows how to maneuver the wiper. |
We celebrated her birthday with a simple homemade feast of grilled liempo and salted egg (at ang pambansang inumin, of course!) and a Monde cupcake I stuffed with ornaments off her baptismal cake. Because we have to, you know, scrimp on niceties for the post-birthday shindig on Saturday… which she wouldn’t remember anyway, but for once, I felt that I had to give in to the stage mom tendencies that’s been lying latent in my veins all these years.
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| Birthday photo. Dead serious about watching Game of Thrones. Hehe. |
I had all the intention not to spend a considerable amount of my savings and time on a first birthday celebration even back when I was infanticipating. Yet here I was, texting and meeting up suppliers here and there, and spending the entire Holy Week alternating freelance work (which I also do for her birthday) and DIYs for Lia’s party. I thought I was over all this mental and physical chaos after the wedding. Turns out things pan out quite differently once you become a mom.
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| DIY candy jars and containers for the candy buffet |
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| DIY note and pen holder for guestbook signing 🙂 |
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| DIY Party invite. |
And well, it does feel good. Even with her smacking my face on a regular basis, I think my daughter deserves a decent enough celebration of the milestones and smacking she accomplished during her first year in life. Because I love her, and no matter how much she’s grown, she’ll always be the meanest, cutest smacker on the planet.
Cheesyyy!!!
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| …And some more. DIY table centerpiece, lootbags and ballerina tutu wreath. |
happy birthday Lia 🙂 and a well deserved congratulations to your Mom for rearing such a cutie!!! I remember when my baby turned one, like you we had a double celebration. A simple one for the family and the super bongga one for the friends, ninongs, ninangs, etc…It was tiring yet super exciting, I admire your DIY skills 🙂 I also hand made my baby's giveaways, invitation and I wrote the script for her AVP…nice read 🙂 Wishing Lia a fun bday celebration…
Aaw…thank you very much Andrea for the well wishes and kind words. I think it's second nature to us Pinoys to be thoughtful of occasions. We're a bunch who loves a good fiesta feast. Am interested to see your DIYs 🙂
Happy birthday Lia! I've been following your Mom's blog for quite some time now… I believe the 1st birthday is more for the parents.. to celebrate the greatest gift from God…the little bundle of blessing that has made their past year so eventful. congrats on the DIY and please do post those "customary" birthday pictures when she cries her eyes out while you and your husband encourage her to open gifts 😛
Oh, I didn't people diligently followed this blog! Hehe.
That's true. Our children won't really remember first birthday celebrations, but we do it anyway. Perhaps to reward ourselves for that extremely challenging first year and to celebrate the little one's many accomplishments during that time.
We will surely do that, and I'll definitely post that here afterwards 🙂
congraaatulations! happy birthday to your lia 😀