Today is Mothers Day! Did you greet your mother already?

I once wrote that being a mommy made me come full circle to my journey of womanhood.

Not just because I saw the beauty I have as a person and as a woman but because being a mommy made me make up for all the times that I took my mother for granted, for all the times that I forgot that she gets tired too, and for forgetting to value the sacrifice she made of giving up her career to become a full time mother to us.

In the middle of my birth labor, I almost want to give up the idea of delivering my son through normal delivery. At every contraction, my whole body ached, even breathing was painful. What kept me going on was the thought that a few hours after I will be able to see and hold my baby.

When I first saw my mother after giving birth, I was filled with so much love and gratefulness for the small but very strong woman that is my mother. She could have easily given up in the middle of a very painful birth process but what kept her going on was the thought that after a while she could already be seeing and holding me.

What I felt upon holding my son for the very first time must have been the very same emotions my mother felt when she first held me. And going through the process of giving birth made me realized how very loved and cherished I am.

To my Mama Lucy, I know that my lifetime of gratitude may never be enough for everything that you have done for Papa and us your children. This I am sure though, I am and a will be a good mother to Dave as you have been to us. We love you very much Ma. Happy Mothers Day!

When my niece was two years old, she amazed us with her fascination with animals. She would remember the types of animals she watched on TV. She especially liked fishes and other marine animals.

Now, my son at almost two years old (he will turn two in July) is showing great attraction to cars and any mechanical object that runs fast. He surprisingly remembers the types of vehicles that were introduced to him.

Few would dispute that children today are a lot smarter and are more intelligent than children 10 or 20 years ago. Children of this generation are very advanced in terms of development, both physically and mentally.

What could have caused this trend? It is the mother’s diet during pregnancy or the vitamins and supplements that she took? Or could it be the advanced technological environment that we have now? We don’t really know for certain yet.

The smarter and very advanced children that we have today pose a bigger challenge to us as parents. It is a must that we step up and revise our parenting strategies to suit their needs, attitudes, and peculiarities.

This may prove to be one interesting adventure. Are you up to it?

I was on my seventh month of pregnancy when I came across an article from the March of Dimes site about newborn screening.

It is a test done to newborns usually before hospital discharge or within the next first three weeks after birth. The test determines certain metabolic birth defects. Metabolic meaning chemical changes happening within the living cell. Those that we cannot see.

These metabolic birth defects can cause physical disability, mental retardation, and even death. The practice of newborn screening is a means of early detection so that these serious consequences can either be minimized or totally eliminated.

When I gave birth to my son, two years ago, newborn screening was regarded optional in most hospitals around the country. My younger sister delivered her second baby two months ago and the test was strongly recommended by her pediatrician. In the next years, hopefully the test can become mandatory to all newborns especially so because it can spell the difference between lifelong disabilities and healthy normal development.

For more information about newborn screening visit http://www.marchofdimes.com/ or consult your doctor or health care provider.

It was around 12:00 midnight on July 18, 2005 after taking a pee that I saw a pink-colored discharge in my underwear. This was followed by a little discomfort in my pelvic area. I didn’t mind it then because my due date was still a week away.

At around 8:00 in the morning the following day, July 19, I already had light blood discharges and the little discomfort progressed into slight stabs of pain. Following the advice of my mother, I, together with my father and a nurse family friend went to the hospital where I was to give birth. I called my husband and we agreed that he will meet me in the hospital.

When I was already in the Emergency Room of the hospital, my cervix was only at two centimeters dilation, but since we live half an hour away from the hospital my doctor advised that I should already be admitted. She further advised me to rest and gather enough strength for the events that will follow.

At 3:00 in the afternoon, I awoke to a stabbing pain all-over my pelvic area. It was the start of a hellish four-hour birth labor. It was pain without description. Every part of my body from the tips of my hair to the tips of my toenails ached with every contraction. I was oblivious to everything. All I can focus on was surviving from one contraction to another.

The pain finally subsided when I give birth to my son at around 7:56 in the evening. When I heard my little boy cried and when he was placed atop my tummy, the pain of the past four hours became insignificant.

When I touch his tiny hands and feet, my heart burst with joy. I have this moment bookmarked in my heart. When I’m feeling defeated and depressed, I open this portion and end up feeling extremely blessed.

Motherhood was one of the best gift life has ever given me.

It made me come full circle to my journey of womanhood.

With this blog, I want to share with you the joys and even the sorrows of being a mommy.

I also invite all the mommys, mommys-to-be, wanting-to-be-mommy, and those that have played the role to chip in your own experiences and thoughts, so we can learn from each other.