Reese Margareth

I gave birth to my princess, Reese Margareth, via normal delivery and with Ron, my husband, holding my hand while I push. Twelve days after, with a very heavy heart, he left for an opportunity to work abroad. That maybe one of the saddest part of our love story. But after ten months, he went back and regained his throne in our princess’s heart. And just when the two of them are having the time of their lives enjoying each other’s pranks, he had to leave again to pursue our plans of looking for greener pasture. Only this time I am not as sad as before. I am more prepared, I think. And somehow, I am even looking forward. Probably because of the hope for a better life, though definitely harder and busier. You see, we intend to follow him and settle there for at least a couple of years. There, by the way, is New Zealand.

New Zealand appeals to us primarily because it is a lot laid back than our other options --not that we have many. And I’ve learned, read and heard that its government supports work-life balance that I am so very deprived from the time I decided to work for the leading chain of malls in Asia, or so it claims. What with the six-day work week and the 9:00am - 6:00pm schedule that we have, it is almost impossible to not prefer to spend Sundays in bed over playing house with my baby. Note that I said almost, but no, not quite. I could never have the heart to ignore her subtle insistence. Besides, she would not stop either. She would hold my hand and pull until I’m on my feet and playing along. Guilt-stricken as I am for leaving her to the care of a trusted nanny six days of the week, I would oblige to whatever pleases her. Of course, as long as it is reasonable. I do not intend to spoil her so I do my best to set limits and let her know what is allowed and what is not.

New Zealand would do us good, I think. My husband worries that we will have a hard time adjusting since we will lose all the comforts that we are accustomed to. But I guess it will be all worth it in the end. I would like to think that the sacrifices we are anticipating are all for a greater cause. We think not just of ourselves every single time we make major decisions like this. The biggest consideration is always our princess.

Reesey, as we fondly call her, is a charmer. She dances and sings nonstop when she’s in the mood. She looks very girly but people are always amazed with how hyperactive she can be. She can be very sweet but can be very stubborn. She can play girly stuff with the girls one minute and hang out and fight with the boys the next. She can eat all day long and still not feel full. (Either that or she just takes after me, a certified food addict...hehe.)

If I’m lucky I’d successfully convince her to count her fingers and hear her voice softly reciting one to ten. And amazed that she is able to pronounce ‘seven’ perfectly well, I would applaud her and get her to do more tricks.

This is on a good day.

Which, unfortunately, is not every day.

A bad day usually starts with waking up to an incomprehensible demand of a sobbing little girl which I would eventually make out to either be ’Barney’, ‘Barbie’ or ‘Dora’ at 4:00 AM!!! Then, after hesitantly agreeing, I would go back to sleep for what I would often hope would last for at least another hour only to be disturbed again by another demand. This time around, she would want either to go out and look around or to have a bottle of milk, which, almost half of the time, she would only take about a fourth of. It takes so much patience to deal with these sort of things at 4:00 AM, mind you.

But I find the joys of motherhood far outweighing the not so pleasant things that go with it. The love I feel for my baby is overflowing and genuinely unconditional. I now know what altruism means from experience.

How I wish I could share my thoughts with my own mother who left this world a couple of years ago not having the chance to play grandma to her two beautiful granddaughters. My niece, Kassy, is seven months older than my Reesey. The two of them always spent weekends together either malling or playing at home until Kassy and Jacky, her mom, joined my brother in NZ, where, hopefully, we’ll be following soon.