Saturday’s party

It took us four days to put this shindig together.

That is, not counting the week(end)s of scouting for the most suitable option to hold Matthew’s first birthday party.

Tuesday, on Matthew’s birthday, we booked our reservation, invited friends, and decided on a theme. We had the banner made and ordered ballons on Wednesday. We had a cake custom-made on Thursday. Then, we bought souvenirs on Friday.

The party was slated for Saturday: a merienda buffet at Dad’s-Kamayan-Saisaki (Megamall). On the menu: puto, dinuguan, ginataan, palitaw, gyoza, carbonara, pancit, chocolate cake, cream puff, and more stuff I can’t remember. Unfortunately, I barely got to eat any!

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Motherhood: A Work-in-Progress

We celebrated my son’s first birthday this past Tuesday. Tomorrow, we are celebrating with some friends and family with a little party.

This party is, yet again, another first. It comes with the territory of having a child for the first time, naturally. The difference is, from all the other milestones that had happened in the last 12 months, this is an event that is orchestrated, as opposed to one that is born of my baby’s development. As such, there were too many questions, too many factors to consider—why even need to spend for a birthday that the child may not even remember?

This first birthday, I’ve come to realize, is more than celebrating the birth of my child. It celebrates our first year as a new family, and for me and my husband, every single moment of being parents. It has taken a few congratulatory messages from friends for the realization to hit: This is indeed a moment worth toasting to!

Thus, tomorrow, it will be a joy to share with others this crazy, unpredictable, tumultuous, and happy life that parenting has given us. As I had predicted once upon a time, our lives have never been the same again.

And we are thankful.

It is only apt, then, that I keep this observance of parenting life—in my case, motherhood—going. I have read, thought, eulogized, questioned, applauded so many moments that point to life as a mom.

And so, this blog comes to be.