Ruben made this clip of Reyna for her 2nd birthday.Pouring over her millions of pictures and putting so much effort into it.Same effort last year too!With Ryan and Roy when digital technology was not quite as advanced, he did it with tonnes of pics and put them into a neat slideshow after scanning them.
A labour of love.Each year new milestones achieved.Every parent should do one up for their kid.A great keepsake.
Everything is online these days.What if someone pulls out the plug, what then?
I have actually printed all 3 kids pictures into albums up to their 1st birthday.The other albums would just be a jumble of all other events in our lives Each has his own special album of scans, cards and all the memories!
Also did a short write up on each kid on my facebook.I made my sons read it and they were basking in love and pride.Sometimes we fail to stop and smell the roses or even give thanks to the things that truly matter.A great way to express is through writing.Words do live on for eternity.
Here is the piece on Reyna
She is the beat to our hearts .The lyrics to our songs.So very much loved. Reyna Jane Obias our little miracle ,a gift from God.
Not many know this but she is our fourth child.
We lost Jasmine Obias at 6 months pregnancy.All was told to going well until the thorough 5th month check up.Mistakes that should have been spotted way ahead were not.My nagging fears in the earlier stages of the pregnancy that there was something wrong were airily dismissed by the errant doctor.
Our horror to be told that the little one was dying in my womb. The numerous meetings the doctors held across the board with other hospitals to discuss Jasmine's situation all came to naught. Only one option was presented "Termination".I was in disbelief.This could not be happening.It's all a bad dream and someone please wake me up!
The entire process of the "medical abortion" was anything less than traumatic and soul draining.I took 4 days to dilate.When she finally made her appearance I was heartbroken.I had willed my heart to stop its painful beating so that I may join the little one in her world and be with her. She was so tiny and red. But oh so perfectly formed!Rosebud mouth,a determined chin..just perfect!
I didn't want the nurses taking her away from me.I just wanted to hold her against my empty chest as long as possible.However I was rushed to the operation theater as my placenta had not passed and I was bleeding too much.
The rest is really a dizzy blur. Ruben took care of the funeral arrangements.We had her baptised ,cremated and her ashes strewn in the blue sea.
The boys were devastated.I found strength in their faith and believe that "God took our baby because she was sick, He would heal her and send her back to us mummy!"
6 weeks after the stabbing lost , I was pregnant with Reyna. The boys without a doubt knew it was a girl!The very same one that we lost! Isn't it a miracle Mummy?!Isn't God great?!
Barely 5 weeks pregnant , Ryan and Roy dragged me out to shop for Reyna. They finally decided on their first purchase for Reyna, an impossibly tiny pair of the cutest Adidas booties.
The pregnancy with Reyna was turbulent.
I was violently sick all the time. There were infections , fevers and a whole lot of others.
At 5 months pregnancy I was beginning to get contractions and so was promptly put to bed rest.Then started the myriad of daily medicines and weekly shots and more than regular follow ups.
Roy had just started kindy then and I had to withdraw him from school.I remember fondly both of us sitting in bed watching endless cartoons ,drawing,reading and enjoying this time together.
Just after 35 weeks pregnancy I stopped the weekly jabs.I went with my gut feeling that this little one was ready to be born. A few days later I had dilated a good 4cm and so the birthing process began.
It was a fairly quick one.I convinced the anesthetist to give me a great dose of epidural, enough to knock an elephant out.
While I was waiting to dilate to the full 10cm, I was fraught with an unsettling feeling of urgency. Rey's heart beats had plunged to dangerously low levels and I could well sense the nurses masked panic. Pray was all I could do.
10cm and I was ready to push. Having been thoroughly numbed I went ahead and gave my best push.Took a few tries and in minutes Reyna was finally here.Her robust cries filling our ears.
It was only much later that I was told in confidence by the nurses that the umbilical cord was wrapped tightly around her neck and she would not have been able to endure a longer labour or a longer pregnancy.Dreadful words that almost opened my suppressed flood gates.
My willful pushing left me pretty torn literally. I had managed to tear into my muscle walls. The head of general surgery was summoned to do my stitching before my gynae could make her repairs.
Ruben and I were mesmerized by Reyna.We could not take our eyes off her.She looked exactly like the baby we lost.We were radiating with happiness. Our Little Princess!
I spent all the sleeping and waking moments in the hospital cradling Reyna, my precious little bundle.I was reprimanded by the nurses when I was still up at 5am high on love and smothering Reyna with kisses. "You need to go to bed NOW!" .And after administering some super dose of pain meds I was in LA-LA land.
Rey and i on discharge day
the proud daddyWhen we brought Reyna home, it was such a joyous day. Our little family was finally complete.Her protective brothers immediately sat right next to her crib as her protectors . "We lost her once and we are not going to lose her again!"
roy cradling reyReyna has grown to a beautiful ,strong little girl. She teases her brothers. Runs threateningly around them waving her cane. Calls out to them all hours of the day.Happiness beams on her face as they play with her or watch her cartoons with her.
The bond between these 3 is remarkable. The brothers will let her get away with bloody murder if they can.
Reyna is definitely a handful.She has mastered the art of needing very little sleep.Baby proofing the cupboards was a sheer waste of time and money. Just as Ruben had finished putting the gadgets on, she triumphantly opened it with a wide grin on her grubby face.
She is a serious milk guzzler.Still needs her 3 milk feeds at night.Yes,even though she is almost 2!
Loves her smelly pillow to bits and God forbid if we ever lose that pillow!
All the toys lovingly bought for her lay strewn all over the place. She has no interest in those. She has found better treasures. My sewing kit, the ribbon box, make up stash and my impressive collection of clothes , bags ,shoes and accessories and the grocery cupboard of course.
She puts me to shame as she runs in my heels. Me, I can barely walk in them.Is able to put on my bra, well almost, on her little torso.
She puts me in hysterics mimicking me, as she wags her chubby finger at my face, narrowing her eyes to slits with a threatening "stop it!"
Reyna has a passion for food. Has not met anything that she didn't like.Vegetables, fruits, meat, all the works!
She is as gentle as a doe. Plays great with other kids.Loves to be smothered in kisses and hugs.
A diva to say the least and a world class actress in the making!
She is able to run into the train. Pick at least 2 empty seats.Lay down on them. Close her eyes tight and proceed on with loud snoring! Train loads of commuters have broken into laughs seeing her antics.
She loves my bows and flowers! Her first proper words were "nice bows!"
Of course she loves the ribbons too.Apparently they are all yummy!
Such a joy in our lives and we can't thank God enough for sending us this little miracle!
the proud brothers
Rey 3 days old
reyna abt 6 months old?The piece on Roy
Wanted to write something about each of my child to give everyone I know a better insight to their idiosyncrasies and other little bits that no one else gets to enjoy:)
Starting off with Roy.
Why Roy?Well just in case he gets me mad or keeps me so busy cleaning up after him that I lose this opportunity.So Roy it shall be!
Roy was the baby of the family for a very long time until Reyna popped.
He sometimes displays the wisdom of an old buddhist monk who lives in some remote cave in some far away place.
I remember this one clearly...
Me(gushing):Roy,isn't Reyna the cutest baby you have ever seen?!!!
Roy(in his wise monotone):All babies are cute.
Roy also has a sing song and very child like quality to his voice(think minnie mouse!!).He talks as if he is singing and man!this song never stops!!Well not at least at home or when he is with family.
So many a times I have told him,Roy shut up already..I am not listening!
Lest I come off looking like a horrible mother ,Roy never stops talking.Hi voice rings in my ears.
He is a night owl so this night owl sits right next to be merrily hooting away until he falls into a slumber.
He is a very artistic boy.His art teachers in his enrichment class loved his work.Talented they would say.
Another teacher described him as a 'free spirit'(to me that read:totally stubborn and goodluck disciplining this one)
Neither a leader nor a follower.
He is your very own lone ranger.
Does what he pleases and everyone's opinions(negative) do not matter to him.
He loves pink,soft toys and building things.
He owns a quirky sense of fashion.Stripes and prints do go well he says and yes his yellow satin long sleeve shirt(from a school dance performance) looks awesome with shorts and crocs in this sweltering heat.Add a bow tie to the equation and he is all set.
He is also very vain.Combs his hair like 20 times a day.Insists he can only wear new clothes with tags!!!when he goes out.
I have given up hiding and buying my deliciously expensive bath paraphernalia.I run out of bath gel every week and thats the big bottle.No thanks to Roy!
My mum was non the wiser about Roy's expensive bath routine.
She was lamenting about the deteriorating quality of shower gels.
Mum:I dont understand.It's so watery!
Me:Did Roy take a shower at your place?
Mum:Yes
Me:Well you have been bathing with seriously watered down shower gels...hahahhahaha.
To cover his tracks he fills up the bottles with water after he gleefully empties the entire content of the bottle, frolicking in his massive bubble showers!Mystery solved!
I was attempting some spring cleaning a few months back.I pleaded with him to give up some of his 50 over soft toys(yes they all do have names in case you are wondering).He softened and said okay will go get some right away.
He comes back 3 minutes later holding Ryan's only 2 loved soft toys.
Roy:Here mummy, I dont need these!
Me:$%^^&^!!!
He is also very much self taught.Never taught him how to write or to spell or to do math.He just picks it up as he goes along.He has a very inquisitive mind.
His vocabulary plastered with bombastic words never fails to impress us.
He is also a whizz at numbers having figured out multiplication and division on his own.
Yet he does not make that effort in school.A pity that many teachers may never find out how intelligent he really is.Never studies!NEVER!
One of my fond memories was waking up one morning when he was about 1.5 years old and discover that he had put together a whole set of Thomas and Friends train set together by himself.
Another funny anecdote
We used to collect Transformers for the boys and would go to fleas and search ebay and stuff.It was a collection that we enjoyed as a family.One morning I woke up to Roy (about 4 yrs old then )playing with a whole bunch of different robots.Knowing my transformers well I thought this was a new range that Ruben must have bought and oh how nice these were!Turned out that Ruben was just as puzzled about their existence.
Then we realised that Roy had taken apart a number of the robots and mixed the pieces up to create new transformers.Happy as we were that our son was so creative,our pockets were weeping.Some of those transformers cost over $100!!
Roy is also a true blue karang guni man.Collects every bit of scrap and what- you -haves for his creative projects which I slyly(ok wickedly to some!) throw all away!
He is always busy.Busy with his hands.Creating projects,creating mess.
He is triumphant when he finishes something and joy beams on his angelic face.
He is your male Diva.Can't eat at hawkers!
He is just so many things!!
I LOVE this little boy to bits.There are times when I have to pull a stern face and give a smack when I am stifling the crazy laughs in me.
His antics are hilarious and he is the clown of our hearts.
I can write forever..his love for his baby sister,how much he loves a cuddle and a kiss,how he insists that dessert should be eaten before a main course....
Roy,mummy loves you very much!
My little muffin
The goofy quirky royAnd last but not least Ryan-My right hand little man!
My first born.I started my research on the perfect name for him as soon as I found out I was carrying a little boy.Ryan Julian Obias. Had a nice ring to it and we loved it.
Ryan ,our little prince came to our lives at 38 weeks gestation and at a bouncing 3.5kg.Life after that was never the same.
A unique feature of his that I always remember was that he loved frowning.Every picture we took ,his furrowed brows would suddenly flash.Doesn't matter that he was smiling widely a few seconds ago, we would end up with all the frowning pictures.Yes even in sleep we would see flashes of those dark brows breaking into frowns.
Ryan was a delightful little boy.We shared a very close bond of mother and son.You would see us walking hand in hand or crouched over some grass patch idly blowing off the soft lalang or having little competitions of who saw what first..the list was endless.
I would clasp his hands tightly into mine , my chest puffed up and basking in the love of 'my son'.
It was usually just the 2 of us as Ruben was at work.
"Exceptionally intelligent", his teachers would congratulate me.
He could write at the age of 2. Just picked up the pencil one day and started writing.Being new to the motherhood game I had no inkling that this was the exception rather than the norm.
He could put 60 piece puzzles together in minutes.
By age 4 he was doing P1 work.
This set most of his nursery teachers in a flurry."You are going too fast" ,they would protest.
"No i am not !"I insisted.
Ryan never needed to be taught.Just a single explanation and he would understand it all.
However he was getting no joy out of class being way ahead and I dropped all my coaching.
Till today at P3 he does not study at home,nope not even exams.Heck I dont even know when his exams or tests ever are much to the horror of many mums. If I could get a $1 for every gasp , I would be a rich woman :)
His homework is the only thing he does.
And no he does not score perfect marks.He gets about 80% or so and I am able to live with this.
Ryan has a great eye for detail.He spends hours sketching and writing stories.
He might well be an amazing architect like his father when he grows up.
He loves planes too , obsessing about each airplane's features.He says he might want to be a pilot.
Ryan is always fully aware of his surroundings.He notices miniscule details.A new rag?Yup he saw that.
I love taking him shopping with me.(feeling may not be mutual though!hahhah)
Me:Hey ryan do I have something like this?
Ryan:Yes mummy U do . You bot it ?? month and year remember?
Me(Mouth usually open in awe)
He remembers event by dates so it's his usual sentencing would be "hey mummy remember roy's birthday in 2008...da..da ..da?
Me , I am lucky if i even get today's date right.
He is my right hand man.
Helps with the housework.
Able to handle the mean vacuum cleaner ,fold the laundry ,do the dishes and the list is exhaustive .
A gentleman, he clears his tray at the fast food, holds doors and lifts for me.
He is an amazing brother.Reyna adores him. Whenever Reyna gets a good scolding her first instinct is to call out to Ryan.And if he is already in dreamland,she sits perched on his bed.
Ryan's "parenting "skills would put a grown man to shame.
He could prepare her feeds and feed her when she was about 3 months old.
When Rey turned 1 ,he was able to give her a bath,change her diaper and yes he doesnt forget the diaper cream.Brushes her hair and sits her all pretty on the bed with a freshly made bottle of warm milk to watch television while he scoots off to do his stuff.
He carries her and comforts her when she gets teary eyed over the most ridiculous of things.
Roy does look up to him as an elder brother though he tries not to show it.It's a brother thing I was told.
His obsession right now is soccer.He swims like a fish too.
My kids inherited my boundless energies and it takes so much more to tire us out.
Ryan also tends to be shy.
His jokes tend to be laced with sarcasm (no thanks to me!).
His wisdom way ahead his years.
He has not realized his boyish good looks nor the admiring glances he gets from his female friends(like this would even escape the eye of a mother!)
I come down too hard on him and have been reprimanded for this so often by my own mum.
I have also sadly not been spending as much time I used to as when he was a little boy.
I want him to know that it was love at first feel with him.I fell in love even before I saw him.
I love him to bits and it kills me each time he gets punished by me or bears the brunt of my frustrations .
Ryan , Mummy loves you so very very much .Don't ever forget that!
Ryan as a baby
Ryan at 6 yrs old
Ryan a few days old
