I am on my rest break right now. Everyday or rather every night, I have this midnight break that I just sit, read, or take a power nap before I do more chores before I fully rest.

I am a work-at-home mom. By work I mean real work where I follow a schedule, report to a boss, do actual work, and get paid at the end of the month. I’ve been doing it for almost three years now and I am grateful for the setup. That I get to be with my son everyday to take good care of him, watch him grow, and witness his many milestones. My current work may not be as financially rewarding as my previous managerial and consultancy jobs but I am fine with it. I am blessed with a boss who understands my situation and encourages me to become a parent first before being his employee.

They say I’m so lucky with my current work and home setup. I agree. But you know, it’s not really a walk in the park. In fact, I find it more challenging than having to get up very early each morning to rush and commute, wait for the shift to end, and wait in traffic going home. A work-at-home mom actually does more than work. Why, there are chores that need to be done right away: the laundry, baby’s laundry, laundry-folding, cleaning the house, cleaning the front of the house, watering the garden, and cooking for myself. All these and more while taking care of the baby.

I am not complaining but I am always tired. If only my exhaustion could burn fats, I’m all good with it but that is not the case. Glad there are my parents who come in every afternoon to help look after my son while I work. Every work day I need a few hours to just focus on what I do and after those very important hours, they can go home and leave the baby to my care.

Weekends are most tiring. Saturdays, I usually go to church, run some errands, meet with family and friends, and have some me-time. Sundays, we get up early to go to church but still arrive just in time, Josh brings out Noah to leave him with whoever, I park the car, get my son, attend the service only to stay until the baby cries, chat with mommy friends at the toddlers’ room, have lunch at my in-laws, then go back to church for the youth ministry. After our fellowship, my husband picks me up so we could go on a date. Our dates now are limited to going to the grocery and we only get to do that for a little over an hour then back to my in-laws for dinner. I take a nap once more because I know I’d need the energy to do more stuff when I get home.

I am most tired during Sundays but it’s my favorite day of the week. Like right now, my head is resting on the divider while I blog. After this, I will take a long, warm shower. Hitting the sack is always better when you’re clean and fresh.

While I do all these things, my husband is either busy at work, rendering overtime, putting our baby to sleep, or is sleeping already. I don’t complain because he’s been such a good husband. He’s been providing for me and our son, buying me the fine things I want, and loving me that he deserves to have a good night rest every night. He does help around the house and he’s been a big help in taking good care of Noah especially when I have a lot of “real work” to do.

Being a wife and a mom is never an easy task. But hey, it is one of the most rewarding things in life. I can’t imagine myself getting an office job anymore because that would mean not being able to see my son grow with my own eyes. Josh prefers this too for two reasons: he wants his son to be taken care of by the mother and not by a yaya and he doesn’t want officemates courting his wife. LOL on the latter because I doubt guys would dig how I look now.

Seriously, I am happy with my life. I may be tired all the time (hungry too!) but it’s nothing compared to the joy our baby gives us. He really is a bundle of joy. I’ve only been a mom for three months and this is just touching the tip of the iceberg that is being a mom as one puts it. I also know that I need to be a better manager of the household, our finances, and our little family. Thank God I have a partner who loves me, a son who makes me fall in love each day, supportive boss, family, friends, and church, and blessed future to look forward to. I know that this life is worth living because I have an awesome God who reigns over my life.

Tired, yes. Happy and content, a big YES and AMEN!

My mom-in-law got Noah a baby crib five months before her first apo was born. It was my birthday week when she told me she saw this really nice crib at an outlet store somewhere in Mandaluyong. We went one rainy day and she let me choose which color. I wanted the black one but the baby daddy told me to get the white crib. I wanted the black one though because it’s non-traditional. The crib still needed to be assembled but it came in a very big box that was as big as a double-sized bed. Huge box the kuyas were having a hard time fitting them at the back of the van.

We, err…Josh and Kuya Riki, the family’s fix-it guy, assembled the crib when we moved to the other studio unit in October, a month before I gave birth. It took them a few hours and as I watched them I was too excited.  The immaculate white crib sat inside our home for about a month before it finally had a baby sleeping soundly inside.

This isn’t the actual pic of Noah’s white crib but this is how it looks.

Anyway, the crib is just too pretty I’m afraid I’d ruin it. Baka maluma at masira ko lang, sayang. It didn’t help that we found out how much it is being sold here. But you know, we got the crib, cribs actually for only a fraction of the price.  I searched for them on the Internet and saw that JCPenney was selling them for around $500. Still crazy!!! No, we still didn’t get that for that price—way lower. Haha!

I say cribs because Noah got two: one for our home and another one sitting inside his Uncle Sam’s bedroom at my in-laws’ place.  Mommy Emi bought another one right after the baby was born so he’d have a crib when he’s there. While some babies have no crib, my Noah’s got two! I am actually planning to buy another one for my parents’ house.

Here it is in coffee brown:

I told my husband that Noah is too blessed. And yeah, we could sell those cribs whenever we have no more money to buy him milk and diapers. Or pag wala na pambayad ng tuition ibenta na lang to. Hehehe. Now, if only the cribs’ price would appreciate then I can say we’ve got investments here. LOL.

What’s good about the cribs is that they can work as a kiddie bed until Noah is 7 and turn into a real bed when he’s older.

Like this…

And this:

So cool! Now, if only we could sell these. Haha!

Article written for Power Up! Newsletter Vol 4 No 2
By Reah Padla

Every time I look at my son Noah, I remember the love that I share with his Daddy Joshua, my husband. I still can’t believe that it’s been two years since we got married on that rainy day in January 2008. Oh how time flies!

God has blessed us with a baby. I believe that he is a reward from the Lord, a blessing that we are responsible for. But I’m not writing about parenthood because I am only touching the tip of the iceberg that is being a mom. I just want to say that the baby is a great reward for waiting on God and for the one, my one true love.

True Love Waits. Those three words stuck with me ever since I attended a TLW (True Love Waits) seminar almost a decade ago. It was more than just a reminder to the youth to say “No to Pre-Marital Sex”. It was an event that made me think about my future – my future mate, my kids and God’s faithfulness to me.

True Love Waits. I remember my batch-mates in CROSSLinC attending the seminar right here in ICS. A lot of us signed pledge cards to commit to purity. I waited. Sadly, some didn’t. I wonder how many of those who made a commitment became true to their words.

True Love Waits. I would always tell my friends about the importance of not rushing into relationships. Desipte that, however, I have a lot of friends who made the mistake of going into many relationships, to their disappointment. I asked God for grace to be different. I set my standards in looking for a man higher because I know God wanted it that way.

True Love Waits. I didn’t want my heart broken many times over because I knew that, whoever God had destined to be my husband, he deserved to receive it whole. I knew I could learn from the mistakes of others and that I didn’t have to try them for myself. I didn’t have to search and wait long enough because he was just right in front of me. I just needed for him to make the first move.

True Love Waits. Even if I knew I had found the one for me, I waited on God. It took us three years to nurture our friendship before our relationship became “official.” While it took others only a few days or a few weeks, it took us years. Why? Because we believed (and we still do) that a good foundation for a strong, long-lasting romantic relationship is a deep, authentic and cherished friendship. We placed God in the center of our relationship.

True Love Waits. It took a lot of courage before I said the words “I Love You”. There were many times when I wanted to say those words to Joshua but I didn’t because I knew the right time, God’s time, had not yet come. Every time I decided to finally say those “magic” words, God would seem to providentially not allow us to see each other. It may sound unbelievable but there was even one time when I believed God blinded both of us. We were at the same place at the same time but we weren’t able to meet. It was the time when I really wanted to tell him but, somehow, I felt God urging me, “It’s not yet time.”

True Love Waits. When we finally became “us”, we took it very slow. We knew we’d always end up together but we had to slow things down and not act as a “lovey-dovey” couple. I could not understand before when my dad wouldn’t allow me to join his family on an out-of-town vacation trip. Nonetheless, I obeyed and only later began to understand my dad’s reasons, especially when I became a parent myself.

True Love Waits. Josh and I waited. We committed ourselves to purity because we knew that we deserved the best. God wanted us to enjoy His gift only within the bounds of marriage. So we listed down rules. We obeyed our families. The farthest place we’ve been to together was Tagaytay and we even had the family driver with us. We made a promise to wait for each other and not let God, our parents, our families, and our church down.

True Love Waits. After almost three years, he proposed. Three months later, we married. Within those short months of preparation, we could have easily given in into temptation because, after all, we were getting married. But we didn’t.

True Love Waits. A few months into the marriage, there were talks of having a baby. We felt we weren’t ready yet so we waited some more. When we finally decided, the waiting become longer. The desire to have a baby was stronger than ever. Little did we know that God had already blessed my womb.

True Love Waits. We waited for Noah for almost ten months. 2009 was one long but fulfilling year for me. Waiting for my little love at the labor room was truly worth it. Now, I look at our baby and I see how wonderful it is to wait on your one true love and how it is best if you preserve yourself for your future children.

True Love Waits. I always believed that it is never too early to prepare for one’s future. I was just a young girl when I decided to preserve myself and commit to purity because God wanted it. I deserved the best, my family deserved not be shamed, my future mate deserved a whole me, and my future kids deserved all the love and the right to live in a healthy environment. I made a decision. I made a commitment. I waited.

True Love Waits. The waiting part was difficult but I thank the Lord for His amazing grace. We couldn’t have done it on our own. It is only by God’s grace that we were able to resist temptation and wait on Him.

True Love Waits. It’s true. One doesn’t need to fall in love many times and get hurt over and over again. Waiting for “the one” by following The One always brings about blessings. It is my prayer that our young people also experience God in their relationships.

True Love Waits. This is more than just preserving one’s virginity. It is a commitment to a life of purity as the Lord wills it.?? God is the Greatest Author of Love Stories. Allow Him to write yours.

*****
Four Sundays of February, the youth of ICS will be talking about True Love Waits. We’re now on our second week and we are happy with the response. We at CROSSLinC believe that parents should take a big part in the future of their children. So parents, we encourage you to bring your high school and college sons and daughters to join this seminar. If you want them to learn about love and sex from a wholesome, positive and meaningful Christian perspective, then have them join the youth of ICS.

This is one long video but watch how our baby Noah is trying to press the piano keys. Of course, he still can’t play a song but Joshua and I are just too happy with what he can do now. Kyoot! =)

So did I get my prize? No, not yet. With the baby and all the expenses, my husband and I made another deal: to zero our credit card bills and then the prize is all mine. I agreed.

For now, I’d just settle on the gifts and the bags I’ve amassed the past few years. I’ll be selling a few over at eBay though because I don’t really use them and I need extra kaching-kaching.

Funny how I received a bag exactly a year after I gave bag-shopping up. I got this lovely, lovely bag:

Hello Chanel!!!I just love, love, luuurve this! It’s worth the one year I fasted.

By the way, I happened to buy just one bag last year. The only bag I was only allowed to buy—a diaper bag! I got the Paul Smith messenger bag for me, errr…Noah.

So there, a new deal. God, help me.