This Time Last Year: On Guijo's Being 1 Yr. Old Now

Guijo's birthday cake, at our serviced apartment in Singapore.

It was this time last year when Guijo was released from the Neonatal ICU. He was ten days old when he stopped feeding and became unresponsive all of a sudden. Red flag! We knew something was seriously wrong. We rushed him to the hospital where he stayed an entire week to complete the course of antibiotics to fight the infection that weakened his vulnerable little body.  I found that experience quite scary.  Nothing frightens a parent more than feeling their child go limp in their arms. It is a feeling I do not ever want to feel again.  So I am happy to report that since being released from the hospital last year, he's been reassuringly full of life, and malikot, and suitably noisy - with giggles and wails, and a lot of baby babble.  And now, he's enjoying to walk, and I have to run after him, and when I am on the verge of complaining about how tiring it is to watch him, I remember my prayers, uttered in earnest at the hospital chapel a dozen months ago. I prayed to God to restore Guijo to good health and make him strong and energetic.  

Asleep in his crib, with Singapore shophouses outside his window.

And that's the way he's been throughout the year. He is so strong, it hurts. He is so eager to wake me up in the mornings, he slaps me repeatedly on the face on good days... on less favorable days, Guijo finds the remote control and whacks me with it.  I wake up in pain, and in a terrible mood - until I see my son's adorable face, smiling from ear to ear with his four front teeth.  He lunges at me, for a hug and a slobbering kiss, which often results in an assaulting head butt, and a wet cheek for me... Of course this can be annoying, but it's hard to stay angry when I see him clapping excitedly at the grand event of my waking up.  He's really a morning person, my little Guijo. We can wake him up any time and he'll stir calmly, and smile.

Guijo's baby breakfast buffet at our hotel. Singapore, Aug. 19, 2012.

So for his birthday weekend, we took a trip to Singapore.  To get ahead of schedule,  we made it our strategy to wake him up early, and take him downstairs for breakfast before rousing the others in our group.  Feeding him is profoundly enjoyable. He eats whatever we bring to his lips. He reacts eloquently. He grunts assertively for faster returns of his baby spoon when he likes what he tastes; and he simply pushes food he doesn't like right out of his mouth the moment he decides it's not to his liking.  It's a straightforward process. Predictable and entertaining. Especially at buffets. He'll have cereals, eggs, yoghurt, diced fruit, bread, cheese, cut up pieces of meat, rice, porridge, oatmeal... and he'll be smiling unequivocally, to show he's in a state of gastronomic bliss.  It's a great way to start the day.  And predictably, he'll unload his tummy right after breakfast. We bring him up to our room, he's done with his business, we bathe him, get him dressed, and we're ready for an entire day of touring with no fears of messy trips to the toilet. He is a ray of sunshine in the early hours, I tell you!  Too bad, I can't say the same for his sister, who is NOT a morning person at all.

Guijo, succedding in waking up his sister and  making her laugh.

Narra is unbelievably difficult to rouse from sleep. She isn't easy to dislodge from her dreams... you can physically wake her, but her mind and spirit will still be elsewhere.  It takes time for her being to inhabit her body, and it's best to coax her back to reality with something sweetly sobering.  We assign the task of waking up Narra to Guijo, who can already pronounce his  sister's name. "Na" he says... "Na"...pause..."Ra"!!!... "Narraaaaaaah"!!!...he pulls her hair, he slaps her face, he plunks his hard head on hers and plants a wet kiss on her cheek, on our instruction. He will do this repeatedly, for as long as it takes (good thing kids have a lot of energy).  We will laugh, Narra will stir, slowly, and to our relief, she'd also laugh.  Only Guijo can get away with  waking up Narra without unleashing the exasperating little drama queen in her.  I'm glad they enjoy their special rapport.

Guijo and Narra, clowning around in the morning. Aug. 19, 2012.

Although sometimes, I feel like they gang up on me and get to enjoy a few laughs at my expense. At one of our dinners in Singapore, for instance, Narra pulled my hair as I was giving Guijo a drink, and my shocked squeal made them both laugh. Narra did this with impeccable comedic timing, eliciting hearty giggles from her little brother.  I am amazed at how they could conspire like this at ages 3 and 1! I shudder at the thought of what tricks and pranks they'd pull when they're older!  

My kids, having a few laughs at my expense.

This morning, it happened again. Guijo woke me up with a slap on the face and a mischievous grin that transformed into a genuine welcoming smile on his lips.  Then he woke up Oliver and Narra with their ration of slaps - fair is fair!  It was 5 am and still dark outside! I was about to get grumpy, then I saw the date flashed on our digital clock, and remembered that this time last year, he was strapped to an IV drip and was confined at the hospital, weak and vulnerable.  Between last year's sleepless nights full of worry and fears, and this year's hand-delivered wake up calls, I'd say I'm much better off these days. I'd pick the pains of having to deal with a robust child's heavy hand any day... though I am seriously contemplating sleeping with a helmet.  Guijo's just one year old and already, he packs quite a mean wallop.  I did ask God to make him strong and energetic. So I take the blows I'm dealt each day with a great deal of gratitude.