ONE STEP CLOSER…

Dear Meimei,

As I was holding you this evening, I realized it’s been a 5 months and 6 days since I heard your first cry… I still recall the very first time I saw you in the delivery room when the nurse brought you to me, I blurted out that you had your papa’s nose – which made the nurses smile. After several hours, your pedia, Dra. Tett went to my room and told me that the other parts of your body were all normal except for one thing – you have a birth defect known as imperforate anus. I didn’t cry nor did I feel hopeless. I knew deep down in my heart that God is in control, He cares for you more than I do and that your name, Elizabeth Joy means God’s Promise of JOY – nothing can change that. April 18 your papa came home and you had your first operation – you needed to have a colostomy in order for you to poo.  After a week we went out of the hospital and from then on, we were never apart… Time flies really fast… Two weeks from now you will again have your operation – PSARP. That will be the time Dr. Mic, your surgeon, will make a rectum. The operation will last for about 2-3 hrs and you will stay in the hospital for about 3-5 days. Papa Joey will be home again so we can go through with this as a family – we will pray for you and take care of you together. My heart bleeds when I think of the pain your 2nd operation will cause you, however, I know that you will be one step closer to that day when you can finally be free and live a normal life. So my baby, be strong. I see strength in your eyes… You will not just survive this operation but you will thrive. God’s hand will guide everyone that will be involved in this activity, so I will not fear. Just as I trusted God during your first surgery, I believe for the success of the 2nd one. You’ll be fine baby… And the moment the doctor says we can hold you and you can drink milk, you can drink all you can from mama’s milk 🙂

Today is September 22 and your scheduled surgery will be on October 5. Papa will be home October 1st so you both can still have time to play and we can have our family picture – all of us smiling.

I love you princess Lizzie,

Mama

X.S. Below is a picture of you when you were 1 month old and 5 months old using the same dresses. I love your smile baby… And your papa thinks you’re very pretty!

 

EJ’s Accident

Dear Elisha,

It’s been 3 days since your accident – you hit your head on the edge of the of the bench while you were playing with your classmates which resulted to an injury on your left eyebrow and swelling on the left side of your face. I keep recallingthe scene where the lady guard (Manang Josie) was carrying you and running from the preschool department all the way to the clinic… I keep hearing your excruciating cry… I keep seeing the blood that covered your face and your uniform when I finally confirmed that it was you Manang Josie brought to the clinic… I keep seeing the the time 4:02pm in the car as I parked outside your school because seconds after that, the accident happened… I keep wondering if arriving earlier would’ve prevented the accident…I keep feeling how your body trembled when nurse Marizet was cleaning your wound, teacher Glazeus was removing the blood in the other parts of your body and I was hugging you and telling you that it’s ok and you’ll be fine. At that time, all that mattered to me was finding a way to make you feel better and secure so I asked you to stop crying so that the blood would stop flowing, and you did. I asked you if you wanted to eat fishballs and you said yes. On and on we talked and in a little while, you were already smiling! “You’re so brave EJ” kept coming out of my mouth and indeed you are… How wonderful it felt when inspite the pain I saw you smile. I took a picture so you’ll always remember that day (September 16, 2009) as a BRAVE DAY, so here you are after the dressing:

at the clinic

While the nurse was filling out the insurance form, I left you with your Koko Gigi (who carried you the whole time even until we went to the hospital for a check-up) and went to the preschool to interview the lady guard on what happened and of course, to take pictures. I want you to see these things when you’re grown up and remember them not as a painful experience but as one where courage and joy overshadowed fear.

the bench with EJ's blood

I’ll end this blog with these words to you my son… You were truly brave that day, very very brave. And as I told you, inspite the accident, I still thank God that it was only your eyebrows that got damaged, not your eyes or other critical parts that may have cause your life. I still say, THANK YOU LORD FOR PROTECTING MY SON… Someday you’ll face more challenges but with the Lord’s hand upon you, you’ll be well, He’ll take care of you – that I am certain.

Here’s the picture of the people who helped took care of you immediately after the accident, except Siansi Glazeus – he already left when I took this picture.

THANK YOU so much!

I love you Elisha…

Love,

Mama

 

 

LOVE LETTERS TO E.J.

Elisha Joey and Elizabeth Joy

My husband and I agreed that from time to time, we will write letters to our children so that someday, they have something to guide and encourage them when they need it. We can’t and we won’t be with them all the time, but with these letters, it’s as if we’re beside them. From these letters they’ll know how much we love them, what we value the most, what we pray for, what our principles are, who we are and what we, as parents, hope to impart to them that they too can impart to their children. We will categorize these types of blogs as LOVE LETTERS TO E.J. because truly, all our letters will be written because we love them. All our children have the initial E.J. Elisha Joey (Elisha or EJ) our son and Elizabeth Joy (Meimei) our daughter. If a third child comes, for sure his or her initial will still be E.J. 🙂

Just as the Bible is God’s love letter to mankind, this LOVELETTERS blog will be our love letter to Elisha and Meimei (and to our 3rd, 4th, 5th or nth child – ehhhhm!).

Below is the first letter written by Papa Joey entitled:

FRIENDS

Dear EJ AND MEIMEI,

Today is the 23rd of August, year 2009.

Uncle Sydney came during lunch. We ate La Paz Batchoy instant noodles and leftovers of Ayi’s delicious pork knuckles. It was nice to have a friend around on a Sunday.

Just like the different seasons of the year, different friends come in different timing of our lives. Sometimes they’re there for a reason, while some are there for a lifetime. Some are conditional, while some are caring and real. Some comes during fair weathers, while some makes the weather fair.

I pray that as you grow up, you will have an abundance of friends. Friends who are divinely appointed by God to cross your paths… Friends who will share your joys and not rejoice in your sorrows… Friends who will love you unconditionally and not take advantage of you… Friends who will look up to you as you also look up to them… Friends who will mold your good character, build your self-confidence, lift your spirits up, and teach you in the ways of life.

Remember this always, friends are God’s gifts to us. No matter when and where, learn to treasure them.

I love you and I miss you.

Papa