Before Mateo was even conceived, andrea and I already planned of having a baby early. The main reason is, she’s been diagnosed to have a polycystic ovary. You see, according to her gynecologist, the possibility that she’d conceive a baby would drastically decrease as she ages, so she’s encouraged to have one as soon as possible. (This is aside from the fact that pregnancy reduces or slows down cyst development.)

It’s not that it would be impossible for her to conceive if she waits a few more years. The doctor was just afraid that it might reach the point when she’d have to undergo hormonal therapy if we wait too long. That means months or probably even a year or more of regulated progesterone intake. She’s worried about the possible side effects! (Not to mention the cost!)

So in order to avoid all that, we decided to go ahead, get married and leave everything to God. We said, if He wills that we should have a baby already, then He would also provide us with the means to support the baby. So after a year of getting married, out came Mateo. Haha!

In the end, we might not be the wealthiest family in Antipolo, but we managed to make ends meet. Our family is complete, my wife is healthy, and we’re happy! That’s all that matters really!

It’s month-end and just like any other month-end ever since Mateo came to our lives, we’re almost out of cash again. I know it’s been more than a year and we still haven’t adjusted our budget adequately to fit our baby’s fast-growing needs. Huhu!

Sometimes I can’t help but think about a time before Mateo when andrea and I would still have an account to check in the bank. Yes, it was a checking account, but it was an account nonetheless. Unlike now, we don’t even have any to inspect no matter how much we want to. That’s why I can’t blame Andrea whenever she worries about the fact that we don’t have any stash left for emergencies. The only answer I would often give her is a pat on the back.

The only funny thing about these times when Andrea and I would be pushed to thinking about whether we made the right decision in having Mateo this early or not is that he seems to figure us out right away. You see, during these times, Mateo just simply looks at us and shows us the most beautiful smile that seems to say everything would be fine.

A cousin of mine just sent me a text message yesterday informing me that he was about to leave for Dubai this week. All he was waiting for was his passport and he’s ready to go.

I’m not exactly sure how to respond that’s why I haven’t texted him back. I know he’s going away to seek his fortune somewhere else but I can’t help but feel disappointed. He’s an accomplished engineer, a promising one too, and yet this country will never see him bloom and muster his craft. Nor will his family see him use the tools he’s acquired through his years of studying.

I’m saddened because like my cousin, most students here are starting to take the same course. Young learners go through 4-5 years of college, graduate, take an English proficiency exam, and immediately leave the country to seek greener pasture.

How will this country ever prosper if all the competent people it produces would rather work somewhere else than stay here?

On the other hand, how can expect these promising graduates to survive in this country if this country pays little respect or merit to them with meager salaries and poor benefits?

I just can’t help but be concerned because we have a little baby who would someday grow up and face the same dilemma.

Don’t get me wrong! I’m not judging those who would choose to seek their fortune elsewhere. I totally understand their choice. I’m just voicing out my concern because I would like our children to not have to make such sacrifices in order to put food on the table or dream of a better life.

I’m very particular with lighting when it comes to houses. It is one of the first things that I always notice whenever I enter a house or building. This is also one of the things that attracted me to this place.

You see, the house we’re staying in right now is very well illuminated. There are lots of light bulbs positioned in various areas to provide illumination for all sorts of function. There are 2 light bulbs in the kitchen to be used during cooking, 1 in the dining area where we eat, 3 in the living room (including a chandeliers) where we spend most of our waking time with Mateo. And during the day, the sun bathes most of the inside with natural light.

There’s virtually light everywhere. And that’s the good thing. The only bad side is the number of bulbs we need to replace when the lights all go out! Oh well! Guess you can’t have it all!

When andrea and I moved in together, I started noticing so many things at home that I wanted to fix or redo. I never paid any attention to it at first but as time passed I realized it was becoming more like an obsession. The chairs, the tables, the garden, and even the small things like the hinges seemed to beckon me for attention and ask me for fixing.

Even my preferences in shopping have also been affected by this growing obsession. In fact, whenever we go to the mall, I often feel the urge to take a look at the hardware section and browse the many tools in display. It was weird, but somehow it made sense.

I then understood why my dad seemed to have a weird passion for collecting saws, screwdrivers, Dewalt tools, drills and other woodworking instruments. It was the handyman in our blood that was craving for the tools, the woodwork, and the stuff.  Deep inside, we’re actually both handymen.  Hahaha!

Sales is a cutthroat field. I know because I’ve been there before. But, no one can deny that this area is where the money is. I guess that’s why people are willing to go the distance to sell or promote their companies and products, just like this NO KEYWORD COMMENT ON YOUTUBE VIDEO.

It’s a new kind of advertising - innovative, daring and a very interesting approach to promoting one’s products to possible consumers. It’s so amazing that it’s almost scary to think about what sales people in the future would do just to achieve their objectives.

Sometime during the early part of summer break, I started lifting weights in order to lose some fats and hopefully tone some muscles. Unfortunately, a few days after that, I stopped… Why? I’m not entirely sure. I guess it’s mainly because of the difficulty in keeping yourself motivated especially when it comes to physical exercises. You see, formal exercises have never been part of my daily routine. In fact, as far as I can remember, the only times I stuck to exercise routines were during PE classes (weight-training) and during ROTC. Other than that, I had no formal exercise. But, I’m active in sports… or at least I used to be.

You see, every Saturday, I used to play basketball with my friends. And other times, when I don’t have any work to do, I play soccer with my students after classes. Now, however, the most physical activity I have is playing with my son, which I know is not much because my body is steadily showing signs of inactivity - growing love handles, fatigue, and even muscle pains from sudden twisting movements or stretching. I’m on my way to acquiring the traditional daddy physique complete with bulging tummy and everything.

I’m starting to feel so helpless that I’m already this close to asking people for weight loss pills that work. Fortunately, something came up last week that led to the teachers deciding to start a weekly basketball event. Hopefully, this becomes a regular thing so I can stop worrying about getting fat and unhealthy, because I’d gladly choose basketball over sit-ups or jogging anytime.

Mateo’s development, perhaps just like in other babies, is simply phenomenal. From a blabber and imitator, he’s graduated to be a full-pledged communicator - able to listen, understand and talk back to us. He now has a clear set of words for objects, events and people around him. Sometimes if I’m lucky, I could really understand what’s he’s trying to point out or say (except of course the easy words like mama, or dada, or ball which I consider to be given). You see, the only real problem now is his pronunciation. But aside from that, Mateo’s progress as a communicator is undeniable.

In fact, he has now learned to express refusal and affirmation by nodding or saying nonono! He even accompanies his words with distinct facial expressions in an attempt to make his messages more visual than auditory. Even his choice of toys is slowly changing from the types that are usually played alone to the types played by groups or teams.

He’s slowly turning from the totally dependent shy boy to a social and more congenial kid. Huhuhu! I’m not completely sure if I should be happy or sad about it!

For several days already, andrea and her sister arlene have been gearing up for a saturday outing at SM Mall of Asia. It was supposed to be a celebration for a combination of reasons. First, it’s a post birthday celebration for arlene whose birthday was last Thursday, May 15. Second, it was also a post mother’s day gift for mamu (andrea & arlene’s mom, mateo’s grandma, and also my mom-in-law). Third, it was supposed to be the first day of the World Pyro Olympics at MOA.

It would have been a perfect weekend getaway had a typhoon not come into the picture. In the end, we had to settle for dinner at Trinoma instead. Basically, we spent most of the Saturday there at mamu’s store playing billiards, filling the wine refrigerators (the term I used to coin the liquor coolers), and simply lounging around. It wasn’t until four in the afternoon that we decided to head out to Trinoma to eat dinner. Our supposed to be weekend at MOA became a weekend at mamu’s instead.

Being a dad has its down sides.  There’s the sudden lack of time for so many recreational activities such as sports and malling. There’s also the additional burden of providing for more than just yourself and your wife. And of course, there’s the stereotypical daddy tummy!

You see, before andrea and I got pregnant with mateo, we were absolutely certain that we wouldn’t fall into the same trap that has befallen most couples - the trap of an almost sedentary and yet busy parents’ lifestyle. We vowed to have the same things we had when we were still dating - the sports, the malling, the relaxed atmosphere, the fit bodies. (We were both physically active before!)

Now I understand, like so many couples before us, we were wrong. And the sadder part is no matter how much we try to get back the life we had before mateo, we realize that it would never be the same again, at least not while mateo is still with us. We are bound to miss out on so many movies, so many malling opportunities, and so many other fun activities. I’m even already starting to grow the familiar daddy tummy! No amount of diet pills and wishful thinking could change that!

But being a dad is not without its perks. For one, getting home and being greeted by an overly-excited baby is just simply overwhelming. Also, andrea misses me more now (why? go ask mateo hehehe!). And being hugged by both your wife and your son from all directions while sleeping beats everything!

So until mateo decides to leave us and walk his own path, I guess I’ll just have to continue enjoying the ups and downs of being a dad!