Dyanah da Dyologs’ Mommy Monologue

This is a tribute to the foundation of every social network… Mark Zuckerberg. Dyoklang! Siyempre para ito sa mga Nanay, Mother’s Day eh. Sabi nga ni Aling Dionisia, “Manny won’t be Manny without the Mommy”. True enough, society is built from its simplest form… the family, wherein mothers play an integral part of (#AngDamingSinabi).

Motherhood is a profession in which no one is an amateur, because “mothers know best” (#ClichéNaKungCliché). I’ve only been a mom for 6 months, but sometimes I can’t even remember how my life was without my daughter. Kasi ba naman, 24/7 kaming magkasama! I left my corporate job, and opted not to get a Yaya, so I can breastfeed (directly from the source), and focus on her. Sa sobrang focus, ayun, lagi talaga kaming nagtititigan. Wala pa kasi kaming mapag-usapan. But with simple stares, deep inside, we get to know each other more every day. Besides, she has literally seen my insides.

Motherhood is indeed a daily discovery, not just about your baby, but on yourself as well. Allow me to share my own observations on mothers with newborns (#ThankYouForSharing):

1. We become overprotective.

2. We smile, giggle and sometimes cry while looking at our babies, even when they’re absolutely doing NOTHING. 

3. We become resourceful.

Example: Baby socks used as mittens.

We also research almost everything about newborn feeding, bathing, sleeping, massaging, playing, learning, etc.

Do you know that there’s an old wives’ tale that suggests that during breastfeeding, one breast expresses milk while the other dispenses water to satisfy the baby’s thirst? Ano ‘yon, vending machine? Pwede kayang post-mix?

4. Sleepless nights make us hallucinate.

(Career na kung career. Halos every hour ako nag-breastfeed, ‘yung eyebags ko hanggang boobs na! Actually, may pakinabang ang pagiging insomniac ah? Minsan nga ako na mismo ang gustong gumising sa anak ko para may magawa lang.)

 

(Last 3 photos were grabbed from the Facebook page of my childhood friend, Gatus Inidal, which feature feek-tyurs of his adorable baby, “Indigo”)

5. We become selfless, and as much as possible, we try to be optimistic.

6. We get to know the “comic book superhero” alter ego of our husbands, especially if they are hands-on, and will do anything to protect our kids.

 

(Above photos are edited by my friend, Denise Calimlim)

We also witness when they turn into comics (as in “comedians” not “magazines”) to cheer us up when we’re completely exhausted.

(Walang kinalaman ang larawan na ito. Pang-alis umay lang. Mukha kasing lechong manok ‘yung previous pic. Ang gwapo niya noh? #KalokalikeNiHaydenKho)

7. We start to “baby talk”, and imagine that it’s really the baby saying the words.

(Sabi ni Sarah Jane Sy, cousin-in-law ko, dapat daw “shaken, not stirred”. Kaya enter “Shake It Off’ dance steps ni Taylor Swift, or pwede ring “Rico Mambo” moves ni Maricel Soriano para ma-alog nga talaga ang breastmilk!)

 8. We treasure every single moment, like smelling his/her precious little burp.

(Dahil pag-tanda niyan, siguradong amoy longganiza na).

We also celebrate all the “Firsts”.

Examples:

1^st artwork = Heart-shaped drool on the bed

1^st Plane Ride

9. We easily get sentimental.

10. We sometimes get paranoid over shallow matters.

 

11. When the baby is asleep in our arms, we have mastered not to breathe before laying him/her down on the bed.

12. When the baby is crying, and we feel that we have used up all the possible ways to calm him/her down, sometimes we just cry it out as well.

13. Every time we leave home, there’s a “dress rehearsal” to check and practice if our clothes are conducive for breastfeeding.

(For three months, I only used “daster” from Divisoria, I mean Zara, DiviZara. ‘Yung isa, may naka-sulat pa sa bulsa! Naka-lagay “RUSH”, tapos may phone number pa. Gusto ko sanang tawagan, kaso baka busy siya, marami ngang “rush” daw eh.)

14. We take a bath faster than we used to, so we could immediately look after the baby.

(It’s like when your right hand is putting soap on your left shoulder, and your left hand is simultaneously rinsing it already. #TwisterGame)

15. We give nicknames to our babies’ nicknames.

Examples: Addie-tot, Anna-Banana, Catie-waity, Sofia-totsy and Zhah-rahhhh

16. We think that time flies, and they grow up so fast.

(Pero minsan gusto ko nang matuto ang anak ko kung paano mag-palit ng sariling diaper niya. Kaso kung kaya na niya ‘yon, eh ‘di dapat hindi na siya nag-da-diaper ‘di ba?! Labo mehn.) 

17. We secretly wish that our children will be better versions of ourselves when they grow up. 

(From plain hotdog to hotdog in a bun, may mustard pa!)

 18. Occasionally, we think that our bodies will never be the same again, but we know that everything’s worth it.

(I gave birth to my daughter via C-section. I wanted a normal delivery, but the operation had to be done due to Meconium. Aside from the scar it left, I felt like my body will never be the same again, like a reassembled robot. Skydiving, even for a short moment, made me feel like myself again. Siguro kasi bumalik na sa pwesto ang mga lamang loob ko!)

19. We realize that breasts are overrated and their purpose is not to make us look “sexy”, but to provide nutrition for our young ones.

 

20. We become more grateful for our own mothers.

Dahil diyan, pwedeng bumati? Oo! (Sinagot ang sarili. Monologue nga eh.)

I’d like to greet HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all the special moms in my life:

• Mother Mary
• Mother Earth
• My Grandmas-in-Heaven, Lola Mayapis and Lola Cubao
• My Mommy Cherry who loves me unconditionally
• My sweet mother-in-Law, Mom Josie
• Our family’s loyal nanny for 37 years, Nanay Evelyn
• My sisters Anne Margot and Irene Rose
• My sisters-in-law Michelle, Rachael and Seachelle
• Necessity (Mother of Invention)
• Mother Lily (for dyologs films)
• My friends, cousins, cousins-in-law, aunties and aunties-in-law (gusto ko kayong isa-isahin, kaso aabutin tayo ng Father’s Day)

Happy Mother’s Day na rin sa lahat sa inyo, may anak man o wala, basta may matris / matres, in English “uterus”, hindi “mattress” ah? Pang-kama ‘yun. Kung sa bagay, sa kama naman ginagawa ang baby. #OopsIDidItAgain

Change topic: Do you know that “matres” means “mothers” in Latin?

Bow.