“JOHNSON’s My Kid’s Growing Up So Fast Contest”

The first time I saw my Neo, I instantly knew that he's braver than me.  He endured the hardships of labor and bore the ordeal of getting stuck in my cervix for quite some time. But still, he came out kicking and very much alive. In fact, unlike other babies, he didn't sleep for the next four hours after birth. Instead, he didn't waste time and started bonding with me and his daddy right away.

Neo Sebastian Reyes, at birth.

The next day, I was with him when the nurse gave him his first shot of Hepatitis B vaccine. He just gave a short sigh and went back to sleep. The same thing goes on the third day when for the first time, I gave him his first bath. I was expecting him to resist a little. God knows how I used to run out of our apartment door naked when I was 5, just to avoid my mother and the hose she's about to douse me with. But I finished our first bathing session in a breeze. My baby was fully awake and just totally enjoying the moment, as if reminiscing his nine months of just floating inside my womb.

Neo's first bath.

A year passed and he still loves his bath time just as much. As a matter of fact, he would be cranky the whole day if he missed his daily soak. He is changing before my eyes but his skin is still like a baby’s. We still need the gentle care of JOHNSON’s Baby Milk Bath, with Vitamins A&E and 100% more milk proteins to nourish developing skin.

Johnson's Baby Milk Bath

Bath time is fun time.

One milestone after another only strengthened my belief that my little boy inherited the genes of a daredevil. His stunts and antics are the kind of stuff that the one-year-old "me" could only dream of. My mother said the same when she saw her grandson stand up while in a moving car ride inside the mall. She also felt pride when she saw an older child bully my son inside a play house. Instead of running away, my little boy looked the big bully in the eye until he scared him with his killer stare.:) Yet still, Grandma was a little surprised when she saw her grandson not only ride but run around inside the biggest ferris wheel in the world when we were in Singapore.

Our little daredevil at the wheel.

Braving the heights inside the Singapore Flyer.

And his first dip in the pool? He had so much fun, he even complained when we had to leave.

Neo's first dip in the pool.

But in our Boracay vacation a few months ago, the mother in me was finally put to the test. My kid was totally enthralled with this giant slide inside the hotel. When my husband went to the front desk to ask if a one year-old is allowed to ride, I was secretly hoping the lady would say NO.

I wasn't a brave kid when I was young. On top of many things, I have this fear of slides since I was 7. A kid pushed me and I fell off a slide with a bloody mouth. I never went near a slide since then. Not even my husband managed to convince me to do so in our 10 years of togetherness.

As luck would have it, the lady said YES. And so, my son rode the giant slide with his daddy. His squeals of delight echoed through the room. He went for it a few more times until we had to leave. But then, my little boy looked me in the eye and pointed to the slide, as if sensing my fear. It seemed like he was asking me why we haven't tried the slide together. I didn't know what happened next but something stirred my mother's heart that gave me the courage to join my son.

My favorite mommy and son moment to date. My kid's growing up so fast, he helped me face my greatest fear.

My kid's growing up so fast, who would have thought that he would get me to face my greatest fear after all these years? But then, Neo isn't just another one-year-old. He is my son for whom I would do anything. Just like all the mothers out there who happily endured the hardships of labor and the bigger responsibilities of becoming a mom.

Motherhood is a series of adventures that not even a roller coaster ride can describe. There were days when we were high with excitement, especially, when our babies had accomplished a new milestone. There were also those quiet moments when our kid was asleep and we're just perfectly content to cuddle him close and smell the baby scent we so love. Then, the low days...when all things just seem to go haywire and we begin to wish we can live the single life even just for a day. So, I wrote this essay to remind me and all the mommies out there how lucky we are to have been blessed with our kids. For daredevils or not, they will always be the apple of our eyes.

"Thank you, Neo, for inspiring me every minute of everyday!"

REFLECTIONS OF A MOTHER

I made this essay for my sake,

For sometimes I fail to appreciate,

These precious moments when I still can say,

That you depended on me in every way.

I now realize that I’m lucky this way,

That I have you all day in my embrace.

For someday this moment will be way past today,

When the world and your dreams will be yours to take.

Then you won’t have a choice but to forsake,

The mother who cared for you, so that you may,

Look for your destiny and make mistakes,

To learn to live and find your own way.

When that day comes, I will have to face,

Empty days without you when I wake.

But don’t you forget, I’ll be here to stay,

To guide you every single step of the way.

Looking back someday, I’d be able to say,

It’s a good thing I wrote my reflections today,

To remind me of my precious yesterday,

When once I was a mother to you all day.


***If you like this blog entry, you can leave a comment below and give your own title suggestion. Johnson's Baby Milk Bath will be giving away a gift pack to the commenter with the most creative and relevant title for this post. You can leave your comment from October 8-October 21, 2011. On or before November 20, 2011, I will announce the winner of the Johnson's Baby gift pack. To make your comment valid and be eligible to win, you must be a fan of Johnson's Baby World of Firsts Facebook Page.