Happy Birthday to me

To the people who made this day beautiful:
my parents, my sister, my students (you guys are AMAZING! You almost made me cry!!) and ex students (Yes I remember you guys!) I am so very blessed to have had the honor of having my path crossed yours. THANK YOU so very very much!

Lesson learned today..sometimes happiness lies within your own hands. =)

so, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

27 gems for 27 years

In an hour or so I'll turn 27. That's a good 3 years from the big three-zero. Quite an achievement if you ask me. After a night of peace (Baby A fell asleep at 7pm), I am inspired to blog! So here goes a list of 27 gems of lessons learned and things to be thankful for.

1. Thank God for life. These past 2 years have been the hardest and the most rewarding thus far. The pain and the joy brought a new appreciation for life in itself.
2. Thank God for the family I came from. Having been a mom for 5 months.. I have finally begun learning about the weight of a parent's sacrifice and what it takes to hold a family together. I am who I am because of my family.
3. Thank God for my husband. I cannot begin to count the number of times we've had disagreements and arguments. But in the worst of it all, I realized that if I got to choose my partner all over again, there's no one else I'd choose to go through the worst and best with than Justin.
4. Thank God for our first child. Though we never met, you left a great impact on my life. You taught me what it meant to love a stranger, to hope for the best, and to lay what's precious in the hands of the Maker. We will meet again my baby.
5. Thank God for Alyssa. My Toothless! I thank God for the privilege to be her mom. Every day she lets me know just how precious I am to her. I've never met anyone who has made me feel this appreciated. She just loves me for me.<3
6. Thank God for all the lessons Alyssa has taught me. See following:
7. Learned to laugh a bit more. Silly songs and funky moves... anything to tickle my daughter's funny bones somehow is contagious!
8. Learned to be organized. I now walk around with a mental note of things that need to be done, my priority list, and how to get them done in the shortest time. No joke, I have a huge list for the diaper bag alone!
9. Learned what is more important. So the bottles need to be washed and sterilized, the diaper bag needs to be packed, the clothes washed and hung, the floor swept and mopped... But my daughter's looking at me with those eyes that say "here I am mommy, let's play!" So the bottles, bag, clothes, floor can all wait. I'm getting my priorities straight! It's these little moments that are truly important!
10. Learned that many complicated things can be settled with a smile. My daughter has not mastered grammar or vocab yet, but she manages to take away all my stress, lethargy, demotivation with just one smile.
    
11. Learned to take care of a baby! When I first held her, she felt so small and fragile. Never thought I'd make it through the first month. It's been 5 since. =)
12. Learned that waking up early in the morning isn't all that bad. Since Toothless greets us with that huge toothless grin!
13. Learned that staying at home every chance we get is really nice!
14. Learned that weekends are so much more worthwhile while spending with family.
15. Learned that babies aren't THAT fragile. My Toothless is mega resilient!
16. Am learning to be a protective mommy! My daughter depends on me to keep her safe and look after her wellbeing. Sometimes that requires saying no to things/people.
    
17. Learned that raising a child requires lots of team effort.
18. Learned that there are better things to do than to hold a grudge.
19. Learned that a small getaway (e.g. 1 day trips) can be very relaxing.
20. Learned that just because I can do something doesn't mean I must do it. I am not always the right person for the job.
21. Learned that it is important to fully appreciate the stage and phase of life I am in. Because I can only fully experience the phase I am in at any given moment.
    
22. Learned that my body can seriously be pushed to the limits. pregnancy, child birth, late nights, lack of sleep!! whoa!
23. Started to learn that being a mom, a working woman, and housekeeper is VERY tough. Guess I can't do them all to perfection.
24. Learned that sometimes, the only people that I can gain love, affection, and appreciation from is God and myself. So here's a pat on my back for surviving pregnancy and 5 months and counting of motherhood.
25. Learned that I am indeed a wonderful person. Ask my daughter, I'm sure she'll concur.
26. Learned that seasons of pain make seasons of joy so much sweeter.
    
27. Last but not least, learned that in ALL things, God works for the GOOD of His children.

Wow. That was refreshing. So here's to 27 years!