Babies Aren't Born the Same

Kids. They're not easy. But there has to be some penalty for sex. ~Bill Maher

"The Big Test"

During pregnancy, booklets were distributed to prepare you for the new bundle of joy. Everything looked so easy. When a baby cries, change its diaper or feed it. Cuddle it with calmness. It'll feel your calm and settles down.

My first baby cried, despite a change of every soiled diaper within a minute, and refused to be fed.

She liked to be cuddled though. To the extent that the moment you laid her down, she'd bawl like a malfunctioned car alarm. Well, I couldn't really blame her for being the First Grandchild from an Only Son. She deserved the privilege by being the only portable life-size snuggly doll with fully automated functions and highly sensitive reception.

And didn't they mention that babies need at least 10 hours of sleep? When you baby naps, get yourself some rest and catch up some lost sleep.

Rachel definitely slept less than 10 hours per day. Initially, it worried us. Eventually, it drove us crazy. Try rocking a hammock for 45 minutes, watching the mesmerizing undulation while listening to the rhythmic bounce of the spring AND keep awake. I never could pass the 30-minutes benchmark. The only positive outcome from this feat is you get your 5-minutes worth of sleep. I needn't worry about oversleeping as Rachel would not fail to activate her trademark malfunctioned car alarm after she deemed herself well recharged.

How did I survive all the above? Well, I'm still alive aren't I?

"Cool Cucumber"

Sometimes I really believe there's a God.

It really boggles my mind where I gathered enough courage to try for a second child. It's got something to do with the Only Son. For Chinese, passing down the generation with a heir is a heavy responsible. I remember telling myself it's now or never.

He's such a cool baby. Even since he was a day old, he needn't need an alarm clock to remind him to fall asleep. Be it on a bed, a couch, my arms or even the cold tiles, he just needed enough room to shut his eyelids and he'd abandon whatever undertaking on-hand to head towards slumberland, horizontally or vertically.

He never rushes into things. He took his time finishing his milk like maybe half an hour. But hey, he's drinking! I really need to thank my first child for teaching me how to appreciate little things like this.

He never lost his tempers as a toddler. When provoked, he never uttered a single word of anger. With a mere swoosh of his chubby little arm he'll just sweep everything out of his sight. A man of few words indeed.

Mervin's everything his sister's not. Oh well, the book always tells us not to compare. But how can I not!

"Accidentally Angel"

Angel is my fourth pregnancy. I miscarried in my third pregnancy and had decided to stop at two.

Accidents happen when you least expect them. I lost a child in the first and gained another in the second. I had named her after the guardian above to hope for a smooth pregnancy and delivery.

She's really a bonus from God.

With two clones of my husband, I couldn't be happier to have one of my own at last! I love my kids all the same. But somehow, sometimes, you just happen to adore one slightly more than the others when you have multiple kids. And when she's fuss-free and innocent and angelic, it's really hard not to! Alright, I confess. Angel's my pet.

I won't mention anything about her. Whatever I say, you might think I am spicing them up. But the fact is, she slept through the night since she's one month old; she finished her milk within 10 minutes; she giggled more than she whimpered; she picked herself up when she fell...

Those were the times…

Now my kids have gone through the potty-trainings, speeches lessons, major and minor motor skills acquisitions.

Rachel is blossoming into a young lady at eleven; Mervin is a fine young chap at nine; and Angel is a lovable seven-year-old.

There's still along way to go. And with every turn you take, there's a hurdle or hurdles to jump over. I've knocked down aplenty.

I'm still learning to be a parent.