The Champion

8 years ago today was the date I officially submitted and admitted to "defeat."  After years of strictly platonic relationships and "being picky" (which, in many cases, was essentially romantic snobbery on my part), I finally decided to give someone "a chance."  As a fairly independent, self-sufficient, women's college graduate, I initially thought for sure that this dabbling in the dating world would be a fleeting chapter in my medical school career.  Little did I know... 

1. how quickly I would fall for my very first boyfriend
   
2. that my first dabbling would evolve into THE deepest dive of my life

In my pride (and secretly competitive spirit), I was awestruck that my heart had actually been successfully hooked by another.  I even remember expressing my acceptance of his courtship by telling him, "OK, you win.  You're the champion."  [It didn't seem like that eventful of a victory for Mike... until I saw written in his calendar "I AM THE CHAMPION!"]

The rest is history.  It's been a bumpy ride, but I have no regrets!  Michael, darling, you may have been victorious... but I'm the one who got the prize!  ;D I love you!!!

In the arms of my CHAMPION!

Resolved

Well, after 3+ months of bloglessness, I am finally emerging from cyber-hibernation!  The main inspiration:  the arrival of a new year and a felt need to keep loved ones -- most importantly, a very loved husband and father who is currently working WAY too far away to commute from home -- updated on the state of affairs of the rest of the Mercado family.

The remainder of 2008 was more blogworthy than I could ever imagine, full of birthdays, family outings, and precious moments of parenthood.  But to keep this train of thought moving forward, I will save the reminiscing for another day.

It's time to declare my 2009 resolutions... which are probably better-termed as "projects."

1. Invest in eternity

2. Get fit

3. Stay educated

So there's my list in its simplest form.  (I guess I could've added "Simplify life" to that list, too!)  Hopefully, I can take these raw goals and come up with a plan to attain them... and make my little world a better place.

"And do this, knowing the time,

that now it is high time to awake out of sleep;

for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed."

--Romans 13:11

Maxwell is 2!

We celebrated Maxwell's 2nd birthday over the weekend at one of his all-time favorite places: the aquarium! And on the way home, we stopped for Japanese food (another Max favorite) which was topped off with tempura ice cream (which, ironically, we had to trick Max into tasting). Today, he & I had some one-on-one time at the park which was followed by a pizza dinner with Grandma & Grandpa and more birthday ice cream (courtesy of Auntie Val). The only favorite thing that was missing was Daddy, whom he did get to talk with on the phone and webcam... and who sent Thomas the Train as his representative! (Can't wait to see you again, Mike!)

Scenes from Max's birthday:



It's hard to believe that my baby son has become a little boy. His personality and unique characteristics and interests have been developing and evolving along with a rapidly expanding vocabulary and unexpected motor skills. I have been especially amazed by his increasing self-confidence and independence. Not that he's doing his own dishes or anything. (Although, I can hardly wait till that day comes!) From the simple task of using the appropriate utensil to move food from his plate to his mouth (without spilling most of it somewhere between), to fearlessly swimming across the pool with nothing but inflatable arm floaters to assist him, to sharing his toys with Maya or cousin Josiah without even being asked... these little things make the infamous "two's" seem not so "terrible".

Early rhythm perception and motor coordination at 1 year old:

Refining his hand-eye coordination at 2 years old:

Here She Is!

Well, she must have inherited Mike's punctuality... or, rather, his admirable habit of being early! Although Daddy had plans to welcome her into the world over Labor Day weekend, our baby girl took the initiative to welcome him home from Kansas. I guess she was so excited to see her daddy, she just couldn't wait for the weekend. ;)

Maya Lourdes Miranda Mercado was born on 8/28/08 at 12:08pm--less than an hour after I walked into the hospital! Weighing in at 6lbs 4oz and measuring 18.5 inches (with APGARs of 8 and 9 for the medically-inclined audience), she made quite an entrance.

The labor that preceded this unexpected delivery was nothing like my experience with Maxwell's birth, hence, the vagueness and my uncertainty of whether or not I was truly in labor! With strong contractions almost every hour starting at around midnight, Maya gave me plenty of warning to tell me she was on her way, but I still wasn't convinced. Even at 6:30am, when the contractions started coming every 8-10 minutes, I kept telling myself "Maybe if I just relax or go for a walk the contractions will slow down." Looking back, I think I was just in denial that I was going to have this baby without my dear husband to coach me through it! Kudos to my beloved mom for taking on the role of coach, camera person, and videographer all at a moment's notice--literally!

As healthy as she was (and has been), Maya unfortunately did have a temperature of 101.6 just a couple hours after birth, which bought her a ticket to the NICU (neonatal ICU) and 5 days of IV antibiotics. As soon as she was discharged from the hospital, we took her straight to the airport with us to bid goodbye to Mike once again. Needless to say, we're looking forward to some quality family time when Mike comes home one last time before he leaves the country.

Here's a glimpse of Maya's first week of life...

His Eye is On the Sparrow

My due date is fast approaching! And although yesterday's OB visit was just the 38-week mark, I left the clinic without a return appointment. Apparently, my cervix has been busy preparing for the arrival of this baby...and is just about ready! For those of you who like the medical details, the cervical exam showed 90% effacement and 3-4cm dilation. Yikes! I hope Mike gets here before the baby does! What a relief and a blessing it is to know that those training in Kansas get to have the 4-day weekend for Labor Day and that I get to give Mike a real live hug this Friday night. :D

All the busyness of transitioning and settling into a new home environment has helped this first month pass fairly quickly, but it's hard not to have moments of doubt and anxiety when thinking about how we're going to survive this separation... or more specifically, how I'm going to survive being a single parent of a toddler and a newborn.

A couple weeks ago, God seemed to speak to me and my worries when someone at church sang the song "His Eye is on the Sparrow," which tells of the hope and peace that comes from knowing of His protection and provision. First of all, this is a song that I've enjoyed hearing Mike sing in the past, and one of the Bible texts that inspired its composition comes from a passage (Matthew 6:25-34) that he and I had used to encourage each other through medical school and residency. Second is how the word "sparrow" is translated in Tagalog -- the main Filipino dialect and the language in which the singer at church performed the second half of the song:

sparrow (English) = maya (Tagalog)

Just before Mike left for deployment, we had decided to name our baby girl Maya. I liked the sound of the name but was having a hard time finding a significant meaning/origin of the name. So when I heard the Tagalog portion of this song, I became teary-eyed. I began to think of our soon-to-arrive daughter and her long-to-be-absent father... and all the concerns I had, especially for their relationship or possible lack thereof. The song reassured me that Maya will be loved and cared for by her earthly father and her Heavenly Father. And that no matter where Mike is, God will be watching over her and providing her every need.

Here's a simple and sweet rendition of the original song:

Look at the birds of the air,

that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not worth much more than they?

Matthew 6:26

Harana

We had the privilege of hosting a harana last Wednesday night in my parents' home. Traditionally, a harana is a serenade performed as a means of courting. However, the term has come to describe any form of music presented with a gift-giving spirit in the setting of a private residence. Alongside fellow church members, relatives, co-workers, and neighbors, we spent the evening enjoying the harmonious blend of ~20 young voices turn our living room into a concert hall! And this musical magic was pulled off by the "Ambassadors", an internationally acclaimed choral ensemble from the Adventist University of the Philippines. They are about 1 month into their 3-month U.S. tour having visited the San Diego and L.A. areas and stopping in Bakersfield for the week before moving on to Fresno, Visalia, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York.


Warming up for the harana


Warai-Warai -- a Tagalog song about a Visayan community known for their "tough chicks"; featuring Carmi Flores




Sabbath performance at Hillcrest SDA Church


During each of these stops, the members of the choir have been hosted by families who have opened up their homes to provide meals and a cozy place to sleep. Carmi Flores & Redeem Ebora are the 2 lovely young ladies who have been staying with us. You might think this would be a bit untimely with us trying to get stuff ready for a new baby, but Carmi and Redeem have actually been quite helpful in keeping Maxwell entertained throughout the day. It's almost as if we inherited instant babysitters! And in between performances, it's been fun to share ordinary (and extraordinary) life with such pleasant company... see the slideshow for some Kodak moments!

On the homefront

Being back in California has definitely softened the blow of being without Mike, especially through the closeness of family and the convenience of having simple luxuries... like Target and Jamba Juice!

Unfortunately, after living in the sheltered world of military healthcare, I am now discovering the woes of health insurance in the civilian world. Between referral authorizations and separate lab test bills, it's no wonder some people avoid dealing with their health and doctors altogether!

On a brighter note, this relocation allowed Max and me to attend my cousin's wedding in Las Vegas where I was able to reconnect with several relatives... What's funny is that the last time I saw most of them, I was pregnant with Max! (I may be making a new reputation for myself!) And since Vegas is "on the way" to Utah, Max was able to hang out with cousin Josiah throughout the wedding weekend--woohoo!