F

He was always getting sick. When my son F was still a baby, he caught every kind of ailment that a young child could catch. He got amoebiasis, bronchitis, gastroenteritis, coughs, colds, and all sorts of viral infections. One particularly challenging episode had me, my mom, and my beloved Tito E taking care of him round the clock. You see, he's the kind of baby whose temperature shoots up whenever he gets sick.

F was the first boy in the family. All my siblings are girls and my eldest child is a girl, and so when F came into our fold, we were all a bit surprised. Unlike my daughter, who would just sit in the corner and quietly play with her toys when she was a toddler, F loved crawling, walking, and climbing all over the place. Needless to say that my parents were quite shocked.

When F became a grade schooler, he started getting chubby and chunky. I thought it was cute but his classmates didn't think so. He was teased incessantly and at some point, he became a cry baby. My heart broke but what to do? He loved food and loved eating, and in point of fact, he wanted to be a chef when he grew up.

Fortunately, time took care of everything. When he entered his teen years, he started growing tall--fast! He started losing his baby fat and started growing like a weed. Today, he is a fine-looking young man who stands as the man of the house. It is F who we run to when an electric fan breaks down or when some electronic device needs figuring out. It is F who locks up the house before he goes to sleep, and fortunately for me, it is also F who cooks our meals when I'm out working or when I'm too tired to whip up stuff in the kitchen. F also loves Baby S to pieces, and my sister B always teases him about being the stand-in daddy.

When I first cradled him in my arms, I never thought that this cute, little baby would one day be taking care of us in his own special way. I love you, F! Happy birthday! :)

P.S. Been busy with all the work and all the merry celebrations; April sure has been one fun ride! :)




F with Baby S on The Swing.





All dressed up for the prom :)





Smile!