Justin is quite a friendly toddler. He loves being with people, and he loves talking with people. When he’s inside the elevator, a simple prodding from mommy would make him say good morning to those inside the elevator with us. He would say, “Good morning, ate” or “Good morning, kuya.” (Note: In Filipino, “ate” means “big sister,” and “kuya” means “big brother.”) Justin even greets the lola (an elderly woman) who lives in one of the units in our floor whenever he sees her.

Most of the guards and the utility personnel in the building where we live know Justin. They call him by his first name and even give him a high-five whenever they cross paths with him in the hallways or at the building lobby. Justin also adores babies. When Justin sees kids a little younger or older than him, he wants to touch, kiss, and hug them. Sometimes they hug him back, and sometimes they ignore him. This doesn’t stop him, however, from being cordial with kids and adults alike.

I’m happy that my son is not shy around people. I hope he grows up to be a confident boy and that he doesn’t change his friendly ways.

Justin feared his pediatrician. Whenever we’d pay his doctor a visit, he would cry. The simple act of placing him on the weighing scale terrified him. His cries would worsen when his doctor would physically check on him. And no amount of bribing would assuage his loud wails. He would only stop once we’re out of the doctor’s clinic.

It’s been months since Justin’s last visit to his pediatrician. Days before today’s visit, I was already prepping him on what he could expect from this appointment. I had been telling him that the doctor is his friend and there’s no need to be afraid. I even pretended to be his doctor and asked him to relax while I examined his eyes, ears, mouth, etc.

How did today’s visit turn out? I think it was a success. Initially, Justin was adamant to go to the doctor’s clinic. I told him before we left home that we’re going to the doctor’s clinic first then to the mall. He said, “Mall lang, wala doctor” (Let’s go to the mall only, not to the doctor.) And to which I replied, “We’ll ask your doctor for lollipops.”

At the clinic
First, Justin wanted to see the fish in the aquarium at the clinic’s reception area. Then, he asked the doctor’s secretary for a chocolate lollipop. Later, the secretary asked him to step on the weighing scale. He didn’t oblige at first, but he finally yielded. Hurray! He actually didn’t want to leave the weighing scale after that. He wanted to play with it. He even thought the face of the weighing scale was a clock because of the numbers on it. Funny!

Next, Justin couldn’t wait to get inside the examination area because I told him we’d borrow toys from his doctor. There are lots of toys inside, but he didn’t appreciate those before. But it’s a different story now. When his doctor finally checked on the red spot inside his nappy, that’s when he started crying. It’s not as loud as it was before, however, and he stopped the moment the doctor was done with her examination. I was actually relieved when the doctor told us it was just a simple diaper rash.

When we thought it was all over and when Justin's doctor checked his vaccination record, she told us Justin needed to have his H. Influenzae B booster shot. That’s when the crying started again, but it only lasted a short while. Overall, there was a considerable improvement in Justin’s reaction to seeing his pediatrician. I think that’s something to be happy about.

Giving gifts on Christmas is a family tradition that was started by my dear Auntie Mameng back when we were still living under one roof. Auntie Mameng is my father's older sister. There were 20 or more of us in my grandmother’s house back then, my father’s siblings with their own families. Each family had its own respective place in that house.

A week or two before Christmas, Auntie Mameng, with the help of whoever came in handy, would be wrapping Christmas gifts to be placed under the Christmas tree in the main house. The older children, that would be me and my siblings, would often sneak to the main house to try to take a glimpse of what we’d be receiving come Christmas time.

We would carefully open our gifts and peep inside and return the wrappers just as neatly as they had been before we touched them. That actually spoiled the surprise that awaited us on Christmas day. But giddy kids that we were, we couldn’t really wait ‘til Christmas.

I remember those times with fondness. The idea of receiving gifts actually added meaning to our Christmases. I have associated Christmas with gifts since then. For me, Christmas isn’t complete without presents. That is why I kept the tradition of giving gifts on Christmas alive.

When I already had a job and started earning my own money, I made it a point to buy gifts for my entire family and for the smaller children (my cousins) living with us at my grandmother’s house at that time, that is, until we all went our separate ways in 1996, the year when the house was finally sold.

Now that I’m earning a little more than I used to, I also increased the number of people I give Christmas gifts to. I don’t only give gifts to my family, but to Auntie Mameng's family as well. I even give to our company’s security guards and janitors if my budget permits.

I just love giving gifts. I don’t buy expensive ones. I go for the practical gifts instead, ones that the recipients can use or have a present need for. Shirts and cologne top my list. I give accessories to my kikay relatives, and it’s either clothes or toys for the kids.

I usually end up not buying anything for myself. But I can’t complain. I’m happy just seeing the smiles on the faces of people I give gifts to. Their happy faces tell me they appreciate that I thought about them on this special day.

I would often comment how good-looking my son Justin is whenever I comb his hair. One time after giving him his bath, I started combing his hair and, as a force of habit, told him, “Justin, pogi” (Justin, handsome baby).

"Pogi" is the Filipino masculine term for comely or beautiful.

After I was done fixing his hair, I started combing my hair, too. When Justin saw me doing it, he said, “Mommy, pogi” (Mommy, handsome).