Our Journey to Building a Family

Ever since we got married in 2011, my husband and I have been waiting for our little one to arrive. We’ve tried almost everything including having ourselves checked up, not to mention those times when going to the clinic was not an easy thing to do.

To cast all doubts, I have undergone what they call as hilot (pagtaas ng matris) twice. I stopped exercising, drinking medicine and doing other heavy activities on the days that I thought I could be starting to conceive. I have offered eggs to nuns, danced at Obando, underwent acupuncture which they say cures infertility, did fertility yoga, and the list goes on. I even gave up my almost 10-year career.

Being childless can be depressing. Talk about the feeling when you see babies, when you see your friends having babies of their own, when you know that you’re not getting any younger.

Of being blessed and being a blessing

Yet, being childless can also be a blessing… in disguise. For one, the husband and wife get to spend their lives together and get to know each other better, have enough time to save and prepare for their child, and do stuff couples rarely get to do when they have children as if they are single.

But more than these, being blessed is also being a blessing to others.

Community of Blessed Couples Mission, Inc.

In 2013, my husband and I became part in forming the Community of Blessed Couples Mission Inc. Aside from being able to while away time, it gave us the opportunity to become ‘parents’ to children particularly those from the Aeta Resettlement and Rehabilitation Site in Subic, Zambales.

It was then that I have also set my mind on the thought that maybe this is what God wants us to do, to become foster parents to either orphans, or children who have parents but are either neglected or not given enough support.

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Simply put, the group makes use of the time and dime (even in the smallest way) blessed with them, by being a blessing to others… as they await their blessing.

We have fun too. Doing the ‘blessed shot’ w/ my new found brothers and sisters

But it does not mean that we are doing this because we are waiting for something in return. It even came to a point when my prayer was no longer about asking for a baby but being able to accept the fact that we may never have children of our own and for me stop feeling jealous every time I learn that somebody we know is pregnant/pregnant again. Surprisingly, my prayer was answered in that it gave me peace of mind having not to expect too much and just live life the way God has planned.

But at the end of the day, we still had that ‘little hope’ that we will be able to have a child someday.

Unexpectedly expecting

In fact, when we least expected it, when we stopped trying too hard and just left everything to Him, that was when it just happened. Yes, our blessing has come. It came at a time when we were entertaining the idea of undergoing a medical work-up.

It was on May 27, 2016 when I learned that I was pregnant. I felt like crying. When I announced the news to my husband, we were both in cloud 9 for days.

There were times though that I had worries during the nesting period but I was always reminded that it was still part of His test of faith. Our CBCMI family had also been one of our prayer warriors up until the day I gave birth.

God has answered the pact I made with him that I could wait until at least I’m 35 just as long as I won’t have a complicated pregnancy. God is so good! He did not fail me! He even gave his blessing early. Sometimes though I find myself asking how I, of all women wanting to be mothers, deserved this. Honestly, I don’t feel that we have gone through a lot compared to other couples who have or have been waiting for years. But then as they say, only God knows.

I felt that our almost 5 years of waiting was not a long one after all. Perhaps this is what God’s perfect timing is all about. He made sure to strengthen the foundation of our relationship and faith and waited for us to grow and mature a little more (I hope :-P ) so we are better equipped to rear our future child.

The wait indeed has been worth it. In my almost 5 year-journey to pregnancy, there are some things that I realized. First, having a baby is not all that simple like okay you get married and have a kid. I have realized how a baby is so much of a blessing from God. Waiting for and wanting it this long has made me appreciate life more.

Our son Francesco Theo, has just turned a year old and hopefully, he could join us too in our future missions.

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