<$BlogRSDUrl$>

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

//of breastfeeding and fulfilling a promise  

Two Februaries ago, Janice gave me an anniversary gift - an easel, three canvasses, a set of acrylic paint, and a set of brushes. Delighted with the prospect of reviving my art club days, I promised I would use it to paint a portrait of her. Two years passed and that gift was left untouched, with all the things that have happened since then.

Last night, as I quietly watched Janice nurse our little Gyro, I had a sudden impulse to capture that moment. I have never used acrylic before (I would probably even spell the word incorrectly half the time) but after a couple of hours of fumbling with the brushes, and making a mess inside our bedroom, it was finally done.

Janice and I have been successful with pursuing exclusive breastfeeding for Gyro, but it was not without challenges. With family members who have never successfully nursed their newborns, we were under a lot of pressure especially at nights when Gyro's cries would seem to go on forever. With a lot of prayer, and a strong resolve to do what we know is best for our son, we are proud to say that Gyro, now on his 3rd month of discovering the world, has never tasted a drop of water nor formula milk. And though we are still in the process of perfecting the art of understanding what his cries meant, none of those have so far been because he was sick.

I am proud of what Janice has done for our little boy- for all those nights she has gone without any sleep just to nurse our growing child, for all the sacrifices she continues to make - all in the name of raising a healthy and happy little maton. And the least I could do for her was fulfill a promise I made 2 years ago, and in my far-from-being-Van Gogh way, honor the best wife one could ever ask for, the best mother a child could ever love.


Comments: 

|

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?