No, not Mary’s.

(Though, technically and biologically, Mary is my first baby.)

I mean, my little sister, Val.  It’s her birthday today.  Happy Birthday, sis!

I was almost 13 when Val was born.  We had gone back to school after the holidays and as my uncle came to get us from school, he mentioned that my Mom had gone to the hospital and had the latest addition to our family.

I was so excited.  If I remember correctly, we did not get to take her home that day as my Mom was recovering from the ligation procedure that my parents had decided for her to have.  Val will be the final bunso, no more surprises.

Val was sort of an accident baby.  My parents had planned on 5 kids when they got married, two years apart.  So, there’s Kuya  nine months after they got married, Ate 23 months later, Diko 20 months later, me 22 months later, then Gina 21 months later— the first bunso (youngest in the family).  My mom went onto “family planning” as she called it (birth control measures) for the next 10 years but somehow, Val happened.

And we were all happy about it.  Truly. 

I still remember when she first came home.  She was all wrapped up in a blanket, laying in the middle of my parents’ bed and someone admonishing me not to disturb her.

She is my first baby, the first one I took care of (ok, I just helped, there’s my Mom, my other sisters, maids), changed diapers (back when it was ALL cloth diapers), lulled her to sleep in the duyan (hammock/swing made of a sturdy blanket hanging off two ropes suspended from the ceiling - as close as you can get to a traditional Filipino crib), the first little one that looked up to me.  She would always have a special place in my heart.

Happy Birthday
Now, she is all grown up, having all sorts of adventures. Read more of Val’s Adventures at her blog. I am so proud of her.