Life with Ozzy

ozzy: look mommy!
mommy:(seeing a mess of puzzle mats on the floor) Oh no! What did you do?
ozzy: nothing!


Ozzy, after an afternoon nap, looks at me with big eyes. "You're awake?"
Mommy, on her laptop says, "Yes, I'm awake."
Ozzy, points at himself and asks, "How about me?"
Mommy laughs. "Yes you're awake anak."


Ozzy: Mommy, I want to watch robots and dinosaurs.
So I put on Star Wars.
Ozzy: What are you doing mommy? What happened? Where's thomas?
Mommy: You can't have everybody in one show anak.


Ozzy, looking at a heap of leaves with smoke coming out (the neighbor's, not ours) shouts --- "Fire King! Fire King!"


Ozzy, while praying... "God bess piyow, god bess bed, god bess good job!..."


Ozzy, showing me a cut on his finger says, "mommy, i'm bwoken."

Lolo Nanding

It’s difficult to speak about my Lolo without my Lola, because, really, they were always partners in crime. =) The good kind of crime. They would gather all available grandchildren and bring them to places for new adventures (Baguio, Batangas, Tagaytay, Laguna, Antipolo). They were the original masterminds of a day my cousins and I would fondly call “Cousins Day”. So really, when I think about my Lolo Nanding (Fernando Cortez Montes who died April 10, 2012), he was always next to Lola Puring, loading grandchildren in a van for a summer adventure, sitting at a particular side of a big round table, or hearing mass at Miraculous Medal.  Even when we came to visit Lola Puring while Lolo is in the hospital, Ozzy pointed at Lolo’s side of the bed and asked, “Where’s the Lolo?”.

My Lolo, on my wedding day during the wedding cake cutting.
"Open your mouth big! It's the last time you'll open your mouth."

During my Ozzy's baby shower. Lolo was listening to Lola.

They were one of my first visitors when I gave birth. They came into my small hospital room in wheelchairs that was big enough just to fit both of them side by side with Tito Pierre Montes right behind. They were very excited to see Ozzy. Lolo told me, he wanted to see his first great grandchild. He saw two great grandchildren: Ian and Ozzy.

He left us with a strong sense of love for the family.  He was humorous, warm, and loving during difficult and not-so-difficult times. Always strong in prayer. Persistent. Faithful.

Thank you Lolo (and Lola) for being a great example of the mystery of God's love for us. Thank you for bringing us close to God.

School Uniforms Made Me Cry!

I was just so excited to send him to school. I wasn’t prepared though, to see my little boy ACTUALLY ready for school. These pictures brought me to tears.

Too soon…

My Mountain is Moving!

When we started addressing Ozzy’s hyperactivity and speech delay, I felt as though I was pushing a mountain. And because it was so involving  emotionally to help your own son, it really felt at times like I was pulling the hem of Jesus’ tunic begging (I discovered that that’s what parents do all the time).

His first Pre-school ID picture. I did it myself. As I was posting this, my son goes "Ozzy in a  wed (red) shirt".

April was a month of change. A miracle happened. My boy started talking in sentences. And in weeks his progress improved in leaps. I am so amazed and so proud that the little light bulb clicked. Ozzy at 3years and 4 months: Talking. I am thankful for my miracle and God’s great love for all of us.