racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

Today I bought Cate a set of Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow
feeding bottles.  While this may seem to be trivial, it’s a big
deal to me.  This has perhaps been one of the more significant
investments in baby equipment I had made since she was born (all ten
dollars of it).  You see, having been born about one and a half
years after Pia, Cate had inherited most of her older sister’s old
equipment, including strollers, cribs, feeding bottles, baby bags, and
even clothes and accessories.  Most were only slightly used,
anyway (babies do, indeed, grow fast).  And since most of
Pia’s–and now Cate’s–Pigeon glass bottles had gone to feeding bottle
heaven (in zillions of pieces), I thought I’d replace these with
something durable and at the same time better functioning than your
good ol’ traditional bottle.

I felt proud of myself for this.  Somehow, I had been feeling
guilty of not being able to give Cate as much attention as I was able
to give her older sister.  After all, Pia being a toddler, it’s
quite her age to  strongly manifest her thirst for attention and
affection, and usually through ways one cannot imagine without going
into cardiac arrest.  And I couldn’t help but turn  my
attention more towards Pia because she craves it so much (and because
she will scream and claw her way through anything–and anyone– just
for a moment of my time).  Moreover, Caren and I had agreed that I
will be responsible for taking care of Pia and she of Cate, as she
foresaw difficulties coping with a very active toddler during her
post-partum days.  What more with a very active toddler taking
practical courses in jealousy 101 and sibling rivalry 101, and learning
to
live with the fact that she is no longer our only child?

This doesn’t go to say I’ve been neglectful of my parenting
responsibilities to Cate.  I have always had my share.  
These past few weeks, though, I had been ever-improving in my
involvement, and I’m very happy with it.  And this does not mean I
feel material objects can compensate for parental attention.  I
have never subscribed to such a concept.  Tangible expressions of
affection should but complement and supplement love.

Perhaps I felt satisfied because I was finally able to get my hands on
something we had intended to buy Pia during her infancy (we read about
it much on the ‘net, but sadly no local store carried the brand at that
time).

Or perhaps I felt satisfied because being me, I enjoyed gadgets and even everyday equipment with high-tech thingamajigery.

Or perhaps I felt satisfied just because … just because I am a parent.

After all, fatherhood is a joyful experience.  And my second time around, it’s a joyful experience times two.

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