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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