A young lady named Sofie

(Sofie - in printed black sleeveless - with friends at Ella P.'s birthday. Photo grabbed from Ysabel.)

We had a quiet dinner last Wednesday to celebrate Sofie's 12th birthday. Our dearest Ate is now a young woman, turning prettier and prettier every year.

I have fond memories when we welcomed Sofie to the world 12 years ago. Because of difficulty in pregnancy, I decided to go home to Negros where my side of the family is based. Before I went home with Ben, who was then only a year old, I got confined twice at Capitol Med for bleeding and false labor. Sofie was then less than five months in my tummy. With Ben born six months and three weeks, we were anxious of another premature birth.

And so the hubby and I figured out we would be better off in Negros where help from the family was very easy. Few days after our arrival, I got confined again at the district hospital in my hometown for premature labor. With Ben's history, the OB-Gyne decided to send us to Dumaguete where facilities were much better. The Silliman Medical Center became my home for a month until Sophie turned seven months in my tummy -- safe enough, at the very least.

Unfortunately, only a week after I went home, Sofie started to act up again. And this time, it was for real. My dilation already reached 8cm by the time the doctor checked me, too late to stop Sofie from coming out. My sisters and brothers and in laws as well, all rushed to the hospital to lend support. This would be my second premature delivery. Twenty minutes after I entered the delivery room and with a few push, a loud cry of a healthy baby girl broke the silence of the night. Everyone in the room cheered and clapped. My OB-Gyne cried with me upon seeing Sofie -- she was such a beautiful, chubby little girl. Despite being premature at 7 months and one week, she was a heavy weight at 7 pounds.

The first girl in both sides of the family, Sofie was probably the most anticipated baby. And Papa, after 10 boys for grandchildren, was just happy to welcome the little princess. He had an old but reliable crib repainted. When we came home from the hospital, my father beamed with joy. At last, a girl among the apos.

Those were the days. Today, Sofie has become her own self. She now has a mind of her own, hardly running to mama or papa anymore to get reassurance that her world would be okey. Slowly and surely, she is turning into a young independent lady with strong convictions. We pray for our dearest Ate to flourish further to become a woman after God's own heart.