My little boy is very close to his Tita Cake (it's actually Kate but he insists on calling her "Cake"). She was his unofficial yaya during the first four months of his life. She was there in the delivery room with me when I gave birth to him. She was the one who gave him his baths because her long fingers and experience working in the nursery made the procedure look so easy. On those days when I was near out of my mind from exhaustion and lack of sleep, she took care of him without complaint.
When she decided to work in the same hospital where J works in Riyadh, it was a blessing because Jeolo had someone else to visit him, play with him and, unfortunately, spoil him. They'd play so roughly that you'd think Jeolo would end up crying all the time but he, in fact, enjoyed every moment of it. He clearly adored his Tita and always looked forward to seeing her.
Since we came back home a few months ago, he's had to deal with being separated from his Dada twice already. He actually came home to QC for about two weeks last May, just a month after we left Riyadh, to be with us. Good thing he timed his return to the MidEast to coincide with my sister's arrival for her annual vacation so it helped buffer my son's sadness and longing for his dad.
But today, the inevitable end to her vacation began and she left for Manila at noon for her flight back overseas on Friday. We didn't expect him to cry as much as he did when she said goodbye earlier. It was so hard to see him bawling and calling for her to come back. None of us had really expected it but almost everyone teared up because it was heartbreaking to listen to our original baby asking his favorite aunt not to go. :c
I can't help but wonder what effect these separations from the people he loves will do to him in the long run. All I can hope for is that I'll be able to provide him with all the love and support he needs to deal with these experiences for now.
Mood Music: Next Year by Foo Fighters