my little ballerina

My baby sister is now 6 and a ballerina at that!

I still remember clearly like it was yesterday when my mom gave me a call and asked for my permission if it would be okay with me if she would adopt a baby. I was a senior in college then, studying like crazy for finals. I was Cebu-based for the past four years already for my pre-med education. Getting that call from Momsy was a surprise really. She was talking as if adopting meant just choosing from a grocery store for something really expensive she had to ask for my permission! I always knew my mom wanted kids, little ones, grandchildren if possible (obviously far from possible yet since I was still in school) because my youngest brother was already a junior in high school. She missed having little kids running around. Despite knowing how she wanted to have those little kids around, I didn't expect her to adopt adopt. Borrow, maybe - she'd borrow babies from my aunts, uncles, or friend's kids. But adopt? Anyhow, it didn't take momsy a lot of time to convince me, I told her I'd support her with whatever made her happy. Poppy, on the other hand, wasn't too convinced at first. But after a lot of prayers, he heeded to mom's plea. Mom explained to me the legalities of the whole situation - that if they were going to legally adopt the baby, it would mean blah blah and blah. Of course I had no qualms about all those legalities. What mattered more to me was that this made mama sooo happy and excited!

So lo and behold, as Papa put it aptly, mom had the shortest pregnancy ever, and three days after giving me that call, SHE entered our lives and it hasn't been the same ever since...

Bien Maria Tan Rodriguez. Born February 20, 2002 at Borongan, Samar.

Quick story behind the adoption that's hilarious!

So, my mom got a call from my Mamita (my paternal grandma) who was then at Borongan, Samar, doing her usual visit to her bakery there, and, as usual, dropping by an orphanage she's been supporting for years. Mamita raved about the baby who happened to be the daughter of the orphanage's help who was only 15! Imagine that! Apparently, Jackie, the 15 yr old mom, was impregnated by one of the barrio men (she wouldn't say who) and left her without knowing even she was pregnant, so alas, as soon as she found out she was with child, she gave the baby up for adoption. So Mamita was deadset on helping with the adoption, referring the nuns running the orphanage to my mom who my Mamita knew sooo wanted babies. My mom was surprised with Mamita's call but at the same time, she felt her heart "skip a beat" hearing about the baby's plight. My Mamita especially raved about how "puti kaayo" (very very white/fair complexioned) the baby was. After getting my dad's yes, the next day, Mama and my sister, Ivi, went off and drove 10 hours to Borongan, Samar, to pick up the baby.

Lo and behold (again!)... Baby Bieni (or Eian, as we used to call her when she was days old!), the new addition to our already big, happy family!

Important note, she wasn't as puti as Mamita raved about (read: NOT puti all) but she was a beauty in all her not-white-at-all/dark complexion! As she now has come to terms with, at age 3, she learned to say, "There is beauty in black" or "Black is beautiful" to whoever would tease her about being sooo dark (read again: our brod Tingtong).

Bieni was all we've ever hoped her to be. Beautiful, witty, smart, loving, lovable, sweet, and the source of our family's joy and laughter!

Behold (again!) our six year old little angel and now, a beautiful, graceful ballerina at that! She had her first ballet recital on Sunday, and she was aaaaamazing! I couldn't be prouder! (SEE PICTURES ABOVE - can't figure out how to bring them down here - grrr)