Look what the stork brought us!

This week is a momentous one for my family, because last Tuesday our daughter was born.  It certainly is another one of life's surprises.  Three years ago I did not think I'd be living in another country, but here we are.  One year ago I never would have thought we'd be new parents again, but here we are.  I hope the next surprise will be at the Lotto!

My wife delivered our second child at the Wellington Hospital, and as a C-section patient she stayed there til today (Saturday).  I have been at the hospital during those days.  If we were permitted to sleep there, I would have done so too.  But overall the hospital personnel have done a wonderful job at looking after my wife and child.  The facilities are great too.  A big THANK YOU to the wonderful staff at Wellington Hospital!


This experience also made me appreciate a major aspect of being a resident of this country: seeing my tax dollars work.  It's something I have not really experienced back home, even with the Social Security discount applied when we had our first-born.  Sorry, did not intentionally want to rant about that here, but I am just amazed with the service and facilities provided us ... with no charge!  Well, of course I know that there is no such thing as free lunch and I have indirectly paid for it through taxes.  But how would you feel if you had been paying taxes all through your working life, and still you had to fork out a substantial amount of money  for the delivery of your child, who will be of benefit to the government too as a future taxpayer?  It's like money going to the void, you don't know where it goes to.  Wait, I think we actually do know where it goes...

Whoops there I go again.  Back to the happy news!

Our daughter looked so much like our son Jo-Lo that I had a few cases of deja vu and called her Jo-Lo a number of times while carrying her.  It's been years since we had our son, but the excitement has just flooded in.  Never mind that the past week had been one of the most tiring for me, she somehow keeps me going.  The anxieties are also back, unfortunately.  Like tonight, her first night here at home.  I should be sleeping now because I have to wake up later for her feeding schedule but I could not sleep and so here I am blogging about the good news.

Imagine... us parents again, this time with a daughter!  Words can't describe the happiness and excitement.

This experience also taught me anew about how very blessed we are to have loving friends.  They gave us kiddie clothes at toys, visited us at the hospital, brought us food and flowers, drove us to the hospital and fetched us back, celebrated with us.  Our extended family!  It's a wonderful feeling.

To my friends, thank you for being there!