I have always been a so-called high achiever (or obsessive-compulsive planner if you like). I like to plan ahead. First week in my freshman year in high school, I had already planned out the curriculum for the next four years and my path to Berkeley. I did the same thing when I was a freshman in Berkeley. Life generally turned out the way I had planned with some ups and downs in my life and career. When I turned 26 in 2001, I made two wishes on my birthday: one to remain employed (2001 was a very bad year and I couldn't afford to lose my job with my brother in college and mortgage to pay) and another to meet my future husband in 2001. I survived after four rounds of restructuring and I met Jaime at a bar in June 2001. I started planning for my brother after he changed his mind about becoming a dentist. I got him to HK in 2006 and found a job. Now after two years, he is doing very well with a career that he never thought of doing previously at school.
Last year, we started planning for having babies (which for a very long time was never part of my plan in life). First try was disappointing but there was nothing we could do. There are many things you can plan in life but having babies is certainly not one of them. We were extremely blessed to have conceived Chamu shortly after and now he is due in 7 weeks. I have always been very organized in planning my life, school, vacation, career but have been extremely behind in planning for parenthood. We don't really have a room (or even a crib) set up for Chamu (despite the fact it should be our "nesting" stage now). We cannot really plan for his actual due date (but I have work planned all the way up to his expected delivery date). We found a confinement lady/baby nurse just 3 weeks ago and just submitted the application for our domestic helper last week. There seems to be millions of things we have yet to do but I don't know where to begin.
Every now and then, I get anxiety attacks, nightmares and on top of those, I am extremely scared of the actual birth plan (antenatal classes and numerous books I have read don't seem to help at all). I kept telling myself, it will be fine, we will be fine and Chamu will be fine but I can't help worrying about my work (who is going to help me during my maternity leave?), my role as a mother (I probably will want to plan his life but I don't want to become one of those mothers...), and my life after Chamu. Will I be able to be a good mother? What about my career? I have become so tired from working (physically and mentally) since pregnancy but I don't think I can walk away so easily... Will it be better for him to grow up in the US? What about his school? Will he be able to learn to speak and read Chinese/Spanish fluently? Will he be a good boy? Some many questions and so little planning can be done...
2 comments:
The big difference now is that you have someone, to share the planning with you and face whatever uncertainties you may find in your way, surmount them and lean and depend on each other to build the future for Chamu and any others that may come later and for yourself as parents.
Love, Mom & Dad
hope that together we can be as good as parents as you were to us!
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