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It’s a known fact that the key to a mother’s heart is to ask her about her children. Gladys Reyes is no exception.
It’s a known fact that the key to a mother’s heart is to ask her about her children. Gladys Reyes is no exception. When we inquired about her adventures as a mom to baby Christoph and her future daughter, we lost track of time as we chatted away! By Jillian Q. Gatcheco. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio and Jason S. Lim. All about Christoph Gladys starts off by talking about her first child, two-year old Christoph. “He’s very smart, and yung wit niya, iba. And marunong na mamilosopo’t mang-asar! Marunong din siya mag-translate—halimbawa, sinasabi niya in Tagalog, alam din niya kung paano ita-translate in English. Tapos since my mother-in-law is fluent in French [her first husband was French], naturuan niya [si Christoph] mag-French. Basic lang naman—counting, names, kasi eventually, magfe-French passport naman siya. So gusto ko eventually, makapag-work siya doon.” When she asks her son about what he wants to be when he grows up, Christoph doesn’t give typical answers such as doctor or lawyer. “Pag tinanong mo siya, sasabihin niya, ‘chef,’” shares Gladys. She explains, “For one, nakikita niya siguro yung dad ko, mahilig talagang magluto. At saka ginagaya niya! Alam mo yung laruan niya—imbis na fake, totoong garlic and onion yung gusto niya! He knows how to distinguish [fruits and vegetables too]! Parang yun ang gusto niya for now, ha. Syempre hindi naman natin alam kung [magbabago yun].” Christoph’s favorite treats are also not the usual picks of kids his age. "[He loves] pesto! Minsan, gusto niya yung lumpia vegetables, chicken, fish, at malakas mag-milk!” says Gladys. An unforgettable first If there’s anything she’ll never forget (aside from her wedding day), Gladys says it’s the first time she saw her son. “Alam mo ba, sa lahat yata ng nanganak, my God, cesarean ako, syempre bukas-bukas tiyan ko diyan, pero ako yung daldal nang daldal! Takot [husband ko] sa blood e, so hindi niya ako nabantayan. Noong lumabas na yung baby, at sinigurado niyang wala nang blood at clean na lahat, doon siya pumasok sa delivery room.” So Gladys chatted with her anesthesiologist instead. “Sabi ko talaga, ‘Doc, ganito ba talaga feeling?’ Parang mabigat ang dibdib ko! Hindi ako makahinga doc, okay lang ba yan?’ ‘Okay lang yan, okay lang yan!’ ‘Alam mo ba doc kung sino pa cesarean?’ Tsinismis ko pa [talaga] mga artista! Grabe ang daldal ko talaga!” Gladys remarks with a laugh. “Tapos I can still remember, pagkatapos manganak, dapat pagod ako, tulog ako, pero ako ang nagte-text sa mga kaibigan ko na I gave birth to a healthy baby boy! Akala siguro nila pina-text ko lang, pero ako yun, nakahiga ako, pero sa sobrang excitement ko, hindi ko naisip matulog.” She continues, “I breastfed my son for one year and 10 months. And actually, plan ko talaga, two years, kaso nga di ba, I got pregnant noong one year and ten months siya. [Pero] wala talagang pagsisisi kasi yung anak ko, he’s very healthy, very active, tapos siguro namana niya pagiging entertainer sa akin! He likes to dance! He loves to sing, tapos ngayon nga, nagpe-play school siya. Okay naman kasi [may] interaction [siya] with kids, kasi sabi nila, pag isa lang yung anak mo pa, baka ma-spoiled, di ba? So kailangan aware siya na may ibang kids.” Then and now Gladys makes it a point to “enjoy” her son’s company before he grows up too fast. “Ang bilis ng panahon. Before you know it, pag tingin mo, ‘Oh my God, nasaan ako noong mga panahon na yun?’ Ayoko mangyari sa akin yun, na ire-regret ko yung times na hindi ko siya masyadong nakasama. Tapos pag tingin ko, malaki na yung anak ko!” She raves about how fast kids nowadays are getting tech-savvy. “Ang gagaling na sa computers! Iba na rin yung gimik nila, e! Ngayon, going out with friends na kaagad! So gusto ko, sobrang pagsasawaan ko yung anak ko na hindi ko talaga mami-miss yung day na sayang, sana inakap ko na nang inakap siya noon, sana pinagsamantalahan ko na! Kasi there will come a time na ‘Ayoko na mommy, kasi I’m going out with my friends.’ Ayoko dumating yung time na yun na magsisi ako kasi hindi ko sinamantala yung mga araw na dapat nakasama ko anak ko.” Sophomore mom But little Christoph will have a baby sister soon, as Gladys happily reported to iGMA that her ultrasound result on her fourth month showed that it was a baby girl. “It’s 80% girl, pero I think mas visible na kaagad pag boy. E dito flat talaga. Pero syempre, natuwa na rin ako na I have a boy, and I have a girl.” Since it’s her second time to have a baby, she says that she’ll be more relaxed this time around. “I know na what to do, unlike noong first time na nangangapa ka sa lahat ng gagawin mo. At least ngayon, hindi mas matagal yung pag-recall mo [kung] ano nga ba yung ginawa mo noon. Sinasabi nila na ang mga anak, pare-pareho naman talaga yan, mahal mo talaga yan, pero iba talaga yung first.” She continues, “Kasi OA ka pag first, di ba? Every month yata ako nagpapa-ultrasound noon, every week yata noong one month or two months pa lang ako, nasa OB ako! Pero ngayon, masasabi ko na wiser ka na, at saka hindi ka na ngayon panicked mom. And nakakatuwa si Christoph kasi ina-anticipate niya na rin na eventually, magkakaroon siya ng baby sister.” Strict mommy? Is she a disciplinarian? “Ngayon kasi, nag hirap kasi two years old pa lang [si Christoph], pero sa aming dalawa ni Christopher, tingin ko, ako magiging disciplinarian. Lalo na kung delekado yung ginagawa, kung curious sila. Syempre ikaw, sa takot mo, di ba?” Does she tend to get protective? “Oo! Sobra!” she replies. “Minsan, nagpunta lang ako sa bahay ng mother-in-law ko, malapit lang sa bahay namin. Pag-uwi [ko], ‘Mommy, miss!’ Hug na niya ako. Malambing na bata si Christoph. At saka tingin ko nga, malapit yun sa akin, kasi ang tagal kong nag-breastfeed! Noon, tsinaga ko, kahit nagwo-work na ako, kahit nagte-tape na ako ng Bahay Mo Ba ‘To? Naiyak talaga ako noong iwi-wean ko na, aawatin na, kasi ang hirap pala.” Sacrifices Gladys imparts that she had to give up certain things for the sake of mommy-hood. But that doesn’t mean she has any regrets. “Ngayon kasi, iba na yung joy ko. Totoo rin pala talaga yung sinasabi ng mga dedicated mommies na pag pumunta sila sa mall tapos may nakita silang babagay sa kanila, una pa rin nilang iisipin na teka, kailangan may bago munang damit yung anak ko bago ako!” “At ngayon ko naa-appreciate yung going out with my family, with my son,” she adds. “Dati, hindi ko naa-apreciate ang mga park, ngayon naa-appreciate ko na! Kasi yung anak ko, napakahilig sa grass, tumatakbo sa grass, at mga malalaking space. [And] I love going to children’s parties! Gusto ko talaga yung ako kasama ng anak ko as much as possible. Kung hindi lang talaga conflict sa schedule, at kung pwede naman talaga i-usog ang schedule ko, priority ko talaga na makasama anak ko on that special day.” She says that you’ll also learn to appreciate you moms more when you become one yourself. “Kung dati di ba, may mga time na feeling mo, lagi kang kinokontra ng nanay mo, feeling mo kontrabida nanay mo, kasi kung ano gusto mong gawin, yun yung ayaw niya! Lalo na pag feeling mo, mabait kang anak, pero bakit minsan hindi pa rin enough?” She continues, “Eventually, maiintindihan mo kung bakit ganoon yung nanay. Parang ako nga, two years old pa lang anak ko, pero feeling ko, pag nagkaroon siya ng girlfriend na hindi niya gusto, talagang feeling ko, makikialam talaga ako. Pero syempre, ngayon lang naman yan. Syempre, eventually, papaubaya ko na sa kanya, lalo na, lalaki anak ko. Pangit naman yatang tingnan.” “Mas maiintindihan mo talaga ang pagiging nanay pag naging nanay ka. Pinakamalaking sakripisyo yun. Hindi ko sinasabi na okay yang single mothers, pero bakit kahit single mothers, nakaka-survive sila kahit wala yung father? Kasi [importante] talaga sa pagpapalaki ng anak, dapat nandiyan yung nanay.” iGMA would like to greet all the mommies out there a very happy Mother’s Day! For more mommy talk, log in to the iGMA Forums!