HBD T'lowa!

My fraternal triplet sibglings: (L-R) Alexander, Amanee and Zul. Photo taken TWO freaking years ago! Too many changes took place but I can't find a recent photo of them together. 

Happy, happy birthday to this three people who added exponential joy to our family since they were born. They made our Mom famous for delivering them via spontaneous vaginal delivery with normal birth weights, all three of them have APGAR score 9,9. Yeah, beat that!! No noted prenatal and fetomaternal complications. All three of them have unremarkable growth and developmental history with complete immunization c/o private pediatrician. They were breastfed until 6 months of age (don't ever ask me how many boobs our Mom has. she has only one pair. now go ahead and ask her how she managed feeding them!), weaned thereafter with all the nutritious foods that our Mom can come up with. Indeed, she's a wonderwoman at that. 

Trivia: all throughout Mama's pregnancy, we thought there were only two babies in her tummy. That's what her OB-GYN said because that's what she saw in the ultrasound. "You got two boys in your uterus, Missus". That's what she told our parents. So when the nurse went out of the delivery room announcing that the second baby was a GIRL, my Dad couldn't fathom how the doctor mistaken her daughter for a son!! The problem was, he wasn't ready for a girl's name for he prepared two names for both of the boys. Haha!! 

Now, when the nurse went out again informing us of the arrival of the THIRD baby, I swear I was only five but the scene plays vividly in my mind, my Dad and I were jumping back and forth outside the delivery room screaming "We got triplets, we got triplets!!!" (In Maranao though, we don't speak English at home! Haha). I also remember my grandmother scolding my Dad for being overjoyed when we do not know if Mama was still alive. Alhamdulillah, Mama was fine all throughout her birthing period she didn't even look like she'd given birth to THREE PEOPLE every FIVE minutes! How crazy could that be? 

Growing up, I often tease my sister of being "ampon". Nyahahaha! I used to tell her that her real mother was the woman who was also inside the delivery room with Mama who cannot afford to raise her and since our parents are generous, we adopted her. Hahaha! Good thing she didn't took it seriously. 

Happy birthday T'lowa*!!! I wish you all the best in this lifetime. I hope and pray that we just don't grow old but we GROW UP too, that's more important because it entails maturity in dealing with the harshness and glories of life. Cling to what Papa keeps on teaching us, and Inshaa Allah, we will all be guided. I love you three and I miss you much!! 

*T'lowa is Maranao word for triplets.