First V-Day post as Daddy in Bangkok: Saluting all mothers!

Baby Noah's precious feet

So that's it.

The arrival of Noah on the 1st of February meant that my evolution in Bangkok is complete. I did not plan to come in the first place, but with a strange twist of fate, I became a stranger, an entrepreneur, a husband, an uncle and now, a dad in this land of a thousand smiles.

It has been a journey of twists and turns, culminating in an emotionally and physically-draining (for my wife at least) day that finally saw the birth of little Noah. Seeing him for the first time, all grey and gooey, then following him through his first hairwash, shower, injection and change of civilian clothes felt so surreal. As much as I would complain to people that he doesn't look enough like me, I am actually beaming inside that I see my dearest miniature Li Li everytime I take a little glance at him. He has my blood type and long limbs like me, so what more should I ask for?

The Samitivej baby waiting to go home

I told Li Li that giving birth, for me, felt like a woman reaching her physical potential, the kind of potential you would never know you had unless you went through it, the kind of potential that a man wouldn't dare dream of possessing.

Through my wife's 3 days in hospital, I could only watch in admiration as she took every step to prepare for the c-section operation, bearing the pain of the wound to feed the baby barely a couple of hours after the operation, and being awaken no more than every 3 hours to ensure the baby had enough to eat when she could not even get off the bed by herself. It really broke my heart when I could only watch, knowing my only tangible contribution would be to pay off the bill at the end of the day.

Catching Noah's smile on camera for the first time

The journey of becoming a father has been one of the most emotional times of my life. Maybe one has to go through this to really appreciate how great their parents have been, especially their mothers.

Our first family portrait

With this post on this very special Valentine's Day, I would like to salute all the noble mummies around, not only my son's mummy and my own mummy, but to each and every mummy (yes, that's you over there), because you have weathered the lot to ensure the health and upbringing of the new generation, and you have summoned courage and strength buried deep inside you that you might never know you had to make it happen, all in the name of love.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.