I’m officially a teen mom… este, a Mom Of A Teen! I honestly don’t know how to feel. On one hand, I love that I now have a little bestie to share secrets with and ask for advice. On the other hand, my heart aches because I miss my tiny buddy so much.

It’s such a bittersweet transition. I love having a partner-in-crime and a travel buddy rolled into this amazing person I call my son. But looking at him now, taller than me and so grown up, I can’t help but feel a pang of regret. I feel like I wasn’t able to make the most out of all the opportunities to be with him as an infant, a toddler, and a little boy.

I was present for 99.9% of his life, but sometimes I feel like just “being there” wasn’t enough. I get teary-eyed remembering his little self dancing around like nobody was watching, clutching a microphone and singing with all his might. I miss the little boy who would ramp the runway with all his sparkle or spend hours doing toy reviews for the camera.

I’ll admit, I shed tears for the moments I missed over the last few years. There were days (almost 2 years, actually!) I worked more than half the day, only getting to see him in time to kiss him goodnight. He learned how to sleep by himself because I was still busy. I remember when he used to beg me to sleep beside him, and I’d get frustrated because I had “so much to do.” When did that stop? When was the last time he asked? I don’t even know.

He just grew up.

But there’s no time for regrets now. There are only moments to cherish even more. I may miss all your younger versions, Coco, but every single one of them is my favorite.

The Big 1-3 Celebration

We had a little midnight drama. Coco was so assuming that we had a cake for him and were planning a 12 midnight surprise. It was honestly hilarious because he was clearly waiting for it, even though we kept telling him to go to sleep since we had to be up early.

He was finally, reluctantly, trying to drift off when Dada, at 10 minutes past midnight, brought out the cake. We greeted him a Happy 13th, and seeing that grin on his face made the late night worth it. He might be a teenager now, but he’s definitely not too old for the midnight cake tradition!

Our day started bright and early at school. It was actually his Recognition Day! It was such a proud “stage mom” moment to see him receive a Sports Excellence certificate for his football wins, alongside a “With Honors” award for the school year. Seeing him excel both on the field and in the classroom is the best gift a parent could ask for.

He didn’t have a specific wish list this year, but I still surprised him with some gifts I knew he’d love. And of course, being the “IG Mum” that I am, I prepared a little backdrop for his birthday photos!

For lunch, we headed to his favorite, Shakey’s, with my mom. It was a simple, happy meal before I had to head back to work. He also got his gift from Mama, a brand new electric fan, because his got broken few weeks ago. I didn’t take a leave that day because I was saving it for the following Monday to watch the college team play in the NCAA101 football championship. (Spoiler alert: They won! 🏆)

The afternoon took a turn when he found out his friends were over at his friend, Martin’s house, who is also celebrating his birthday (in advance). He insisted on going, so he spent the rest of his special day and night celebrating with his barkada. (Whuuut he has a barkada now!).

It wasn’t exactly how I pictured our 13th birthday celebration going, but seeing him so happy with his friends made it worth it. Plus, tipid-tipid muna tayo anak! Your mom is turning 40 soon and she wants to do something special for herself too! Hahaha!

I love you, Coco Marcus! 13 years of my life down, and all of my lifetime to go. It’s always been for you. Happy 13th Birthday!

WanderWoMom Tips: Sometimes the best celebrations aren’t the grandest parties, but the ones where they feel most like themselves—whether that’s on a football pitch or hanging out with friends.