PROUD OF YOU, MOM

Mother’s Day will be celebrated in Mexico on Wednesday and in the U.S. on Sunday, so we’re recognizing mothers all week long with a series of essays and illustrations of flowers. Below, three local journalists write about being mothers. Please visit sandi

MY DAUGHTER’S JOURNEY TO BEING A GREAT MOTHER

I became a stepmom when I married into a blended family almost two decades ago. My husband Luis had three young children in Mexico who would soon be joining us in the U.S.

Imagine our emotional shock after learning Sirena, the eldest, was expecting her own baby at the tender age of 13. How and when could something like this have happened? As parents, we asked ourselves “Were we to blame?”

At the time, Sirena was experiencing the breakup of her dad and her biological mother. She was hurt, angry and confused. She decided she wanted to remain in Mexico with her paternal grandma to attend middle school. It turns out her young boyfriend Daniel in Mexico had experienced a similar situation with his parents as a young child. Was that what bonded them? She later told me, “Yes.”

In 2009, Sirena arrived alone, three months pregnant. She was 4 feet 11 inches tall, 95 pounds, with a tiny stature. She wore a size one.

Her younger siblings were already here. And our family grew overnight.

I had given birth to my son Erick three years earlier so all my baby education was fresh in my mind. I attended every doctor’s appointment with her. At one, her doctor said Sirena was the youngest patient she’d ever had. She had a fairly smooth pregnancy, but she did not want to go to school pregnant, so we allowed her to put her education aside until after her child was born.

There were language barriers here as

Sirena’s English was limited, but the young couple talked long distance every day by video chat in Spanish. Daniel was in middle school and working at a store part-time in Mexico. Sirena helped me at home with domestic chores and cared for her younger brothers and sister.

Sirena’s labor was intense. My husband and I spent the night at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital.

The baby was minutes away from having to be born by emergency cesarean section, but in the end it was a natural birth. Dahiana

Salinas made her way into the world healthy, with giant rosy cheeks weighing in at 6 pounds, 11 ounces.

Ask any mother and she will confirm the first five months of any child’s life is chaotic, especially the first. The fatigue and roundthe-clock feedings can sometimes suck the joy out of motherhood. I had no idea Sirena was suffering in silence, but she later told me she was in fact depressed and felt very much alone: “I just said to myself, ponte las

Sirena is living proof that with the right support system, anything is possible. We’re so proud of her.

pilas, which means get yourself in gear and get to work.” On the outside, she only showed pride and joy. That baby was her world. In fact, I don’t recall getting up in the middle of the night once to help her.

When Dahiana was 1, Daniel joined his daughter and Sirena with us in Chula Vista. They attended Montgomery High School and devoted their lives to taking care of their baby. Daniel’s family had settled in Washington state and after a year of living with us, the young couple decided to relocate there.

Daniel’s family assisted with child care and eventually Dahiana was put in daycare. The couple finished high school and both got jobs. Sirena perfected her English and continued taking classes at the local community college. She obtained certification in early childhood education and in 2014 the couple bought their own house. Five years later, Sirena opened the doors of her own business, S & B Child Care, which she operates from her home.

Last year, Daniel and Sirena were married in Mexico in a beautiful church ceremony surrounded by their families. Along the way, Sirena gave birth to another healthy girl, Mariana, and five months ago, their third daughter, Liliana, was born.

Dahiana Salinas is now 13 years old. She’s a bilingual honor student. She takes tae kwon do classes, and just like her mother, she helps her parents care for her two younger sisters.

We are extremely proud of Sirena as a mom, a businesswoman and a role model. This young lady is living proof that with the right support system, anything is possible.