Miriam’s best gift for her newborn

Miriam Quiambao with husband Ardy (right) and son Elijah

For Miriam Quiambao-Roberto, the joy of holding her newborn baby boy, Elijah, beats the euphoria she felt when she won first runnerup in the 1999 Miss Universe pageant.

Miriam and her hubby, Ardy, got their Valentine’s gift from heaven two days after, on Feb. 16. She already got the feel of motherhood in raising Joshua (Ardy’s son, whom Miriam loves like her own). So, she’s raring to relish motherhood joys all the more with Elijah. At 43, Miriam still has what it takes to be a “hot mama” and “ulirang ina.”

Here’s my chat with Miriam:

What scares you about motherhood?  It’s the thought of hurting unknowingly a newborn so fragile as I try to discover this side of motherhood.

Tell us about your delivery. One of the best parts was when I was in the OR being cut up, and I felt God’s overwhelming love, protection and assurance that, even though I was about to give birth preterm, I knew that He was in control.

Recently, I was recounting every memory of the past four years and was overwhelmed again with emotion as I held Elijah next to my heart and watched him satisfy himself with my breast. God is so good and faithful to His promises. I am ever so grateful for this blessing.

What kind of mom do you intend to be?  I plan to breastfeed for as long as I can (ideally up to two years). I will be a hands-on mom.

What lessons will you pass on to your kids? My mom was an organized disciplinarian and a great money manager. I will instill the same in my children.

How do you balance being a wife and a mother?  The best gift we can give our children is a complete family, with parents who love and care for each other. I’ll do my best to put my husband as a priority over my children so that they will have a model of what a husband and wife relationship should be.

For now, I will be occupied with my newborn, but I still want to take the time to go on a date with my husband once a week and address his needs.

Will you resume your show biz career?  I will take the time to care for my newborn for the first few months and maintain online exposure by reviving my YouTube channel. I want to share my pregnancy and motherhood journey.

Ardy and I have a new business to run, The  Learning Hub by Homeschool Global, in Alabang. I still plan to continue hosting for The 700 Club Asia and if there will be offers to host a lifestyle show in the major networks, I am open.

When your baby grows up, what love advice will you give him? The greatest love you could ever experience is the love relationship between us and God. I want to raise him to be a lover and follower of Jesus. It is only when we are filled, complete and overflowing in this relationship with God that we are able to give ourselves completely to another person.

Love isn’t just a feeling. It is a commitment to love an imperfect person to the best of our ability, and for his/her highest good. The only way it is possible to be able to love this way is to be filled with the love of God.

New drama series

How can you love a child, whom you have treated as your own, after finding out that her true parents ruined your dreams of raising your real daughter?

That’s the gist of GMA 7’s enthralling daytime soap, “Hiram na Anak,” which premieres today before “Eat Bulaga.” It stars Yasmien Kurdi, Dion Ignacio, Paolo Contis and Lauren Young. Get ready for some mama-“daughta” drama.