Merdeka Day: First admission

Today is our country's independence day. Victoria had slight flu on Friday which disappeared after I gave her a dose of piriton on Saturday morning, before our trip out to 1 Utama. Of course, the side effect makes her drowsy and she ended up sleeping in the stroller while bb brother sleeps in Kakak's arm during my lunch with a good friend. She purged twice in the shopping mall.

Back home in the evening she was feverish. I gave her a dose of paracetamol which she immediately vomitted. A couple of hours later, I tried again with a different color paracetamol (I keep a few of these at home which were prescribed by her paed) and I think the taste is better. Her purging continued, twice during dinner and another time near midnight.

This morning I touched her head and it was very warm. I sponged her, and even in her sleepy state, she made a mild attempt to resist me. At one point, I placed the damp towel on her forehead and covered her ear, which she then immediately said, "Hey, don't sponge my ear." That was quite hilarious, considering that she was feverish and tired.

Hubby had classes the whole day, and an important presentation in the afternoon. However, he managed to talk to the lecturer for a few hours off to bring her to the hospital, after I updated him on Victoria's condition. She purged at least 6 more times in the span of 2 hours, at times uncontrolled. Before daddy came home, we opened her new paint colours and brushes and painted some pictures.

I stayed home with the baby and maid, while hubby brought Victoria to the emergency ward. At noon, I was informed that she was to be admitted for observation as her body seemed dehydrated. Victoria's first admission to the hospital.

Admist the rain, I bundled the maid and baby into the car, "tapau-ed" our lunches, and drove to the hospital.

We arrived just in time to walk in with Victoria, who was wheeled to the children's ward. Her room is a nice single room, C528 and the view is her daddy's tall office building.

Her right hand was bandaged, inserted with the needle to be fitted to the drips later. We later found out that she must have ate something wrong, and had bacteria in her gastro and intestine. This normally last 5 days, and since her symptoms started 2 days ago, the doctor expect her to be fully recovered by Tuesday. That means a 3 days 2 nights stay.

Fortunately, I brought Heh Heh, her favourite doll to accompany her. Hubby cut his class short, thanks to an understanding lecturer, and packed more essential things for her in the afternoon, including her favourite story books. Mama and Yeh Yeh drove up to visit her in the afternoon, and stayed on till evening to help housesit. Popo took a train up to take care of Victoria overnight in the hospital.

I put Victoria back on diapers to keep her stool as requested by the doctor and also prevent her from accidentally soiling her pants. She wasn't used to it. She was also not used to being pampered when feeding, but I told her, "When you're in hospital, dear, mummy feed you and do everything for you. When you're well and back at home, you can feed yourself and do things yourself." So she understood and the very next moment, she was asking me to give her water, take out her socks, wear back her clean socks, close the curtains, feed her her muffin. Hhmm... she's definitely enjoying the attention, but I'm happy to just be with her. She even jokingly told me that the hospital blanket "kucik" (tickle) her because she didn't want to be covered. : )

The whole day, Victoria has been braved and put on a cheerful front albeit some crying when in pain. She showed maturity beyond her age, and I am proud of her.

When I got home in the evening to care for William, I can immediately feel the emptiness in the house. The house is quiet, and tears well up in my eyes. I miss her. As I eat my dinner alone while hubby remains in the hospital with Victoria till later tonight, her absence swell inside me.

No "Eat your food, Victoria"... no little girl's singing or laughing. No one to say to, "Sit down and eat, quickly!" or "Quickly eat" or "Come on, hurry up". No little girl running around, saying, "See mummy..." and no little girl's chattering.

No Victoria in the house. It's not the same. Even Kakak commented the same. I smiled, and kept quiet.

I will miss putting her to sleep tonight and all the nightly rituals we go through.

Victoria, get well soon, and come home. Mummy and Daddy miss you. So does baby brother William.

William's baby dedication at Agape Gospel Assembly

Pastor Benjamin Yeoh obliged us when we asked if he could bless our baby boy and dedicate him to God, just as he did for Victoria. So we set August 24th, 2008 as the designated date.

William was calm, and as we walked up the aisle as a family to the stage where Pastor would pray for him, I thank God for this family. We are a young family and we are inexperienced parents. But we lift up our children to God, praying and hoping that we will guide them the right way, teach them good values and habits, and impart with them our knowledge. I want to give them a loving family environment, the same way as I was brought up in, but each time I lose myself when my patience is tested, I quietly ask them to forgive Mummy.

Dear God, bless my two children that they will walk in faith in You. And if I shall stumble in bringing them up, please guide me that they will see Your love through us.

Most importantly, bless them with good health, and the love and company of good friends and loved ones.

Backwards: Daddy I wanna see lion dance!

This year Victoria saw her first lion dance. A real lion dance. She's been asking to see one, so daddy took her to Cycle & Carriage's showroom to watch a real lion dance. We pre-empted her on what to expect... the loud drums, the men wearing the lion dance and in the lion suit, the oranges, etc so she would not be afraid.

She was truly excited before the show. Here are some pictures taken during the dance, which she braved through without any fear (unlike Mummy when she was a toddler!). One of the lions even offered her an orange!

These are the lions she saw...

A few days later we brought her to a buffet dinner organized by Sunrise at Plaza Mont Kiara, where she watched her second lion dance.

Once in awhile now, she will tell me that she wants to see lion dance. Well, I hope next year she gets to see some interesting ones, this time together with baby brother William!

Junk food... it's my favourite

I had cravings for McDonald's fillet-o-fish burger for some weeks now but never got the chance to eat one. But last night, hubby surprised me by coming home early for dinner at 7pm, then we spent some family time together, while planning to go out for supper later.

The weather was wet, y'know, the kind of rain that never stops but just drag on. But I loved it (reminds me of a late autumn day in UK).

We have never brought Victoria to McD's before, and I don't intend to introduce fast food or junk food to her until age 5 if I can help it. The closest she got to fast food is A&W's waffle and onion rings, and yes, KFC twice (becoz her kindy had it). So whatever we were planning to eat, Victoria wanted too, so we offered french fries to her.

On the trip out, hubby and Victoria dropped by Petronas to withdraw some moolah ($$) and bought a packet of Mamee too, while I stayed in the car with William. I dunno who wanted the Mamee more ;) but in the car Victoria said it's for me and quickly asked me to open it to share it with her.

No thanks, I said. Hhmm... no way and no amount of pestering, I thought, am I gonna let her eat that.

Why, she asked.

I explained that it's junk food. And that these kinda food is not good for her.

Back at home, while digging into our supper, hubby asked for the Mamee packet. So now I know he wants to eat it too.

Victoria told me, after we agreed to let her eat just a liltttttleee bit of Mamee (without the seasoning), that "I loveeeee junk food, mummy. This is my faavvvvoouuurritteee." She had to emphasized on those words. Of course, I hear only la.

Apparently she's tasted Mamee before because a girl in kindy offered it to her. Sigh, so much for my efforts to abstain her from junk food.

Mummy makes me smile when at the traffic light

William normally has his nap in the morning and wakes just in time for a feed, or to pick his sister up from kindy.

Here's some pictures taken this week while on the way to pick Victoria up from kindy.




Hope you enjoy the pics just as I enjoy taking them.

He sleeps by himself

William, is such a cheerful baby. So far, he's been relatively easy to care for, and I also thank God also for a capable maid. I think he's more independent and doesn't insist to be carried all the time.

A few times, close to five, since he was born, he has fallen asleep by himself. I think that's what most mummys would envy. But I won't say too soon... coz babys change and so does their habits, and after going thru one, I'm very "pantang" on this one.

So don't say this in front of him. : )

Shi Shi

Two days ago on Monday, Victoria gave Heh Heh a bath with Kakak. Heh Heh dried in time to sleep with Victoria at night, and as usual, Victoria dressed her doll up in her baby brother's smaller clothes and rocked her to sleep.

Sometime during the night, Victoria woke me and told me that her pants are wet. Hhm.. another accident. She hasn't peed in her pants during the night for a long time now, but no sweat, I've already got the mattress protector, and all I needed to do was to change her pants. I can leave the bedsheet for the maid in the morning, and just move Victoria up my bed.

But when I changed her, I noticed that the bedsheet was not drenched in urine. Then I saw Heh Heh. I picked her up, and yucks... poor Heh Heh, who was just cleaned earlier that day, was now soaked in urine, together with all the clothings she was wrapped in.

In the morning, Victoria apologized to Heh Heh, and I told the maid to give the doll another bath. However the weather wasn't good the whole day, and today Heh Heh is still out sunbathing (thank God for good sunshine this morning).

As for last night, Victoria woke up at 5am, and asked me to sleep with her. I agreed, but said Mummy need to go toilet first and asked her if she wanted to come along. I didn't bother with her reply, and as I was sitting on the "throne" with my eyes closed (coz I was sleepy, why else!), suddenly I opened my eyes and saw her standing in front of me.

After Victoria answered nature's call, we went to sleep together. She's not been wearing her diapers for some months now, and so far thank God, it's not been that challenging or frustrating coz she cooperates by going to pee before she sleeps, and rarely have any "accidents" during her sleep.