Asthma Attack

Emmet was admitted to the haspital again for asthma last tuesday. Since he’s almost 2 years old, the doctors can now conclude that he does indeed have asthma.

He was down with a flu starting Monday. That night he started caughing and then wheezing by the time he got up in the morning. But he was still cheerful and active. I gave him one round of Ventoline but it didn’t stop the wheezing. After I gave him a bath then another round of Ventoline, it too didn’t work. He was beginning to feel tired and I knew it will go worse if I don’t bring him to the hospital soon. He definitely needed the nebulizer.

So I called and asked Ayep and Yas to pick up Mika. Emmet was having his nap at that time. So I quickly solat, changed and pack some stuff in case he had to be warded. Ayep and Yas were kind enough to drive us to the Temple St. Children’s Hospital.

Luckily we needn’t wait for more than 5 minutes to see the doctor. Emmet was already low on oxygen and cranky. He wanted his milk but he struggled to suck and breathe at the same time, making him cry even louder. After some history note taking, Emmet was given a round of nebs. Then we had to go for chest x-ray in case he had pneumonia, but thankfully he didn’t.

There were a few Malaysian medic students at the A&E. Miza was doing elective, Lin was on assignment, she was the one taking note on Emmet’s history.

After 3 rounds of nebs Emmet is still wheezing badly but he’s in much better condition. By early in the evening he’s already wanting to run around the A&E and got really frustrated when he wasn’t allowed to. Hence making his asthma worse again.

The doctor was still not satisfied with his progress, that’s when she sent us to the ward. There were two other patient, one a teenage girl with a serebral something condition, another a 1-yr-old baby with pneumonia.

Rizal came after work and Mad visited before he was chased off by the nurse after visiting hours are over. Emmet was still wheezing very loud throughout the night and he had trouble sleeping. I had to pat him almost all the time. And by the time he was fast asleep, he had to be woken up for nebs and medcine again. Then I had to pat him to sleep again. So overall I only get one good hour of sleep after I pray before closing my eyes ‘Satu jam pun jadi la..’ Memang betul-betul after one hour Emmet pun jaga balik. By then it was already 8am.

Breakfast for Emmet at the hospital was a bowl of oat porridge. It was also his dinner the evening before. I requested powdered baby rice since they didn’t have anything on the menu that Emmet was not allergic to or favoured. But of all the powdered food that they have in the kitchen, they didn’t have any baby rice. They promised to get some that morning.

But by lunchtime, they said they couldn’t get any baby rice. Luckily Emmet was happy to settle for another bowl of oat porridge. And luckily I brought along his cream crackers before we left for the hospital yesterday. After that no sign of baby rice whatsoever until the end of our stay…

I was ready to go home since Emmet was already quite well and just slightly wheezing. But the doctor said he had to stay for another night of nebs and without oxygen before they can release him. To make matters worse we had to switch to another ward with more kids. There was a kid of near Emmet’s age named Connor. He got loads of toys with him. Emmet would always go to Connor’s bed and grab a toy and when I said “No!” he would scream and throw it away in anger.

And I thought that’s it…one more night and I’m gone. I don’t care what the doctor would say. So I constantly nag the nurse asking if I could go home after the next round of visits from the doctors. Psycho sket nurse2 ni so they would not tahan with my nagging and ask the doctor to release me. Hahaha…nice tactic huh.

And it seemed to work gradually. That 2nd night I didn’t care I took off the wires connecting Emmet with a machine that beeps every time the oxygen level went below 94%. Of course it went low when he didn’t breathe for a while searching for my nipple. They gave me a foldable mattress to sleep on the floor. I took Emmet out of the cot to sleep with me on the mattress. The nurse must be a bit pissed off about the wires I noticed they put it back on Emmet when we were asleep. Hahaha…

Don’t worry…. I assure you I wasn’t being a bad mom. I know Emmet was already well on his standard. He couldn’t go any worse but only better at this point. Mother’s instinct…

I however need some good rest so that I can take better care of Emmet. If I dont get enough rest I can’t take care of other people.

3rd Anniversary

Yesterday was our 3rd wedding anniversary. I’ve always liked the number 3. We never celebrated our 1st and 2nd anniversary. We thought it would be better to celebrate after 5 or 10 years. But this time, although we didn’t plan for any celebration as it is not a practice of us to celebrate other than Hari Raya and birthdays, I just thought maybe a simple celebration would be nice.

It wasn’t anything special, just different. And it was last minute too. At first I thought of making a reservation at a restaurant. But the only halal restaurant that’s suitable for a fine dining celebration-type atmosphere does not accept children after 6pm, and I wanted to celebrate with Emmet too. Plus no time to prepare and rush to the restaurant, that’s on the other side of the river, with me still minding Mika and his daddy said he’s going to be late.

I also thought of ordering flowers to be delivered Rizal’s office, but then again….naaaahhh!!!! I might as well spend the money buying a pack of condoms…..hahahhaha!!!

So last-last, I made Sup Daging, Rizal’s favourite dish. Kat M’sia dulu time couple, every time will go to gerai tom yam and every time also order sup daging. Tak sup daging, tom yam. Sungguh keKelantanan laaa…. I also made my signature sambal belacan yg glemer n fofulaarrr itteewwww.

Then there was a half eaten M&S choc fudge cake on the table. I made a little banner and stick on it. Made some carrot tempura, loved to make it ever since I ordered the vege tempura in Yamamori.

Table decoration! Grabbed a nice new tie rack scarf and transformed it into a table runner. Hahahahh!!!!! I do take attention to details. Thought about going to kutip some yellow grass flowers to put on the table. Tapi slalu dah petang flowers tu dah layu. Aaahh…forget it!

Rizal wasn’t home yet! Me pun put on some nice clothes, siap do my hair n make up sikit2. Sooo over yuuuuuuu.

Rizal got home at 9.15pm drenched in rain. He didn’t even remember the anniversary. He said he was so busy at work and had to finish late. Aaahhh…that’s ok. No big deal for me. It’s just a wedding date. Not like jatuh talak if lupe anniversary or something like that. And I understand his difficulty at work so I decided not to push it.

Anyway, he was surprised, looking that there was a cake on the table and made a silly remark like ‘eh, birthday siapa ni?’ Freaaakk!!! But he planted a kiss and hugged me n Emmet.

Then we ate sambil tengok The Apprentice UK.

That’s all for our anniversary. After makan, I breastfed Emmet and changed his nappy and PJ and put him to sleep. Me pun tertido skali….

A Tribute to Pak Lang

I got up early in the morning reading a text from my sister saying Pak Lang passed away a few hours ago. He’s been having lukemia for I think over a year now. I guess everybody was prepared for this.

I don’t actually know what to do with funerals actually. So I just read yasin and al fatihah je in private. Even if I call, I don’t know what to say to the family. Never good at this kinda things.

Pak Lang was my mom’s brother. He was the less pandai of all the siblings when they were kids, my mom used to story us la. But he sure is the kindest and humblest and most patient and yg paling rajin of all. He never even once took an MC, went to work even when he was sick. I remember he was awarded best employee by JKR.

He used to work as I don’t know what in JKR for all his life before pencen. Field work with little pay and definitely not a top job. He even had to borrow money from my mom to buy a car that he used until he died. He really took good care of expensive things like that. All his working life, he lived in that small run down 2-bedroom linked rumah papan JKR quarters in Sungai Siput. He’s got a wife and 3 daughters like my mom. Eldest sebaya with my sister and the second sebaya with me.

Berkat keimanan, kesabaran and kerajinan dia, I really thing he lived his life very well indeed. I really admire him and his family the most. I think he died a very happy and fulfilled man knowing he has achieved what he always wanted for the family.

He raised his daughters with so much love and respect that I always see my cousins even though dah kawin pun still like to peluk cium and cuddle2 with their parents. They are like buddies with Pak Lang and Mak Lang but in the same time have the greatest respect to them. Nak keluar rumah je sure salam cium tangan, pipi, dahi mak bapak.

The eldest daugter I call Kak Pizah, entered MRSM Beseri and now a cikgu in Kulim. Being a traditional father, parents sure bangga ada anak dia yang jadi cikgu rite. She got married to a mak aiihh very very nice fella yang muka penuh dengan cahaya keimanan and sejuk mata memandang and at the same time full of wits boleh tahan jugak mamat tu. She had some trouble getting pregnant, had 2 misscarriages and his first son died after a few days dilahirkan, all due to her diabetes. She adopted her husband’s sister’s daughter before finally getting pregnant again giving birth to a baby. But the baby is still not very well but very smart. Bless her…what a big heart to have adopted other person’s child.

His second daughter is the same age as me, we call her Ikin. She is definitely the smartest of all us cousins. She got straight As for everything. Entered MRSM Jasin, graduated among top students, got a good job as engineer at Sony Penang with very good pay and got to travel to Japan every month and now pursuing her PhD after completing her Masters in UTM.

His anak bongsu is called Adik Ina. The most intelligent jugak among us cousins. Entered MRSM mana I forgot, MRSM nevertheless. Now a doctor in Penang. She is so petite but pretty and cute with flawless whitest skin. Always smiling and shining penuh cahaya keimanan. Got married and a kid near Emmet’s age I think.

So there you have it, a cikgu, an engineer and a doctor, all anak2 yang solehah gitu. Parents mana yg tak rasa fulfilled camtu… They all gave money to their parents every month. Every raya everyone including all neneks and neneks sedare, atuk sedare, makciks and pakciks surely got duit raya from them threesome. Ratus2 tau diorang kasi. I also no duit to give to makciks n pakciks one tauu….

He died a happy man…with a beautiful and loving wife, one of my favourite aunty, so kampung yet outgoing. With 3 successful solehah daughters. And he got to at least see his daughters have his cucu-cucu. A house that he finally owned with his own money, a car that his daughters tried to pay back my mom but my mom wont accept. His daughters bought him a new wira the minute they start working already.

So to Pak Lang, I pray that Allah put you straight to heaven. Well done Pak Lang ku….

Brushing his teeth

Getting Emmet to let me clean his teeth is a real challenge. I know you are supposed to start brushing your baby’s teeth when the first tooth appeared. But I only started when Emmet started on his solid food, which was when he was about 6 months of age. Yea by that time biskut-biskut semua melekat di gigi.

At first, I was eager to use a toothbrush. He was ok for a few days before he realized that he prefered biting the other end of the toothbrush. So that was a failed attempt.

So since then, I swithced to just using wet cloth, cotton and cotton buds. It’s just that it was very hard to get Emmet to open his mouth or show his teeth because he kept muncungkan his lips or pushing my finger with his tounge. This method worked, even though every day was a struggle (physically). He screamed, shook his head, tendang-tendang. Macam-macam helah.

And when he started to learn to show his tantrum really well, I knew I had to change my brushing method again. So I guess it is time to show him once and for all, the proper brushing technique. And Emmet always like something new that he can play with anyway.

So that’s why I bought this new brushing kit. It’s got a toothbrush, a gum massager, a mirror and finger brush, which I love.

So far so good. Next step is to start using toothpaste. And I’d probably buy an electric toothbrush if I have some more money. Rizal tried his on Emmet and he loved it!

Traveling with a baby

Flights
Since Emmet is below 2 years old most airlines have fixed price. It’s usually around EUR 10.00. During check-in, along with the boarding pass, there should be a tag for Emmet’s buggy so that we can take it to the gate. When it is time for boarding, it’s either we leave the buggy in front of the gate or at the bottom of the stairs of the aircraft door. Somebody will pick it up and throw it into the baggage area.

By the time we land, we can find the buggy at the bottom of the stairs, or beside the gate, or at the carousel along with other checked-in luggage, depending on the airport.

Accommodation
Before making a booking on hotels, make sure to be informed about hotel policy on children. Some hotels do not accept children. Usually if they do, children who stay with parents are FOC. And some hotels do provide baby cot upon request.

Public transportation
So far we haven’t had much trouble with public transportation except when we were in Oslo. Getting a taxi there is quite tricky since they have strict policy on baby’s car seat. You need to get a taxi that has the facilities of babies’ car seat otherwise no taxi would take you anywhere in Oslo. Other places, we usually use Metro and the tricky part is getting up and down flights of stairs with a buggy. We find Quinny Zapp is much handier compared to the Graco we previously used when traveling. But still you need two people to carry the buggy up and down the stairs.

Though you are not supposed to use the escalator when handling a buggy, sometimes you are left with no choice when there isn’t any lift facility around the station. Using the escalator needs some practice, just be careful and hold on tight to the buggy. And make sure you position the buggy at the center of the escalator, you don’t want it to get stuck at the side, could be dangerous to you, the baby and everyone else that is using the escalator. Do consider all buggy facilities before opting for the escalator.

Busses have limited option on disables. Find busses with a disabled sign or a luggage area so you can fold the buggy and put it there. Busses with disabled facility usually allow you to carry the buggy with your child in it, so easier for you.

Changing
No matter what your husband says, always carry along a changing mat with you wherever you go with a baby. I am not confident with the changing mat they have around at any baby area anywhere in the world, except for hospitals (they are very very clean). So I always use my changing mat on top of the available changing mat.

Baby changing area is easily available in places we have been around Europe. I have only once changed Emmet at the airport in Oslo, they don’t have baby changing area at the terminal before queuing at the immigration counter. So I had to use the chairs. Wipes are equally important at times like these. So always carry wipes.

Feeding
For breakfast, I bring a small 0.2 liter container of oat flakes. That would be enough for a 4 day trip. Emmet only eats like 5 heap teaspoon of oat mixed with hot water for a breakfast. And I usually give his breakfast at the hotel before we go out in the morning. So I just asked the hotel for some hot water at the kitchen or the buffet area.

Since Emmet is still breastfeeding, we usually stop at restaurants or coffee shop during lunch and dinner. A round of breastfeed then I would prepare his porridge. His porridge is usually powdered baby rice mixed with hot water and some canned tuna or sardine that we get from supermarket or convenient shop that we can easily find everywhere. For the hot water to mix the rice I just ask the restaurant or the coffee shop for some and they are usually glad to help, FOC. I bring one packet (100g) of powdered baby rice for a 4 day trip on a basis of two meals a day. The tuna and sardine I can just get when we arrived. Baby chair is usually available at most restaurants, but not an important factor for us. My lap would do just fine.

Clothes and accessories
How many clothes and nappies do I bring for a 4 day trip? That’s 3 pairs of outing clothes, one PJ, 6 nappies for a 2 days spare(the rest I find it easier to buy when we arrived at our destination, giving more space in the luggage), I also bring a digital thermometer, winter jacket/ sweater, snow cap/cap, gloves, muffler, blanket and cotton buds.

Baby bag
What I have in my bag;
1. Three disposable nappies
2. A muslin square (to use as towel)
3. Wipes
4. Changing mat
5. Sudocream in small container
6. Emulsifying ointment (used moisturizer and soap)
7. A pair of clothes for spares
8. Spare socks
9. Snacks
10. Drinking water

Out and about
When we are out and about, I always provide him with snacks to keep him occupied. His snacks are rice cake, cream crackers, crisps by Organix (if we ran out of them, we try to find chips/crisps like Walkers that have some healthy choice with ingredients of only potato and sunflower oil and no salt and MSG. But luckily, Emmet usually naps in his buggy half of the time we are sightseeing.

During summer would be lighter to travel. Light clothing, a cap and the buggy must have sun shade. However, I would always bring a rain cover for the buggy in case it rains. Other than summer, Emmet is equipped with sweater/jacket, snow cap, gloves, muffler and blanket.

We have had little problems walking around Europe with a buggy. Most of the time there are wide pedestrian walk path, slopes at road junctions, buggy path beside small stairs, lifts. But I remember when we were back in Malaysia and Thailand, it was quite tricky with so many stairs at the shop lots and too narrow or no pedestrian walk path beside the roads. Even when we had to use the tar roads, there were so many lopak to elak.


Sesi soalan pule…

Today is a fabulous day!

Getting Emmet to let me clean his teeth is a real challenge. I know you are supposed to start brushing your baby’s teeth when the first tooth appeared. But I only started when Emmet started on his solid food, which was when he was about 6 months of age. Yea by that time biskut-biskut semua melekat di gigi.

At first, I was eager to use a toothbrush. He was ok for a few days before he realized that he prefered biting the other end of the toothbrush. So that was a failed attempt.

So since then, I swithced to just using wet cloth, cotton and cotton buds. It’s just that it was very hard to get Emmet to open his mouth or show his teeth because he kept muncungkan his lips or pushing my finger with his tounge. This method worked, even though every day was a struggle (physically). He screamed, shook his head, tendang-tendang. Macam-macam helah.

And when he started to learn to show his tantrum really well, I knew I had to change my brushing method again. So I guess it is time to show him once and for all, the proper brushing technique. And Emmet always like something new that he can play with anyway.

So that’s why I bought this new brushing kit. It’s got a toothbrush, a gum massager, a mirror and finger brush, which I love.

So far so good. Next step is to start using toothpaste. And I’d probably buy an electric toothbrush if I have some more money. Rizal tried his on Emmet and he loved it!

Bathtime

It is bath time at 10.00a.m.!
Mummy turns on the hot water tap and the cold water tap.
I watched the water filled the bath tub.
Mummy is in the bedroom to prepare my towel, my fresh nappy and my clean clothes.
Mummy turn off the water taps when the bath tub is half filled with water.
Mummy picks me up and carries me to the bedroom.
She takes off my clothes and put them into the laundry basket.
Then she cleans my nappy area before putting on a special soap all over my body.
Mummy carries me to the bathroom and put me into the bath tub.
She shampoos my hair and cleans my face and ears with cotton.
Then she rinse off the soap on my body.
I like playing with my toys in the bath tub.
I have a pirate ship in the bath tub.
I have a duck swimming in the bath tub.
But sometimes I like splashing water with mummy.
After we are finished bathing and playing, mummy wraps me with a towel and carries me to the bedroom.
She dries me up and put on nice clothes to me.
Not to forget the emulsifying ointment all over me.
Then I am off to play again!