My legs are still tired from almost running to fetch ZK just now, not cos I was running late but I was racing with the dark clouds! ZK and I just recovered so I didn't want either of us, and especially him, to get wet along the way. Thankfully, it didn't start to rain until he was almost asleep..
When I last updated substantially on ZK, it was about his third fever. So 小可怜 :(
So after going to NUH on Monday, we brought him to another GP downstairs on Wednesday when his cough got worse. This doc was very patient with all our queries. She looked down his throat, found it super red and gave him a once-a-day antibiotics in addition to bisolvon for his phlegm which I found to be way better than fluimucil. She also gave us some ibuprofen to alternate with paracetamol for high fever above 38.5 deg. But for fevers below 38 deg, she agreed with cool gel pack treatment.
She asked if ZK had vomited. I said no. Well, that evening, about an hour after he took some ibuprofen, bisolvon and milk, he merlion-ed behind me as I carried him upright *.* The white stuff was on our TV bench, the middle of the living and the front of our sofa. And it remained there for an hour odd as I couldn't get to it before he slept! Thank goodness he hadn't had his antibiotics then.
The next two mornings, I got an auntie from downstairs to babysit ZK while I worked from home; Mum helped in the afternoons. I thought he quite like Auntie Liza! He was so curious and his little hands were everywhere - no loose hair by the neck, skin different, "seat" bony, milk milk factory also different hoho! Auntie Liza was also very good with ZK - she's only in her 40s but has three kids.
He got well on the second day of LNY. But one week later, sigh, he got a fever again!!
I had super yellow mucous and a headache on the Sunday after LNY holidays. On Monday, I felt giddy and pukish on the way to work. Thankfully, Sito was with me - I almost left the house earlier without him! He sat with me at the platform for a while before the staff wheeled me to the staff room to rest. Sigh, still LNY season and I had to sit in a wheel chair - 大吉利事！After some 20-30 min, I was good enough to walk and went to office - since I was at Tanjong Pagar anyway - to get my laptop before cabbing home.
I felt better by then but saw the doc anyway who said "you look quite fine for 80/50 blood pressure" after measuring it three times - twice seated and once standing. Left with some decongestant and a two-day MC.
On the second day of my MC, ZK woke with a fever :(
So he didn't go to IFC, which was just as well, cos I was on MC and at home anyway, and I had a blocked duct somehow so my right boob was swollen and hurting at 4-7 o'clock since the night before! It wasn't until the late pm that he unblocked me.. Had to invert him to nurse on our bed so that his lower lips were on the top of my boob - can imagine? :p Anyway, it appeared that I had a milk blister. I had thought that was a mark left by his recent biting! That evening, he surprised us by clapping by himself suddenly!
I sent him to IFC the next morning but Mum had to pick him up cos he got feverish. Apparently, he was cranky the whole afternoon and refused to be put down. But he was fine the next morning so I sent him to IFC again. But it was so sad - he started to whine as I left the centre! :( Then I got a call before 10 am that he got feverish. So I took the rest of the day off to take care of him - I imagine it must be quite tough to take care of a cranky baby for two consecutive days. We had a lot of fun that day though - he was feverish but he was so happy!
I even took a video of him clapping...
... and pu-pu-ing saliva! 小臭臭 :)
Had to work on Friday but Mum had a mid-day appointment so Sito worked from home the whole day and got Auntie Liza to babysit while Mum was not available. No fever that whole day, phew! But I came down with a fever - 38.3 deg - and painful joint aches yesterday. Panadol did nothing. Ibuprofen did wonders! I thought I was going to have to take MC today but I woke up feeling good. Went to work after sending ZK to IFC.
Really, it's IFC. My friends were not kidding when they told me kids would fall ill upon admission to IFC/childcare. I kept bringing ZK out in his first five months and he was fit as a fiddle! In fact, J was saying that her J1 came down with a fever every two weeks since going to IFC at six months, reducing to every three weeks at two or three years old! Then the frequency reduced again to monthly at five years old - FIVE! AND STILL MONTHLY! *faint*
Before ZK started IFC, my last fever was in July 2010 - got it from Sito who got it from his colleague. And before that, none for more than 10 years! Baby viruses are scary. I bet Sito's colleague got it from his kid back in 2010...
Anyway, all these fever episodes really made me wonder if I should heed Mother's words to quit and be a SAHM - yes, she preached that to me every time she saw me since ZK was born. Like that, ZK doesn't fall I'll and I won't fall too ill, just my usual colds that I'm susceptible to; like that, I won't need to rely on others to babysit unless I want some time out; like that, I won't feel bad for entrusting others with a sick and cranky baby. But like that, we will only have one income; like that, we will have little to spare and save for our future; like that, I may feel good now only to feel guilty later when we can't give our kids a better life.
It's true. It sucks being a working mum. But no point feeling bad about it. Babies, being babies, will fall ill, especially when they're among many babies. Take it as building up their immunity in the hope that they will fare better when attendance in school really matters.
I remember an old boss saying that they gave in to fancy birthday parties etc in order to compensate for not being there all the time. I doubt we will do that, ha! Poor kids of the Sito household ;p But we'll make sure to compensate our weekday absence with our 100% presence in the weekends. My current job allows me to be in 100% over weekends except for this initial period and then perhaps two days a year. When Sito leaves his current job (eventually), he'll be in 100% as well.
Due to his or my illness, we haven't been out for fun for quite a while. Hopefully, we get to do something fun this weekend! Be doing a photo shoot, complimentary of his baby spa, at United Square. Maybe we can hang out there after that.. Or go baby spa! Hope he still likes it after missing it for two months!
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