I'm back on my feet!

I feel great today. Despite still having a slight rash around my legs and arms. The rashes around my back, abdomen and face are almost gone. More importantly my mood is back to it's usual self. I am once again chirpy and smiley. Papa says his 'Mr Sunshine' has returned after five nasty days. I am rearing to go and eager to catch up with the world once again.

Fever Update Day 5: The fever broke late yesterday. In its place, little red spots have started popping up all over my body. So it was a viral infection after all. The doctors call it exanthem subitum or roseola infantum. My Aunty Elena says that this is normal, and marks the end stages of the viral infection. Thankfully, it is also not the kind of rash associated with Dengue fever. Papa now calls me his 'incy-wincy pokka dotted pinky baby'. The worst is over thankfully.

Fever Day 4, afternoon update: Things are looking a little brighter this afternoon. The urine test results were negative, which means that I do not have a urine infection. Added to that, my fever has subsided this afternoon. So papa is holding back the medicines until it is necessary. Everyone has their fingers crossed that the fever will not come back. My condition tonight will be telling. Papa is heaving a much relished sigh of relief for the moment.

Fever Day 4, morning update: Papa skipped work today to be with me. The fever unfortunately has not subsided. At 7am today, it was still spiking up to the 39degC range without the medicines. Papa brought me to see uncle Simon at Mount Alvernia Hospital this morning. Uncle Simon did a full physical examination. He too is not sure what it is at the moment. I will be having my urine tested for infections. He has also prescribed some strong antibiotic medication for later should the high fever trend continue. The only thing we can do now is to contain the high temperatures and to keep me hydrated. I am feeling more miserable and tired. My appetite is worse and my body is aching. I wish this would all go away. Papa says that I have to be strong and fight to get better, like I have always done. I hope that I will be well before my first birthday which is just around the corner. Pray for me mummy.

Fever Day 3: As I enter the 3rd day of my fever, I have lost much of my usual energy. I have been feeling listless and lethargic. The medicine they put into my bum is starting to irritate me, and I have been having loose stools. My bum hurts. The fever has been spiking up into the 39degC range the whole day. So I continue to take my 4 hourly paracetamol syrup and 6 hourly 'Voltaren' suppositories to help control the raging fires within me. They have even changed my milk to soy milk, hoping it will not irritate my gastric so much. Everyone at home has been standing vigil over me today.

Papa brought me down to the hospital in the morning for a blood test. The results were not conclusive. Papa's worst fear is that I may have contracted Dengue fever. We will only know by Day 5 (this coming Tuesday). Meanwhile everyone is hoping the fever would have broken by then.

Fever Update: Day 2 of my fever- and it still hasn't subsided. In fact, its being spiking up above the 39degC range the whole day. It has every one at home mildly concerned. Despite the 4 hourly panadol syrups and 6 hourly suppositories, the fever has yet to be contained. I am feeling a little more sluggish than normal, and am eating less than my usual pig-outs. The baths and wet sponge wipes help a little. Papa says that if it continues till tomorrow, I may have to go for a blood test to verify what is causing it. *sigh*

Fever! I've got the blues today! I have had papa worried the whole day. I developed a high fever early this morning- 38.4degC. It has been spiking the whole day since. Only controlled by the medicines that they feed me through my mouth. It spiked up higher in the mid-day, and again tonight at about 8pm when it went up as high as 39.6degC! That freaked everyone out. It's even got papa praying momentarily. I've been sponged down several times and have even had medicines placed in me 'where the sun don't shine'. Twice. Ouch! It's going to be a long sleepless night for some of us.

Never know how much I love you
Never know how much I care,
When you put your arms around me
I get a fever that's so hard to bear

You give me fever, when you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight.
Fever, in the morning,
Fever all through the night.

Sun lights up the daytime,
Moon lights up the night
And I light up when you call my name
And Oooh I'm gonna treat you right

You give me fever
When you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever, in the morning
Fever all through the night.

-Peggy Lee, Annie Ross

All through eternity

Beauty unveils His exquisite form

in the solitude of nothingness;

He holds a mirror to His Face

and beholds His own beauty.

He is the knower and the known,

the seer and the seen;

No eye but His own

has ever looked upon this Universe.

His every quality finds an expression:

Eternity becomes the verdant field of Time and Space;

Love, the life-giving garden of this world.

Every branch and leaf and fruit

Reveals an aspect of His perfection-

The cypress give hint of His majesty,

The rose gives tidings of His beauty.

Whenever Beauty looks,

Love is also there;

Whenever beauty shows a rosy cheek

Love lights Her fire from that flame.

When beauty dwells in the dark folds of night

Love comes and finds a heart

entangled in tresses.

Beauty and Love are as body and soul.

Beauty is the mine, Love is the diamond.

They have together

since the beginning of time-

Side by side, step by step.

-Rumi

Diary of Baby Blues & Mondays....

8.00 am, wake up late for school. Hangover from last night's beer. Find papa pacing beside my bed in slight distress. A smile of relief washes over his face as I rouse from my restful stupor.

8.15 am, drink my breakfast bottle of milk, tastes insipid beside my beer, no appetite, don't finish all.

8.30 am, choke on my morning phlegm and puke up ALL the milk over the floor and onto parts of papa's sleeve.

8.35 am, forced to take 2 types of horrible medicines for the phlegm. Resistance is futile.

8.40 am, sitting in my car seat, on the way to school, sneeze up 3 times, 3 huge thick mucous globs of greenish phlegm all over my face, drooping over my mouth. Doesn't taste half as bad before my frantic papa has to perform minor calisthenics leaning over in the middle of morning rush hour traffic, 3 times, to wipe the gob out of my mouth and off my face.

8.50 am, arrive in school, cry forlornly at papa, clinging tightly to his shirt as I am ripped from his arms, before papa discovers that my poorly assembled diaper has leaked! That's not before I decided to take a crap. Curry colored, rotting durian smelling poop all over papa's nicely pressed shirt. Papa lets out a deathly groan and mutters words I've not heard him say before. Straight to the bathroom for the both of us.

9.00 am, Papa gets back into car with a sigh of relief. Sniffing the air suspiciously, he discovers that poop has oozed its way onto the car-seat too! Dandy! Papa forced to drive with windows down all the way to work. Odourful images of the effects of heat on poop in humid dank car-park over a whole day waft across his screen as he posts a sale on eBay: "baby for sale"......

My Personal Gym Session

It's the Year of The Golden Pig!

That's me 'pigging' out on my milk.
I can only hold the bottle for a short while on my own...

Cousin Timmy and Me in traditional outfits...

Cousins Andrew, Timmy and Me...slip sliding away...

I Love Durians!

No kidding!

Cousin Debbie and Me...not so sure about all this kissy-feely stuff...

Wishing one and all a peaceful, healthy and prosperous Chinese New Year...