HFMD

We have been well trained in church to spot for HFMD symptoms – fever, spots on fingers, feet, mouth, tongue… Week in week out, we conduct health check to ensure the children we take in are free of such symptoms…

BUT there are other ‘hidden’ or ‘subtle’ symptoms like sore throat, diarrhoea, crankiness that we can miss.

BB S had bad diarrhoea yesterday with 14 change of diaper. Doctor diagnosed as stomach flu and attributed the spots on her abdomen as viral reaction. We also secretly blamed the introduction of soft-boiled egg as the culprit.

Today, we thought her unusual cranky self today was due to her tummy. BUT in the evening, daddy M spotted some pox on her feet and off we went to the A&E again… The doc instantly diagnosed it as HFMD and washed his hands twice in the span of 10minute we were with him!

Thank God, her appetite is still good and there’s no fever. She’s sound asleep now… it’s been one long day.

Tomorrow will be better.

Peh Leh Di

 Uncle 4 passed on this morning. One is never well prepared for a death in the family, regardless whether it’s sudden or expected.

We had been warned earlier given his deteriorating health. Family living overseas were told by uncle 2 that the funeral would be a short one (if it happens), hence no need to rush home. Uncle 2, who has been taking care of  uncle 4 all these years believes in showing care to a person while he is alive and not after he’s gone. So I’m glad that we brought bb S home recently to visit uncle 4. Although he couldn’t talk during my last visit, I believe he recognised me and probably wanted to tell me that he’s happy to meet his grand-niece.

I’m sad but relieved that he’s with the Lord now, walking on streets of gold. It’s probably a release for him, who has been trapped in a body that couldn’t move about freely and lost the ability to talk over the past few months.

To our peh leh di (aka uncle 4 in Hainanese)…

A well-loved uncle by all of the nieces and nephews. You were never mad at us, no matter how naughty or silly we were. You just laughed.  In fact, you laughed all the time, even to those who were angry at you. You enjoyed walking so much that you walked miles and miles everyday  to the beach, the mountains, the city as if your legs were powered by engine. Some say that you would have achieved so much as a lawyer had you not gone into depression. But I say that you have lived a great life to your content. 

Pseudo getaway

My original idea of hubby-baby-maintenance was to take a short trip to Phuket before work starts to peak again. Alas, bb S was down with bronchitis a week earlier so we had to call off the idea and hang around in Singapore. So what have we been doing over the past few days? We tried new things everyday, or rather, new food, just like a tourist in a new place :)

1) Simply Bread at Cluny Court. The decor was simple with pure white tables and some wooden stools. The place smelled “fresh” but the food was so so only. I’m sold on the decor.

2) Udders – Mao Shang Wang durian ice cream. It was beyond description, as good as eating the real thing.

3) Gurney Drive at Jubilee Entertainment Complex, Ang Mo Kio. I thought maybe I could redeem myself from proclaiming my new love, and ordered a takeaway Penang Laksa from this joint. A total waste of money. Don’t even bother trying.

4) Itachio Sushi at Ion- It was M’s first time and I think he may be a new convert. Must tries: aburi fatty salmon, aburi wagyu beef, scallop sashimi to name a few. We also discovered Okono Matsu Tokubetsu Junmai- which we stocked up in the fridge now.

5) Fish Mart SAKURAYA at Parkway Parade. Now that we have Okono Matsu Tokubetsu Junmai in the fridge, it’s incomplete without some sashimi…

It’s been a good break.

My favourite PJ

Self explanatory.

If I could only choose one…

If I could only choose ONE dish to cheer me up, it would be this fatty and succulent aburi flounder from Inagiku. Although part of me feels like I’ve cheated on my life-long favourite Penang Laksa but I supposed Inagiku is more practical and accessible over flying back to Penang! Long distance just doesn’t work for me…

Alternative Singapore

On a drizzly Sunday afternoon, MSKS gathered at Spruce, celebrating M’s maiden photo exhibition, together with a few other ‘non professional’ photographers. The theme was Singapore Tourism. Forget about cheesy Singapore Zoo or Merlion, the photographers took the unorthodox ways to introduce Singapore with titles like alternative shopping at Arab Street, love for Laksa, colours of little India and Changi Point jetty. It was rewarding to see M’s hard work for the past few weeks on display.   We’re proud of you daddy M!

The exhibition will be on till end of July. So if you want to enjoy a cuppa in the midst of serene greenery, hop by Spruce and check out the photos.

Jetset blues

One of the common pains of working mothers with infants – business  travel (long or short-haul).  I’ll be in Hong Kong for 2 nights this week and an overnight trip to Vietnam next week. It’s not a happy thought. In the past I enjoyed the occasional business short trips for some sight seeing and shopping. Not now, obviously. 

So how do I cope with baby blues?

1) Blackberry with messenger function to keep myself informed of what’s happening at home.

2)A friend of mine has kindly lent me her netbook to skype in the evening. Yippeee!

3) Taking some time off pre and post travelling for bb –husband maintenance.