Caitlin and pepper

Lennon and McCartney, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Remington Steele and Laura Holt, Sonny and Cher, Brad and Angelina and now Pepper and Caitlin!

These 2 have become best of friends despite Caitlin's constant abuse and pepper trying to mount her! (its all about dominance I think). Everytime pepper runs after a toy caitlin tries her darnedest to catch up but our four legged friend is just too fast!


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Back from the far east!

So it's been an eventful 3 weeks needless to say, what with Caitlin falling sick 3 times in 2 weeks, me heading off to China with fellow HODs to learn about the school system there, falling sick and having to stay at my parents place so that I would not affect Caitlin again. I'm finally back home and able to blog about my experiences in China!

1. It was damn bloody cold! 7 degrees with rain that never stopped and made me all the more sick! We had to stand in the rain most of the time as these gracious teachers brought us around their schools. I know its hard to believe even for me but I had a cold for an entire week. It never left me and I felt like dying!

2.People in China are warm, inviting, polite and nice! Not a single person spitting and the toilets weren't that bad save for the rural areas where there were no doors!

3. The schools were great - students so disciplined that they don't need teachers for morning assembly, computers and the internet used for study and computer games are frowned upon, reading culture is prevalent among all students, all students in the class are sitting upright - engaged and interested and NONE of these new rich educated parents that complain all the time like we have in Singapore. The students love learning and it shows.

4. If you thought Italian drivers were bad, the Chinese are just reckless. They go past red lights (in the crowded shopping areas) and don't give a damn if you are crossing and have the right of way.

5. Li May and her mama were so hospitable! Took me out for dinner, brought me home to rest when I was sick and let me stay in their beautiful (yes gorgeous) apartment. Her driver took us everywhere we wanted to go, I bought lovely stuff from her shop and we had nice dinners! Thanks Loo Li!

I'm glad to be back home with Caitlin who is growing so fast and is now very naughty! Soon have to buy the rotan I think!

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The nightmare week

2 weeks ago, I was sitting down after dinner feeling decidedly sorry for myself. I was tired and broke and thinking..at least for this week, things could not get any worse but it did.

Last week Caitlin was so sick from a virus that she had to be warded in hospital for 4 arduous and heartbreaking days. Her lungs and windpipe were inflammed, her nose was blocked, she had phlegm all over the place, her cough seemed to rack her body. Worst of all was the fever. I have never met any other person who has had a fever constantly for 48 hours. A fever of 38.5 - 39 degrees that refused to leave her body. All they could do was give her fever medicine, sponge her down, take her blood, take an xray and give her cough mixture. There was no way to explain all this to a 9 month old and she was left traumatised after each prodding and poking. Finally the damn doctors decided that she had a secondary bacteria infection and gave her the anti biotics and her fever came down almost immediately. But the anti biotics were so strong that till today she is having diarrhoea and keeps crying when we wipe her because its so sore and red. She refuses to eat and is still not herself, always whimpering and crying.

The medication needs an actual schedule because of the different times and the range. She now hates taking medicine (last time she loved it) and we have to force it in her mouth while she kicks and screams and then we have to hold her nose as she will store it all in her mouth and spit it out later.

Edward, Leni and I have all caught this stubborn virus. We are walking around the house with masks so she does not catch it again, trying to rest while keeping her spirits up. Needless to say, we are all exhausted and sad to see our baby in so much discomfort and pain. If I could, I would grab that damn virus, pull it out of her and scream at it to leave her alone forever.

So yes, things did get worse but thankfully she is on the mend and in the greater scheme of things, after looking at all the sick children and babies in KK, hers was not too bad after all.

So its a new week and we are back to work (although I have no idea how I am going to physically get myself to Boon Lay)and we are hoping that things will slowly get better and that she will EAT!

On hindsight, I have also decided to be that evil person who will tell people who are not well or who have come into contact with sick people to stay at home and not come over as my poor baby cannot go through this nightmare again.