Mind troubling virus in the air...

It was only less than a month after the previous (and very first) admission to the hospital... and, my boy was admitted again on the 11th Sept 2009. Again, it was fever but thankfully, he did not have a fit.

After the last admission, we got informed at what high fever could do and did not want to take chances. This time, unlike before, he had fever on and off for three days before complaining of chills in the middle of the night. Once I heard "I'm cold" and saw his shivering body... we rushed to the hospital. Without DH by my side, I've got to take actions and fast!

It was 4am on the 11th Sept 2009 when we got Arthur to the emergency ward at HUKM, KL. We were back in KL a few days before to attend my brother's wedding registration and I was to go to the Ibu House for a demo to a group of mothers for Malaysian Babywearers. Briefly, we stayed most days of the trip in HUKM.

Upon checking in at ER, (they took the case seriously upon the mentioning that he had febrile fit previously), they did a blood check. Know what?? All these while (even for all the five days with fever), my son is still his active, usual self. When the nurse took the blood sample, my son sang her a song and told her he likes her checking him *slap head**

Anyways, just like the previous admission, his platelet count was low.... and, they suspected dengue this time. Otherwise, we could have gone home and wait for the fever to go away on its own. After admission, his platelet count rose back to normal but he had cough and flu... so, we were moved to a different area... quarantine for suspected H1N1. My heart... sank... Fortunately, the test was negative and we got discharged on Monday.

The thing is... what is this virus that keep giving blood samples a low platelet count and makes a child suffer from fever for five days?? On both occassions, we are not the only ones with this problem... Scary... especially when he had a fit the previous time. We almost thought we lost him.

Why not egg white?? We did use egg white but like previously mentioned, it will only bring the temperature down... the virus will still need to be taken care by the medications. With the use of egg whites again, we managed to keep his fever at an average 38C... once the egg whites 'cooked'... we can feel the temperature rising again...

As it is, we are already washing hands quite frequent with the proper method.... before and after we eat... when we get home from an outing... whenever we felt our hands are dirty... What else can we do to better protect ourselves??

Farewell to my Granny

Just a week back at home base trying to catch up with my work since our return from our family trip abroad, I received a call from Alice, my sister, that my late granny has been hospitalised. Three days later, on Saturday, just after our Penang Babywearing gathering, Alan, my elder brother, called for us to return home ASAP.

My late paternal granny (3Ma 3Ma), left us on Monday, the 21st April 2008. Arthur, Bernard (my younger brother who is living with us) and I arrived home (KL) on Sunday to see our 3Ma 3Ma for the last time. Arthur managed to make her smile and laugh at his broken songs of Old MacDonald and some others that she used to teach me sing... 3Ma 3Ma was going to turn 84 this year.

Looking back, I grew up with 3Ma 3Ma, most of the time, only the two of us home as my parents were working late. She was my main caregiver. We even co-sleep...

It is from 3Ma 3Ma that I picked up the habits to a frugal living. I later realised that though the terms are different, what is frugal iving to her means going green to many... Some of the things I learnt from 3Ma 3Ma that I am still practising to date:

• waste no energy... only light up where you are in the house... I still remember how my friends used to comment there's nobody at home when they arrived at the front gate... if we were in the kitchen, that will where the lights will be lighted.. nowhere else... the kitchen happen to be at the back of the house.
• waste no energy... don't let the TV run when you are not watching it... don't just switch on the radio for fun...
• waste no water.... turn off the tap while you are brushing your teeth... turn off the tap when you are cleaning the dishes (not rinsing)... the water from washing the vegetables can be used to rinse dirty dishes or even water the plants...
• cook what you need and don't waste food... yes, I prefer to cook just enough than having extra to keep.

In addition, 3Ma 3Ma grows her own vege... talk about self sustainability... and even certain herbal remedies like the Aloe Vera... I still remember how she used it for minor cuts and also as an ointment for bites and stings...

There are many more and these are lessons that I will never forget.

My Frus...

It was September 2007 when I finally decided to give it a go to start an online business selling baby pouch slings... something I am passionate about. After all, I am not a businessperson and for me to sell anything would mean that I have to believe in them. Otherwise, I knos for sure I will not succeed.

Just recently, I have read of my Chinese astro sign "GOAT- Elegant, charming and artistic. Need to feel loved and protected. Goat people are dreamers. Business is definitely not the strength in a goat, they will make good craftsman, artist or writers."... How true, I must say. Especially the part where "...Business is definitely not the strength in a goat".

Anyway, with my passion of the pouch sling and with a mission to spread to the world the benefits of babywearing, I have decided to start an online business selling the pouch sling I love so much. Indeed, I have been sewing them for some time before I decide to take the plunge.

So, I asked around for recommendations on website development.. not many, considering most of those around me are not online shoppers... indeed, they don't go online much. Anyway, got recommended to a company that supports the disabled... Yes, I am a sucker for things that are linked to doing a good cause. So, without much thought, I decided to engage their services... Sadly, 'doing a good cause' in this case came with a huge price to pay. Til now, my site is still not ready. Til now, it is a mess and I am selling my stuff through a blog. *Frus**Frus*

It is so bad that my customers are starting to provide recommendations to other web developers... huh... so, I asked them one last time about when will it possibly be ready and wow! I got a quick reply saying that it is ready.. just need to do beta testing.

Yes, you guessed it right. It is SO NOT READY. There are a bunch of functions that I do not require. There are a bunch of information that are foreign to me.. even to them... There are so much mistakes with the English language... I am no language expert but really, broken English is what I would not deem professional and might turn me off a site... can you believe it??! Anyway, after letting out my dissatisfaction, they are now suggesting that I do not continue with their service... "no point to keep you unsatisfied"?? What??!!

So, here I am... looking around for web developers... will be calling some of those who were recommended to me (Yes, more than one person recommended, looking at how long it's taking. It was only after 2 months did I realise that a site could really be up and running in a month!).. yet, struggling with a budget. Don't know if I have enough to start from scratch again... Did make partial payment to them, you know...

Anyway, for those of you looking at starting an online store, please, please consider these before engaging their services:

1. Ask for sample sites (it never occured to me to ask as I have seen a site they have came up with... however, the one I saw was an informational site and believe me, it is really very different. When I finally asked for a sample site using the shopping cart... well, only then did they tell me I am their first customer of such... It is VERY VERY IMPORTANT to have a look at their commercial sites as I'd later learnt that most developers has a set template to it. All they do is to modify the graphics and tailor make a bit here and there... in my case, the main problem is the template... I kept asking them about it and they kept telling me to wait... that things can be modified. Naive of me but I'd always thought that anything can be modified to my liking... in my case, not true at all...)
2. Check on the time required to have it up and running (Yes.. 3 months for me and it's still hanging there with a big pile of mess. Perhaps they thought it's be easy with the template. Poor guys (or, poor me?) ... they met with a customer who knows how a site should work or at least how a site should look like...)
3. Ask for details (I am still not sure if I am asking all the right things now but I'd probably just go with an experienced developer this time... and make sure I ask for more than one sample site, to be sure)

Now, I am hoping they don't charge me anything more... Now, I am hoping they will let me keep the design I love...

Now, with my limited resources, and with the charges of website development costing quite a fair bit, I am not sure if I shall really get another developer.. perhaps, I should just sell off the blog for the meantime??

Thank you so much for 'listening' and would appreciate your comments.

The poisoned week

Whew... Finally, the week is over. Can you believe it if I told you that the whole family (DH, DS and I) were down with food poisoning last week? Well,... not from the same food and not on the same day, too... I'm not even sure if we should consider ourselves lucky...

First, it was DH on Monday.. from later night supper of nasi kandar...

Then, on Thursday... after DH got better... we decided to bring DS to his much loved Lok Lok stall...

To make it a 'family issue'... I got my bout from the dim sum on Saturday morning... Arrrgghhh.....

Anyway, we are all much, much better now thought it was really saddening to see Arthur having to suffer for so many days...four days, to be exact.