HFMD strikes again

Latest update: Lil C had HFMD last week Monday, the third time in three years. The third day after Lil C got it, Baby C was also infected. Thank God that this time, it was very mild. There wasnt any fever, just blister inside the mouth & a couple on their palms and lack appetite to eat.

There's no medicine to give, just some mouthwash to asisst oral hygiene and a lot of liquid to prevent dehydration. We gave icecream, chilled milk.. basically anything that the kids wanted to eat, because during this period, they refused most kind of food.

After a week quarantined the kids at home, the symptom had cleared and the kids started to gain their appetite again. Good news too that it started raining few days back which cooled the atmosphere a bit, so we went out to the garden to work play.

p/s Lil C missed school for 2 weeks because I didnt want to send a 'sick' child to school, and I was making sure that he is 100% healed. The best thing about it was there was no whining / nagging about hurrying a reluctant child to school.. hehehe

Out at the garden, baby C having his apple snack

Lil C helping kungkung to trim the Starfruit branches

hmm.. can you see how skinny has he been?

While baby C busied himself collecting some cut branches..

"Look, I found a tiny Starfruit!"

"Mama, I think I found the ants' nest!" while baby C was also busy looking at it too.

Using the Spindle Box  work on simple maths

A Montessori spindle box is wooden with ten compartments numbered zero to nine along the back. The lesson also includes 45 wooden spindles and is intended for children who have already done some work with number rods and numeral cards. This lesson introduces the concept of zero and helps children associate the numbers zero through nine with their proper quantities.

This is funny. Lil C made this using his Lepao blocks. He claimed that the people in Hong Kong used this tool (a long time ago) over their shoulder to carry water buckets... hahaha! He specifically mentioned Hong Kong, but I think he meant chinese people.. He must have seen some of my Chinese History books with old photos.. lol!

Yes, he too love to scribble!

Badminton, anyone?

Using tennis balls?? hahaha! I think the kids are confused between Federer & Chong Wei

Monkey see, monkey do

Lil C built a hovercraft complete with the air-cushion underneath it, after watching about it in Discover Channel earlier.

While baby C playing along

Lil C built a truck, with reference to his Truck book (on the left)

Did some craft with paper & starch-glue, trying to make a soldier steel helmet.. lol!

Sketched a house plans, while described the details to me.. quite impressive!

Yeah, have no time to blog nowadays... Those are just some activities we did at home.. Tomorrow, we are going to the Wildlife Park !! yeay!

Life is very short ~ Thank You Lord, for the beautiful day

Recent sunday morning, as usual, we were busy preparing ourselves and the kids for Sunday Mass. I bent down to lift baby C from the floor to change him. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain pinning on my lower back. I immediately let go of baby C and collapsed. Poor boy, luckily he fell on one of the big pillows. I cried for DH who saw what happened. I was lying with my chest on the floor, but I couldnt and didnt dare to move because my back really hurt. He asked if I could wiggle my toes. I could. There wasnt any bruises on my back either. He then placed a hot pack on my back as a temporary relief until I was comfortable to lie on my back.

The thoughts back then when I collapsed was terrifying! Flashes of memories/images came to me, the "what ifs" questions attacked my brain... "What if I cant walk anymore?""What if I die at this point of time?".. I know they sounded silly, but it was quite scarry at that time! My mind was occupied about "WHo's going to take care of the kids if I get sick?" "what's going to happen to them if I die / paralysed". In the background, I could hear baby Cameron was crying for me, he definitely knew something happened because I was not responding to his cry, I couldnt turned my head to look at him either. I felt so helpless. Koko Christian was stunned and worried that he just sat quietly next to me, he didnt know what to do, but to stay next to me. During the time when DH was trying to comfort me & the kids, I was talking to God, to help me go through this pain. I asked him to give me strength and more time so that I can spend quality time with them. Seriously, I told Him that I dont mind dying early, but please let me spend enough time growing up with my boys. 

Like once an inspiring friend, Wai Leng said,"Live NOW and make life worth living. For life is too short to be miserable, and too precious to be wasting away in useless pursuits".

Thank God it was only muscle pulled. I went for an alternative treatment (cupping suction) for my back and was told by the chinese doctor that it happened because my body was too tired and lack of rest. Another thing that I found out was that after the suction, one's body will have red/blackish mark but mine didnt. The doctor explained that because I could be anaemic (which is true). I never go for such alternative treatment, this was my first experience as MIL brought me there. I was bed-ridden for the whole day that Sunday. My back still hurts that it limits my movement, I walk like a robot at the moment. Minimising carrying things and especially baby C. Missing them already, even they are next to me!

p/s Most of the night, before we go to sleep (and before the read books ritual), we always have a short simple prayer lead by lil C which goes like this: "Thank You God for the beautiful day, Thank you God for the beautiful night. Please protect Mama, Papa, Koko, Baby, KungKung, Pohpoh, Nenek, Ingkung and Suksuk". A short prayer but meant well from a four year old kid.

p/s2 and I thank you Lord for everyday.

How much do you trust factory food?

Jut wondering.. I remember few years back, there's this milk candy (a white rabbit brand) with the edible white-paper, was also recalled by the manufacturer (issit still banned?), scarry huh? . And now this...

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Lead-tainted candy recalled by Johor firm

UNSAFE FOR EATING: A batch of Ego Hao Jin Bang candy was found to contain too much lead. -- PHOTOS: AVA

View more photos

KUALA LUMPUR - A MALAYSIAN confectionery maker said yesterday it has recalled a brand of candy from global markets after California's health authorities found it contained too much lead.

Ms Lina Gan, a manager at Kee Wee Hup Kee Food Manufacture in Johor, said the company stopped producing the Ego Hao Jin Bang candy a few months ago because of poor sales.

The company immediately took steps to recall the remaining candies in domestic and global markets after it was notified about the unsafe lead levels on Monday by the Californian authorities.

'We have already recalled the product and we don't produce it any more,' Ms Gan said.

She said the batch of Ego candies may have been contaminated during production, and an investigation was under way.

According to its website, Kee Wee Hup Kee produces a wide range of products, including biscuits, dried food, preserved fruits and noodles, that are exported to markets in the United States, Europe and Asia.

California's Department of Public Health issued a warning on Tuesday after a recent analysis found the Ego Hao Jin Bang candy contained up to 0.73 parts per million of lead.

The state considers candy with lead levels of more than 0.1 parts per million to be contaminated.

Lead can be particularly harmful for young children and developing foetuses, and could result in learning disabilities and behavioural disorders.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A sicky month

July has been a sicky month for us... I was sick for the whole week during my birthday (cough, cold, root canal tooth infected, sore boobies, back ache, fatigue). Then when I was getting better, lil C had HFMD... a mild one compared to the 1st time he got it last year... sigh! It had been 7 days now since lil C got it and we still worried if Baby C might get it. So far, no trace of HFMD on Baby C.... Keep our fingers cross.

I am so tired with all the sleepless nights, body aches... and now, I am having sore mouth, throat, a couple of bumpy blisters on fingers and sole ... could it be HFMD on adults too? hmmph...

Doing the number Rods

I took lil C out from his school last week, when the school informed us that there were 3 kids got HFMD... But I guess it was too late, few days later lil C got it too!

This is what we did while he is not in his preschool ~ pink tower

We also did a lot more, but the picture-taking distracted Lil C's concentration..

Baby C was confined in his Kungkung's room for the past 7 days now.. Exercising his neck muscle... errgggh!

He keeps sticking his tongue out, we were worried that HFMD blisters in his mouth.. checked, was all clear... sighing with relieved!

Poor baby confined in a hot room (Kungkung's room faced the afternoon/evening sun)... he developed heat rash ~we thought it was HFMD at first.. Rushed to the Doctor, and confirmed it wasnt.. pheww!

I want to soak myself in a long tub now....

Neti pot for immediate sinus relief

I am an Oprah fan, esp talks with Dr. Mehmet Oz. Here is an interesting session where Dr Oz speak about remedy for sinus.. I know a lot of my friends and family members has nose allergy.

Before you try pouring water into your nostril, Dr. Oz offers some neti pot pointers. First, mix warm water with a quarter teaspoon of non-iodized salt.

"You never want to wash [human] tissue without having saltwater in them," he says. "Your own cells like it more."

Dr. Oz says washing out your sinuses with regular water can be irritating. Cold water may make you feel like you're drowning in a pool.

Amy, an audience member who suffers from sinusitis, demonstrates the proper way to use a neti pot. "I thought it would feel like drowning, but it feels good," she says.

It may look strange, but Dr. Oz says this treatment may be more effective than medication. "The [ear, nose and throat] doctors who are specialists in this area will often say this is a better treatment than a lot of the other drugs that we try to offer folks, because it mechanically cleans out the problem," he says.

What were Amy's long-term effects of using a neti pot for her allergies?

Neti pots are available at health food stores and most drug stores.

An embarrassing allergy »

I dont have any nose allergy nor sinusities. I wonder if this works for common flu. But Not sure if the neti pot is sold in Malaysia, what more in KK. Anyone have seen it before?