5 Months Old!

Rou is 5 months old. Many times I flipped back to posts of Gabe when he was an infant and it helped to bring back memories of those good old days, and what he was like. So I was quite disappointed with myself for not being as diligent with Rou. Time just seemed to fly and she's grown so much, and she's suddenly able to do this and that and it just passed me by. But well, at least the photos will tell some stories :)

Enjoying clasping her hands together...

...and smothering them with saliva.

Probably the last picture of her cot still in our room. Rou moved in with her brother after turning 5 months old. At this stage, the mattress was still at its highest level (height's adjustable) and though she can turn and flip, was still immobile enough for us to camp all her regular logistics on the right. Usual sleeping posture: on the back. This will change drastically in a short time.

Usual scene after the afternoon nap: the two kids ride out the blurry phase on our bed.

Hey! I can sit with my brother! Actually, gorgor was specifically positioned to prevent Rou from slipping.

Such good children...

Or so you thought. I'd left Rou propped there for a few seconds to grab something (she was still pretty immobile and at worst, would slide downwards till she was flat on her back but would not be able to move anywhere else) and she took the golden opportunity to watch the TV. Motionless those two were.

Say cheese!! Still requesting to carry the little sister at bedtime.

I heart you, mei mei!

Beng gong and Mui por came to visit during Rou's HFMD scare.

Ah Ma rolling Rou around on Gabe's Ferrarri.

Rou loves playing in front of the mirror. This shot shows her little bald patch, where her head has greatest pressure on the bed when sleeping. Hair growing reaaaaally slowly.

Mummy and baby, and the usual chaotic scene of Gabe's toys all over the living room.

Arms open wide in excitement.

Papa's little girl.

Rou's 5 months old.

She can Roll over!!

Yup. It happened today.

Hand Foot and Mouth?!

Rou developed a temperature and I had to medicate her for a few days. On day 3, her fever was still coming back after the effects of the medication wore off. I decided that at four and a half months, she was too young for me to self-medicate for too long, and took her to the doctor.

The doctor found an ulcer at the back of her throat, which she said was unusual. The diagnosis was that Rou probably caught the flu bug from all three of us, who were sick the week before. But the doctor did caution that if her brother had the Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) and it was a mild strain that escaped the detection of the doctor (since all symptoms don't show in its first few days), there is a possibility that the little girl could have caught it from Gabe.

Shuddering at the thought, but putting it at the back of our minds, we took her advise of continuing with the medication and she would be alright in another couple of days. Indeed, the fever left Rou on day 4 and she returned to her usual happy self. A day later, I was playing with her on the day bed, clapping her feet together in glee when something caught my eye. The soles of her feet were populated with red pokka dots! We lost no time in taking her to the doctor's, a separate one this time as Doc #1 was on vacation. It was inevitable. Rou was diagnosed with HFMD.

We prayed hard, yes we did. The poor little girl was barely five months old! Then came the planning to separate Gabe from his sister, should the virus spread to him too. He went to stay with my parents over the weekend (thank God it was the weekend) and the plan was to monitor Rou. If she broke out in blisters, we would have to extend the separation plan. Otherwise, which was the scenario we were fervently praying for, all would settle and life would be back to normal.

By God's abundant grace, the red dots on Rou's feet disappeared by half the same evening she was diagnosed, and by the next day, were gone completely. Many made attempts at theories but for what it was worth, she's cleared and in the pink of health.

This HMFD scare sure made us realise that control is not in our hands but in God's. We want to say thanks to all who kept our family in prayer, and for letting us know we were not alone.

Random Things About Rou

She's a typical baby that puts everything into her mouth. Has now learnt to grab your hand and stuff it into her mouth. And your clothes, and hair.

Much more "talkative" now. Can still remain quiet in service. So quiet in fact, that you hardly know she's there. She mostly sits through the two-hour long service every Sunday, sleeping in her pram or just kicking around in there when she's awake.

She was born with a really round head, so much so sleeping on the back of her head proved uncomfortable. She'd end up sleeping on her side of her face while flat on her back, which made it look like her neck was twisted so get into that position. Her head's not so round now. I suppose these months sleeping has "weathered" it down a little. But she does have a bald patch at the spot where her head has greatest contact with the bed when she lies on her back.

Rou's prone to rashes. A few pediatricians have diagnosed her with mild eczema. For a while, her neck (short and chubby) sported angry red lines and it took quite a while to be rid of it. But now at four months, they are now gone.

She's sensitive to heat. She perspires easily and gets irritable when she's too warm. Doesn't help when eczema flares in warm weather too.

She'll twist and turn to get a glimpse of the TV. She's determined in that sense.

Rou's sleeping positions are out of this world. It's so unfortunate I don't have pictures for keep sake. She's got crazy cot movements to add to that. On a single night, in the span of less than an hour, I found her covering most of her cot's grounds, including corners, and probably rotated more than 360 degrees to get that done.

She waves her free hand around when nursing and they can come slapping me in the face if I'm not alert.