23 July - 1 Aug 2012

Dez fell sick in Australia and that delayed his work schedule. He had to stay an additional weekend over there. The week has been very difficult for me. Charlene was totally "in US time zone". We missed 4 school sessions. I thank God for the help that I was shown. My church friend Alicia came almost daily to help me bathe Charlene and bought me food. It helped relieve me of some stress.

12-22 July 2012

Charlene's Daddy went overseas to work for 2 weeks. He is currently still in Australia.

Charlene seems to know that. The day before Daddy flew off, she kept awake through the night. She probably was worried that she would fall asleep and miss her Daddy. Unfortunately then, she was sleeping when Daddy left for the airport. 

I have been facing an ever shifting biological clock since. I have no idea what time she will be awake the next day. 

I thank God for His grace, His protection, His strength. I was able to still manage the housework. Though my biological clock unlike Charlene is very fixed. Sometimes, I just fell asleep because I am so tired at 10+ in the night, leaving Charlene alone. It is really very difficult to be doing anything much with her through the night. I have done rolling and neurosuit at 3am before and fell back to sleep after 2 hrs. It is crazy and I am sure those who have been through the first few months with a newborn baby will understand what I am going through. 

When Charlene is awake, she does well in school. She loves going to school. And I am so thankful for that after seeing how her new classmate would just wail loudly and refused to be comforted for half an hour. Charlene will be smiling happily at her teachers and will refuse to sing the "Good Bye song". Sometimes she whined when her teachers said bye to her. 

I also thank God for the love and care and concern showered upon me by my fellow brothers and sisters in church (YMM). When I brought Charlene to service, Phemie carried her for me so that I could worship God. And Bernard and Christine helped me baby-sit Charlene while I went for tuition on Sat morning. When I didn't go for service this morning, Wendy and Winston bought me my favourite Japanese food and delivered to my door-step. And Bernard, Christine, Pastor Erick and Shanti visited me to pray for me when they heard that I was having body ache and Charlene vomitted phlegm. I am very touched by the love and care and concern shown to me by them and everyone who is keeping our family in prayers. Thank you all. 

2 July - 6 July 2012

Charlene has been a very good girl in school this week. Mon was a school holiday for youth day so there was no school. So sad, miss hydrotherapy and feeding session. Charlene was wide awake for Wed and Fri during her class time. She was alert and smiling happily through song time and choosing of toys. According to her school therapists, she showed improvement in her head control and awareness. Her PT said that Charlene seemed to know the actions of rolling better now but she lacked strength to carry it out. Her OT was pleasantly surprised by her improvement. He said that he could tell from Charlene's eyes that she is trying very hard. Indeed. Charlene is such a good girl. She tries very hard in class to respond by opening her mouth big big (but still no sound comes out) and kicking her legs in an attempt to raise her hands. She is putting in effort. Praise the Lord that Charlene is doing so well in school and improving slowly in her way. Continue to pray for a breakthrough in Charlene's life!