Baby So’od…

When the matron from the shelter home in KL expressed her concern that there may not be anyone to pay full attention to the baby if I send Liza and baby So’od to KL, Liza told me that she could take care of the baby herself. Liza seemed matured enough, so I figured there shouldn’t be a problem.

However, after delivering baby So’od on Tuesday, the little boy was well and fine but it seemed like Liza was the one who had problems. Low HB, then feeling dizzy every time she got up. Lucky for her, the nurses helped out to take care of little So’od at the hospital.

The doctors however said there was nothing wrong with Liza and discharged her from the hospital today. She definitely wasn’t ready to travel all the way to KL and I wasn’t ready to send her either. If I were to send her to KL, I’d need to make a move in the morning to make it a day trip. This weekend I have weddings to attend. So initially I thought Monday would be a good day and the matron from the KL shelter home had no problem with that. After discussing with Liza and her sister whom I got to meet on Wednesday when I went to visit Liza at the maternity ward, we agreed that Liza and So’od be sent to Kak Ana’s shelter home first (the home is meant more for disabled children… but Kak Ana had been very nice to me by offering her place if any of the cases I handled needed temporary shelter. This was the same place I sent my little Cek Mek.) and then when it is more convenient for me, I’d send them to KL.

This morning when Liza confirmed that she would be discharged, I told her I’d fetch her after zohor. I figured the timing would be just nice for me to send them to Kak Ana’s place about 1 1/4 hours drive away. So immediately after zohor I rushed to the hospital. When I asked Liza if she was ready to leave, she said she had not received any documents whatsoever after the doctor told her that she'd be discharged. Aduh, I thought maybe her sister would come to settle whatever necessary… but turned out she didn’t even come.

I went to the counter to ask, and was told that all the documents were ready, they were just waiting for someone to settle the bill and get the medication from the pharmacy. Well, looked like Opah Pi had to be the one helping to settle whatever necessary. I told Liza to get changed while I settle matters.

Settling the bill was not a problem at all… it was done within just a minute after I reached the payment counter. Next, to get their medication from the pharmacy. That was where I got to wait for quite some time. There were so many people, and when I got my number, it was 24 numbers away to my turn…

Got the medications, went back to the maternity ward to get Liza and baby So’od. Liza had changed but had lied back on the bed again. She couldn’t stand for too long, she’d get dizzy. So’od was not a problem at all… he was such a good boy. I helped to pack their stuff, took a wheelchair for Liza, and as I carried So’od from the bed onto Liza’s lap, he opened his eyes wide and looked around.

We then got stuck with all the procedures at the counter before I could wheel Liza out of the ward. Then, another round at the guard downstairs before leaving the building. I guess they needed to take extra precautions to avoid babies being kidnapped out of the ward by the wrong people.

Liza still being weak and unable to stand up for too long, I had to help carry little So’od every time Liza needed to get up. So’od really opened his eyes wide when we were about to leave the building, even the lady guard at the door commented that So’od was so cute.

Liza then got in to the back seat of my car where she could lie down. I then placed So’od beside her. Throughout the journey to Kak Ana’s place she was lying down, except when we reached a small town when she asked if I could stop to buy a drink as she was so thirsty.

It was already 5.30 pm by the time we reached Kak Ana’s place. The moment I brought So’od down from the car, the kids there were shouting, “Eh, eh! Ada baby! Keciknya dia!!”

All the kids were calling So’od baby except one little girl aged 1 year plus who came over to So’od and said, “Kakak…” Hehehe… she is the youngest there now and had been so used to calling every other kid kakak, so she thought So’od was kakak too. In the first place, So’od is not even a girl… but then even we adults wouldn’t be able to tell if a 4 day old baby is fully clothed, right?

And oh, guess who was the little girl who called So’od kakak? Yep, none other than My Little Cek Mek! Oh, she’s a big girl now, I almost didn’t recognise her. Somehow, looking at her now, her face… her short straight hair… reminded me so much of  a little someone many many years ago… ME!!

Anyway, Liza was really knocked out by the time we got to Kak Ana’s place, she vomitted and really needed to lie down. So Kak Ana just led her to one of the girl’s beds. I asked for a place where I could perform solat asar… I knew I wouldn’t have the time to do so by the time I could get back to Ipoh as it was already getting late. After my prayers, I heard little So’od crying. Kak Ana was busy in the kitchen while Liza was still in pain. I then looked for So’od’s milk bottle to feed him. He drank a bit and then I put him back beside his mother on the bed. Then I went over to Kak Ana’s office to discuss some matters quickly.

After a few minutes So’od cried again. When I went to check out, I heard Liza saying, “Lampin dia dah penuh, tolong… saya tak larat sangat ni.” Liza was obviously in pain… she wasn’t fit to travel yet but what choice did I have? It was already 6 pm then, so I gave So’od his dose of medication (to be given every 6 hours); changed his diapers (and cleaning his poo in the process), then carried him away from the bed to give Liza some space to really rest.

Kak Ana then took the baby from me to enable me to go back. It was already after 6 pm, she too was concerned about me getting home after dark. We (Liza, Kak Ana and myself) had already decided that the earliest I’d be sending Liza to KL will be after Raya Haji, to give Liza more time to rest and get better before travelling again.

On the way back to Ipoh, I called the matron from the shelter home to tell her I’d have to postpone sending Liza to her place until after raya. Then I called my mother to inform her that I’d be home late. If I didn’t call her, she’d be worried sick seeing that I wasn’t home by Maghrib.

I reached home safely at 7.30 pm. When I left home after zohor, thinking that all would be ready when I reached the hospital, I thought I’d be able to get back home by 6.30 pm.  But what to do… So’od punya pasal, dah gelap baru balik.

And So’od made me add some new job descriptions to my voluntary work – cleaning his poo and changing his diapers. Even Cek Mek was not that privileged… :)

Looks like I have a week break before sending Liza and baby So’od to KL. Hopefully, by then Liza will recover.