A morning in the Clinic

I spent one whole morning in the clinic yesterday - for Baby Haniyya's 10 month check-up and Huzaifah needed to get a treatment for rashes. The crowd at the clinic was unusually large - we were there from 8.30 a.m. to almost 12.30 p.m. I supposed it has something to do with the school break, unstable weather conditions, and the fact that the electronic queue system went down. We waited more than an hour before our number was called for the registration, another hour for triage and yet another hour before being called by the doctor - yup, it was that bad. Good thing the clinic in Putrajaya has a play area, where I accompanied Huzaifah from time to time as we killed the waiting hours.

Haniyya 'bullied' by Ayah

Baby Haniyya is already 9.99 kg, alhamdulillah! He's a happy baby and I really love it everytime he turns his head from right to left when as we chant "La ilahaillallah". As cute as Humaidi used to be when as a baby, he nodded his head as he joined us chanting "Ya Latiff". Baby Haniyya eats lots of stuff now that he has already grown 5 teeth (3 upper front and 2 lower front). In fact yesterday, when we packed some sugared cream cracker biscuits for Huzaifah to the clinic, Haniyya was the one who ate a piece or two while Huzaifah simply let them untouched (instead he insisted on getting a packet of snacks sold at the clinic).

Happy Happy Haniyya (and Ibu)

Among the three boys, Haniyya seems to be the most 'manja', wanting to be picked up all the time compared to his more 'independent' brothers. I suspect it might have to do with the fact that he is used to having a bibik around, while his two brothers were raised by stay-at-home parents who prefer letting the baby develop his physical skills on the ground. And yes, it's more difficult to put Haniyya to sleep too since he prefers sleeping in a "gendongan" by the bibik (which I supposed is not that much different from being in a 'buaian', lulled by a bouncing movement). But all in all, he's a happy, healthy baby, alhamdulillah.

As for Huzaifah, he is prone to skin problems even as a baby. But over the weekend, he seemed to develop a really bad case of rashes. He was itchy all over and the itching progressively got worse - that it even affect his cheeks and ears and his face went all bloaty, which had never happened before. When hubby returned from Seremban on Sunday night and saw Huzaifah's condition - he immediately recognized Huzaifah's condition as itchiness that was caused from contact with caterpillar.

Hubby's notion seemed to be supported by the doctor who treated Huzaifah. She said that it's known that rashes due to contact with caterpillars will cause a bad outbreak of rashes for kids who already have skin problems. Poor Huzaifah - he could not sleep properly at nights due to the itchiness - which of course affected me as well because he would ask me (or his Bibik) to help him scratch all over his body, "Ibu gosok, Ujai gatal sini...Sini, Ibu... Sini... Sini...". Hubby said that he once experienced the caterpillar itch as a kid and was given an injection to control the itchiness from getting worse.

Huzaifah did not get any injection. The doctor prescribed a syrup for his allergic, an antibiotic syrup and two ointments - a moisturising one as well as betnovate to treat his rashes. The result is - at least he gets to sleep on his own without asking me to scratch all over his body.

Never knew about the caterpillar itch thingy until now. Well, that's what they say - we do learn a lot as our children grow up, making a mother's life an adventure in its own unique way.

"Ini gula Ujai... ini gula Ujai... ada baaanyak gula Ujai..."

While I was there, I consulted the doctor if she can tell if Huzaifah is a hyper-active child. So she spent some time observing Huzaifah who was jumping on the weighing scale. Before that, he scanned the consultation area and pointed at the pictures on the files which were arranged neatly on a rack as he responded to my questions regarding the pictures;

"Show me the airplane"
"What color is that car?"
"How many mosques are there?"
"Tell me the color of the train"
"How many green files are on the rack? Let's count them together..."

But he got easily bored with 'academic' stuff and quickly shifted to the weighing scale which was located on the opposite side of the rack. And he started jumping on the weighing scale when he noticed that the needles on the weighing scale moved when he did.

"My son doesn't know how to sit still. He's always on the move, on the move, on the move. What is your take on him, doctor?"

"He's four, right?"

"Yes"

"From my observation, he seems like a normal 4-year old. He's curious, yes, but that's normal for any 4-year old. Hyperactive children have troubles to sit still, stay quietor pay attention. They would not be able to concentrate and entertain your questions like your son did just now. They have trouble maintaining their focus "

"But he doesn't stop jumping, running, climbing and messing with his brother at home. He always have a 'project' going on. It's difficult to cope with him sometimes..."

"Oh, he's a creative boy. He just needs an outlet for his creativity. You just have to provide him enough outlets for his creativity. He is just a normal, growing up 4-year old..."

This is the second time I've been assured by a doctor that my son is 'just a normal' boy despite the many comments on him being hyperactive being thrown our way by others. I asked about his condition when he was still a baby - when he was observed by a child specialist on his 18 months check-up in Tokyo. Back then, I was already told that my fear of him being a hyperactive was unfounded. And now this.

But this time around, the doctor that we met was not a child specialist. Should I take him to see another child specialist for third opinion then?