Rash Decision

Tuesday celebrated the 14th month anniversary of Sadia’s birthday. The same morning of this mini-celebration was marred by Sadia’s contracting a bout of heat rash. She was acting up, a sporadic spell of crying from the time she woke up until lunchtime. After hubby left for his classes in the afternoon, the wailing worsened, uncontrollable as well as inconsolable. I felt helpless.

Going by hubby’s suggestion, I brought her outdoors. That calculated move quickly saw a turnabout in her temperament. She enjoyed the walk in the sun as we coasted by the side of the lake, looking at dogs of all sizes, butterflies and birds (all three are her current favourites; oh yeah, she loves cats too but they’re rarely outdoors in the Netherlands). Despite the gloomy, cloudy atmosphere, it was a pleasantly mild day. No jackets were needed for this kind of weather. Which was good since the heat rash needs some airing out. Following an Internet search and talk with hubby’s programme coordinator, we deduced the rash arose from the high fever she just recovered from. Also, the erratic changes in temperatures compounded Sadia’s propensity to develop a heat-related rash (something that we have observed back in Malaysia).

The following day, however, the rash exacerbated to her legs and thighs that prompted us to see a doctor. In the Netherlands, you are required to make an appointment to do so and the prescription given by the doctor must be filled at any pharmacy (‘apotheek’) that carries the medicine. Unless of course, you have an emergency case on the order of a high fever, an epileptic shock or severed limbs. I think by then a hospital is the best bet to treat your medical crisis!

With the gracious help from the Masters Programme coordinator, we finally got slotted to one ‘house practice’ at 3:30pm – walking distance from the hotel – and the nice bespectacled doctor tried as he might to check Sadia up who was bawling from this stranger’s imposition on her person. After making payment, we boarded a bus at a nearby stop to find an apotheek in Groningen’s City Centre (‘Centrum’). A short respite traversing the Grote Market area and buying medicine is our idea of killing two birds with one stone. Warm temperatures saw the Square teeming with college students from the prominent University of Groningen. From the looks of things, Groningen is but a college town.

The long, non-air-conditioned bus trip to and fro Centrum stifled any semblance of enthusiasm and summoned a restless (and not to mention, noisy) energy in Sadia. Road works and traffic jam (yes, there is such a thing here) were the culprit for the prolonged journey. Needless to say, it is one bus ride too many!

Also, in our search for the apotheek counting on the directions given by staff in three Centrum shops, we got lost (again!). As it turned out, the store signage was hidden from view due to a chain of metal scaffolding that enveloped its façade like a thick wall of climbing ivies. With that errand out of the way, we rewarded ourselves with two ‘to-go’ ice coffees from Coffee United. A Hazelnut-flavoured cappuccino and a Mocha Java for hubby and I respectively with the former tasting like mouth-watering ‘Ferrero Rocher’ chocolate!

Notwithstanding the incidental escapade sprang from the regrettable rash episode, Sadia’s 14th month marks a few milestones – quirky or otherwise – in her progress, among which are:

(1) She defiantly wants to spoonfeed her own food. Even with fruits, she rather eats them unaided with her hands. Recently, she prefers to chomp on her grapes as whole pieces, instead of letting us cut them down to bitesizes.
(2) She hums to Pendekar Bujang Lapok’s theme song. At least, the first verse which goes “Pok, pok, pok, Bujang Lapok.” And she usually expects one of us to continue with the rest of the song. This song transpired and became popular during one of our long strolls in Delft to appease and divert Sadia’s attention.
(3) When we came to Groningen a week ago, Sadia was acquainted with wild flowers burgeoning by the roadside, the canal, the lakeside and so forth (It’s untainted Nature at its best! (Read: Rural)). On the Sunday before hubby’s classes started, we plucked a daisy and gave it to her to hold. She was both intrigued and mesmerized by the lovely flower. Ever since that day, Sadia now insists on hanging on to one daisy or two in her wee hands whenever the two of us step out for an afternoon rendezvous.
(4) She says Wow! to anything that catches her fancy. In other words, something that Sadia, in her growing inventory of sensory experiences, perceives as out of the ordinary. For instance, a hot air balloon in the distant sky, a group of university students rowing on the canal, and a beautiful formation of a flock of pigeons in mid-air. This habit was borne out of her dad’s fervid inclination to utter the same.
(5) She loves whole milk wholeheartedly. We decided to introduce her to cow’s milk when she turned one – as endorsed by several toddler guidebooks, the Dutch nurse we met at Sadia’s inoculation appointment and the all-inclusive Internet. Since she is not lactose intolerant, the time has never been more opportune.

Last night, Sadia slept soundly after a cooling bath to unclog her ‘inflamed’ pores, and a dose of antibiotics. This morning, most of the rash had disappeared, save for a few faded spots on her face and legs. Till we ‘meet’ again in Delft, have a great rest of the week!