Fortunately, two things happened that promised to make life easier at home both for me and Mabel. Firstly, my Mum-in-law (MIL) was kind enough to fly over here to help take care of the little guy while Mabel goes back to work and I work on the PhD. Well she is more than happy to do it because she absolutely loves Gideon. Oh, on top of that MIL would also make us delicious meals which means one less thing to think about. Secondly, by the grace of God, we managed to get a spot for Gideon in a nearby childcare for the days that Mabel worked! The same childcare initially told us we might have to wait till end of the year before a spot might be available, so this is a pleasant surprise.
Anyway, all these (help with Gideon, help with cooking and possibly help with housework) mean I would have more time to work on the Phd and possibly find time to kayak! Well, at least during the 3 months that MIL is here.
Unfortunately, things happen. A little toe accident here, a little foot accident there, throw in the cold (and random) melbourne weather, add in a terrible sore throat that lasts for a couple of weeks, plus lack of comfort (Singaporean) food and activity, makes the MIL not a happy camper. Although the little guy cheers her up heaps, the bad sore throat (with viral infection) was killing her and it was the final straw that 'broke' her and made her decide to shorten her stay. She blames it on the cold weather (that is getting colder as winter beckons) and she figured it will take 2-3 weeks for her to recover. In the meantime, she will only be a burden to us (not to mention her virus could possibly infect her precious grandson). So, she left 5 weeks ahead of the original plan. Sigh.
But wait, don't we already have a spot for Gideon at childcare? Yes, except that we can't take him to childcare if he is sick; and for the first 4-5 weeks, he was sick for almost half the time, probably because he is exposed to a lot more viruses common in the childcare centre (yes its ironic). Since Mabel has just started her new job, she can't really take leave, which means the Papa has to stay home to take care of the little guy when he is sick, instead of working at the Uni.
Then again, the optimist in me thinks:"I could work from home! This will not stop me from progressing in my Phd!". Yes, somehow I still haven't fully given up that thought - the possibility that I could do work at home while taking care of the bub. Tried it time and again and it does not work.
On the bright side, the last discussion I had with my Phd supervisor ended on a rather positive note: I have finished most of the work and I only require a final verification test and a bit more data analysis. No problems at all. Verification test needs an inertial sensor that belongs to another department in RMIT. All I need to do is contact them, loan the sensor, run the test, and I am good. It should take maybe 3-4 days. Easy. Until I contact them and find out the sensor is missing. Turns out the last guy that used it was a Phd candidate that graduated and left. So effectively, no one knows where it is. Dang. I was told they will try to contact him and find out the whereabouts of the sensor, but this time I am not that optimistic about that happening. Still, all is not lost; this inertial sensor that i need is manufactured by Catapult Sports and I know them. I will just approach them and request to loan one unit. Thankfully the boss was happy to do that. It's just that something that could be done originally in 3-4 days would now take much longer, maybe 2-3 weeks because Catapult usually has lots of work and service orders (based on my experience working there) and my case would probably not be considered a priority.
Anyway, as I am writing this, I am taking care of the little man who is down with a chest infection this time, with a sore throat and fever. He is a lot more clingy than usual and he wants to be carried (almost) all the time. This means I am almost 24/7 with him this past few days and nowhere near doing any work.
Honestly its pretty frustrating, having things happen that keep me
from moving forward. At some point, I felt like giving up on the Phd, again. But as I think about it, it's all good. At least I get to spend a lot more time with my little man - something not every dad can have. Also, during the moments when Gideon is quietly sleeping in my arms, I actually got to think about many things and pray about many things that otherwise wouldn't cross my mind when I am simply busy working. Setbacks are sometimes good reminders that I need to rely on Him, and not on my own strength; they also give me the opportunity to refocus on what is important, not just what can be done.
On a side note, its amazing that I actually managed to write this post all using the iPhone and the Blogger App. It is the one thing I could still use while Gideon is sleeping in my arms. Its good for taking photos of him sleeping too. It's just too bad that I cannot do my data analysis with it. Although coincidentally (or ironically) my Phd research is about using the iPhone or iPod to measure wheelchair sports performance on the field.
