27+ week checkup

Went for another midwife checkup at the GP this morning...

We had the privilege of seeing two midwives at one go: a professional British midwife and another midwife intern from Germany. After the routine blood pressure and urine sample check, I got up to the bed for the midwives to have a feel of Bambino through my tummy... YL loves this part as he gets to hear Bambino's heartbeat again.

The midwife intern tried to listen to Bambino's heartbeat through this silver micro-gramophone look-a-like equipment, which didn't seem to work very well...she gave up on that and went for the electronic doppler instead which yielded some sound, but she said that those were the sound of the umbilical cord, etc. She commented that Bambino was moving a lot resulting in her having problems locating his heart!! The professional midwife took over and after some adjustments, finally managed to track Bambino's heart and that familiar strong "boom boom" sound once again resonated through the room!

I asked her where Bambino's head and bum is and after some very professional caressment of my tummy, she located his head and butt (he was once again head down and butt up, diagonally across my tummy). She mentioned that he seemed extremely active and said that she wouldn't be surprised if he somersaulted himself the other way by the afternoon! (In YL's quantum physics research term, this is known as a "spin flip".)

Indeed, I feel that Bambino is getting more and more active....his kicks have been stronger these days. Also, i think he is developing that quirky sense of humour that YL had hoped for... Now, whenever i feel him move and tell YL, and YL puts his hand on my tummy, instead of following YL's hand, Bambino would stay quiet! But when I put my hand back on my tummy, he would resume his activity again! Haha...he's playing hide-and-seek with his Daddy!

Pee-ti-full !!!

Soon entering into the third trimester (last one...yay!)...

Bambino's having lots of fun jumping up and down on my bladder...
therefore have to consciously be on a look-out for the nearest loo...sigh!

Hiking up the Malvern Hills

The Welsh side

We went up the Malvern Hills today....YL could only drive up mid-way and we have to track up to the summit.

After a very good lunch of gourmet beef burger at a local hotel, YL drove to the nearest carpark. We then tracked very slowly through a gentle gradient track, as I was feeling rather heavy (due to the yummy lunch and ever-growing Bambino). The hike was well worth it when we reach the summits. We could see Wales on one side and on the other side we could see England. It was beautiful! :)

Fossil Hunting at Jurassic Coast

YL fossil-hunting along the Jurassic Coast

YL's a romantic.

Today, he has decided that we should go "fossil hunting" at Lyme Regis along the Jurassic Coast. After a long drive of about 2 1/2 hours, we finally arrived at the Southern coast of England. After a yummy late lunch of seafood, YL immediately joined in the many other beach-combers, hoping to chance upon a jurassic age fossil. The idea was definitely romantic, but alas, he was not equipped with tools to open up the many rocks and stones on the beach to check out if there were any hidden fossils within. Of course, I doubted whether there would be any significantly whole fossils left for him to find, but like they say, you've just got to go along and be a supportive spouse! After about an hour of futile search, we decided that we would be better off visiting the fossil shop 'cum' mini-museum just up above the beach. Finally, YL got to feast his eyes to contentment on these aged fossils... :)

Psalm 139

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

(Psalm 139:13-16)

I always make it a point to read and meditate through the whole of Psalm 139 from the bible on my birthday. Verse 13-15 provides the beautiful imagery of God as a skilled and thoughtful craftsman at work. He had painstakingly created me as one of his masterpieces 31 years ago, and is in the midst of creating and developing Bambino in my womb as another of his masterpiece!

The psalm too celebrates God's plans for us and his comforting presence and fellowship with us as we walk our lives. Till this day, the master craftsman continues to mould me (mending all the dents that I have inflicted upon my character!) to become what He intended me to be.

I like how the psalm ends:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

(Psalm 139:23-24)

As me and YL prepare ourselves for parenthood, may God help us to deal with any anxieties, knowing that He is faithful and will guide us to be good parents to Bambino, and in the process better appreciate the love of God as a Father to us.

p/s: Thanks YL for the three sunflowers (he says, "one to symbolise me, one to symbolise you and one to symbolise Bambino!") and the special meal of yummy vietnamese beef pho that you'd created...! Thanks Dad and Mum for sending me the birthday e-cards, one from you guys and one on behalf of Bambino!! :)

Bambino's alternative music exposure

Made a day trip to Peak District today! YL was superb, driving so many miles there and back!

Thank God for the fine weather that we had. The whole trip was most enjoyable. I even managed to walked up to the middle of a small hill. I encouraged YL to walk all the way up to the peak by himself, whilst me and Bambino enjoyed the freshness of the air, the beautiful scenary and the "baaah-ing" of the sheeps around...

We blasted U2 songs, Jay Chou's songs and Sun Yanzi's rock songs on the car's cd player as we drove...it was fantastic! And we realised that this was the first time we have "exposed" Bambino to so much alternative music other than the classical music that we've been playing at home. I think Bambino felt truely excited by this new experience...he was "bouncing up and down" in the womb throughout the day. :)

Backache

Suddenly had a very bad backache today... will elaborate more later...

We collected a cool orange Kia car from Budget Car Rental, having rented it for a whole week. YL planned to relax for the week ahead (having just submitted his thesis to the examination board), so decided in the spur of a moment to rent a car so that we can spontaneously go anywhere we want!! With the luxury of a car, we decided to eat out and go grocery shopping at the Oriental City! YL wanted to buy "posh" food ingredients such as shabu shabu rib-eye beef slices as he wanted to cook a special meal for me on my birthday! I also managed to buy 4 fresh razor clams (so cheap, they were so big and fresh and cost only 4 pounds in total!) and fresh sardines, so that I can cook him a special dinner for the night.

Anyhow, he ate authentic singaporean chicken rice, whilst i ate my authentic Malaysian beef rendang nasi goreng at the big food court (probably London's closest singaporean-style foodcourt). The food was most yummy but gave me heartburnt! And worse, I suddenly developed a severe attack of backache on the way back from Oriental City. On reaching home, I just had to lie down on bed, and had great difficulties finding a comfortable position to stay still. I felt like being hammered on my back repeatedly! YL tried to give me a massage rub down on my back, but it made little difference physically. However, I was so glad emotionally to have him there to just soothe me with his presence and comfort! We just kept praying that God will quickly take the pain away.

YL was saying that seeing me like this, it really reminded him how 伟大 women are to go through such pain and discomfort in the whole child-bearing process. He then said, "When I call home tomorrow, I must remember to thank my mum for having gone through all these pain to have me!" His comments really made me smile! :)

Thank God, the pain did ease after a few hours of bed rest. I then insisted on cooking dinner despite my aching back, which resulted in a sumptuous meal of steam chilli garlic razor clams and grilled sardines! Dinner was accompanied by a live TV telecast of an awesome recital of Beethovan's Nineth Symphony (Ode to Joy) by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choral at the Royal Albert Hall. The endorphins released by yummy food and a wonderful piece of music further erased the pain! Praise the Lord! :)

Prayers are very important for pain relief, but endorphins created by a yummy meal may also help! :)