So blessed :)

What is worse than not being able to breathe properly from persistent kicking of your ribs and lungs?

Having a blocked nose at the same time.

Alas, the dreaded cold has overcome my vulnerable state on the eve of Christmas eve, but the state of pregnancy has somehow mysterious left me with blocked passages whenever I lie me down to sleep.

Nonetheless I am so thankful, for health and strength thus far, and for relatively good healthcare.

Really looking forward to tomorrow. The dear family back home has bought me a prenatal spa day and I'm looking forward to some relaxation in late pregnancy. I have survived Christmas thus far, which was a blissfully quiet affair, so let tomorrow pass without any signs of labour. Tomorrow we also get to see our little girl again on the ultrasound scan, our 5th, for which I'm grateful. Jehovah knows our hearts' worries and despite a low-risk and healthy 38 weeks, we have been given 3 more scans than normal. She was a bit small at the last scan, and we got a bit of a scare, but God also sent us an angel to accompany us, someone from church we can trust who is possibly the most qualified midwife in that particular hospital we have been assigned to. I mean, something like 134,000 are born in London each year...

Another surprise, or shock I got today was how generous some people I barely know are. I was made by my boss to put a baby list together some weeks ago, which I did by pulling some wishful thinking and a large price range of a handful of items. The first baby shower came, and I actually got a cheque instead of anything on the list, which was strange but not a bad situation to be in. A week later at a team Christmas dinner, we got a baby monitor from the baby list, which was reasonably pricey but not to bad if shared by 8-10 pple. Still it was very nice. Today I thought I'd have a look on the list to see what other things I had put on, and to my horror, I discovered that every single item on the list had been purchased, by the same person...!!! This really scared me because the value of that list, even without the baby monitor, was stupidly high. I panicked and called John Lewis, who confirmed that all the items have indeed been purchased. To think that they has been unable to reach me as I had given them the wrong contact number (and subsequently ignored their email seeking yo clarify, thinking that the list was over and done with after the showers!) So I ring up my colleague hoping to persuade him to withdraw some of his purchases and he confirmed that there was no mistake, it was a combination of effort from the team and himself. What!!!! Thankfully one of the items has been discontinued but it was the cheapest item on the list! I really don't know what to think... On one hand I can't help but feel like there is an ulterior motive to this, to make me feel forever indebted to my job etc, but on the other hand I would really like to imagine that the intentions were fully positive and something I should graciously accept. I'm sure there is some sort of etiquette to deal with this sort of thing.

There is more. Singaporean friends whom we've met in the UK also organised us a baby shower afternoon tea. I can't believe that 21 people turned up for that and they gave us a generous gift card too. More importantly, the kind thoughts behind it all was really what touched our hearts. E also gave us a handknit cardigan and hat, how precious! Of course, other people in church have also helped us and given us more than we ever deserved... We received 2 handmade baby blankets months before, little baby clothes for christmas and "courier service" for a car seat base we snagged off eBay. These practical help are much appreciated individually, but when thought of in sum are overwhelming altogether!

Of course, family back home are also as eager to get in the action. I know the in-laws, the mom, the sisters and even my grandmother have all prepared gifts. More than the gifts, it's the love driving these actions that make us feel so blessed.

Lastly, the husband has been accommodating to some of my whims and fancies, offering to prepare dinner more often, going headfirst into the crowds of chinatown to stock up on Chinese herbs for confinement, and springing up in the middle of the night when I get them horrible leg cramps. It must be very difficult not feeling as close to the baby physically, but he talks to her in the nights and tells her off for being so hyperactive. Which is kinda sweet I guess!

So tonight, as the clock indicates the opening of the window in which the stork may drop her, and the anxious anticipation swells, I think on the manifold blessings that this child has already brought, and I can't help but smile through my heavy breaths.

Baby you are so blessed!