update

Hello all!

I know I haven't written much in a while. I honestly don't know where the time has gone! I don't recall wasting much time this week...there just always seems to be something to do and things are starting to pile up...

Where to begin...

I went to a really increadible lecture on Wednesday about fetal sugery.

Yep, sugery on unborn babies while they are still in the uterus!


There are 2 types of fetal surgery being pioneered at the moment.

First is open surgery (picture below), which is where they cut open the mother, take out the uterus, open the uterus and then operate on the baby while it is inside. Then they just sew up the uterus, and the mother's abdomen. and voila! wait till the baby is born!

little baby sticking its' arm out of the uterus after it has been operated on!

A newer technique is to do key-hole surgery; tiny cuts are made in the mother's abdomen and some tiny cuts are made in the uterus. Fibre optic cables are then inserted into the uterus via these cuts, so you get a good view of the tiny babe, and then the doctors can perform very delicate procedures.

At the moment the standard of surgery, while being very advanced in its technique, doesn't have an amazingly high success rate. I guess it's like what open-heart bypass surgery was like 50 years ago...the best they could do at the time, but still not amazing.

But it's improving, and hopefully in 20 years time it could almost be routine!

Ironic though...in the same hospital they could have 23 weeks old babies born prematurely on ventilators, 23 week on babies being operated on before they are born, and 23 week old babies being aborted...


Chris & I also had another NFP class which was really very good. I am definitly greatful to have gone to the classes (as opposed to just teaching myself from the book), because the experience and wisdom of our teachers has been invaluable.

We also had another wonderful session with our Priest; Chris & I had to think of all the things about ourselves that we can offer as a gift to the other person in marriage. I realised Chris is waaay too modest! But next time we have to talk about all the things that we are greatful to be recieving from the other person and so I will set the record straight! I am definitly getting the better deal out of the 2 of us in our marriage!

Speaking of the marriage...we tried to chose songs for our Nuptial Mass this week. This involved going through our Church's hymn book and singing every song we know....it took a very very long time...

we still haven't managed to chose an entrance hymn yet, but I am very happy with the rest!

We are still debating on Mass readings too because there are so many that we like and I can't decide which I prefer.
I think I just need to read them and pray, and quietly listen to the voice in my heart and I'm sure we'll find the right one!

Oh, we also chose the flavours of our wedding cake (3 chocolate truffle layers, and 2 lemon drizzle layers....they are sooooo good!), and I have also managed to fax a list of the flowers to the florists and they confirmed today that they can get them all for me!

There are still a couple of things I need to do (Mass booklet, reception seating plan, hair cut, pack up my entire room ready for *the move*,..etc). My friends are also throwing a party for me in 2 weeks time! It is very nice of them and I'm sure it will be fun, but it also means an entire weekend is taken up, and so I will need to do more stuff during the week... I don't even know where I'm going to get the time from!!

Anyway, I better get back to my work because I have so much revision to do and am starting to slip behind because the work is coming at such a fast pace!



29 days! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!