Now that I've had some time to see and think about what I've been posting, it's dawned on me that I haven't given an update on Kim and the baby.
Umm - Patrick, isn't that why you're in Perth to begin with? Well, - um, yeah! That's right.
This is actually a huge answer to prayer. We went to the doctor at the King Edward Hospital last Friday for Kim's first official appointment. It took a little longer than expected to actually see the doctor. Our appointment was 8:20am. We arrived at an early 8:00am and realized, with a line of other pregnant ladies in front of us, that 8:20 is not the appointment time, just a general time slot. As we walked in, a sign read, "Waiting time may be 3 hours." At first, we thought there's no way, we're here early. Sure enough, it wasn't quite three hours, but Kim didn't see the doctor until 10:20.
So it appears that we're learning a new culture all over again.
Umm - Patrick. The report. What was it? - Oh yeah. Right.
The great news is that Kim has been downgraded from high risk for preterm labor to low risk. She's now at 35 weeks, the little guy is at the right stage of growth, and all signs point to a healthy delivery in . . . well, sometime soon.
Having said that, this has still been one long pregnancy for Kim. A marathon of sorts. Her body is tired. Her emotions are strained. She's very ready to get beyond the labor and delivery. Keep praying for God to strengthen her in this final lap.
We're trying to keep her preoccupied. Fortunately, she's doing home school with Brienzi. There are also a myriad of parks in Perth. In our neighborhood alone, there are around 14. They are beautiful and a very refreshing place to drop in on.
Before we left Indonesia, as Kim struggled with worry over the possibility of a preterm delivery, Kim clung to Psalm 18:19 - "He brought me into a wide open space; he rescued me, because he delighted in me." Going from overcrowded Java (160 million) to wide open Western Australia (1.3 million) seems to be one way God brought this verse to reality for Kim. One of the countless little miracles He has produced for us in the last few weeks.
