When Less Is Definitely More

This time in life we’re learning what’s new,

We’re learning about the scarcity in the goodness to find,

When life seems to have joys such in the few,

And my wife’s losing weight two-litres at a time!

The routine from here is predictable right now,

Weight gain in its rapidity coming by the day,

Then comes the amnioreduction and her fluid to endow,

And our baby for now is safe to continue his/her amniotic stay.

The third time around this routine and it is predictable, thankfully. The staff at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth, Western Australia, where we live are superb; so caring and considerate, when in a more barbaric society we would have been forced to abort by now.

Sarah’s last week has been a real battle. It has been a blessing that I’ve been on leave. Sarah has been unable to do much at all, with the encroaching excess of amniotic fluid making her sitting, standing and lying down all very much postures to endure.

Sarah is so brave. Brave... like a girl. She has borne the emotional pain as well as she has borne the physical pain. She is teaching me a lot about humility.

This present season of waiting, anticipating the moment, and planning for the immediate and short-term future, has made us think logically – funeral planning is in the forefront of our present thinking. We cannot put off these thoughts, and, indeed, we believe God has given us this time to put into place those things that can be thought of easily before the emotions of stark grief arrive by the truckload.

We have received incredible support from our parents and family, from the congregation at Lakeside, from ministers elsewhere, and from the broader Body in the social media world. We are so thankful that God has used all the people who love us to hold us up when we feel quite forlorn.

The picture on this post is the latest of our baby, taken hours ago. We treasure every single moment we can interact with our baby. And even as the needle into Sarah’s womb sucks out the excess amniotic fluid, we watch and marvel as the surgeon skilfully manoeuvres it away from the baby’s unpredictable movements.

It seems this latest of amnioreduction procedures is a warning for more ahead; perhaps weekly. Still, we are thankful.

Less is definitely more. Less amniotic fluid means more comfort for Sarah.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.