Medical check-ups for Tate and Eliza have this way of sneaking up on us!

I was thinking about that this past Wednesday as I prepared for a day of travel and appointments for Tate on Thursday, and it made me realize that life with our “medically complex and medically fragile” cherubs never really seems that way.

They are just AMAZING!

It is only when we do their check-ups that we really think about how complex their medical needs are….because in our day to day life, they just are not.

Praise the Lord!!

Tate was scheduled for new images of his torso and an appointment with his orthopedic surgeon in Madison.

This surgeon is the one who will operate on Tate’s spine, IF and when the surgery seems necessary – but we are hoping and praying it will never be necessary!

Wednesday evening we had a little read aloud time.

We could tell Tate was nervous about his big day, and so spending some time cuddling and reading seemed to relax him some!

The next day started early.

Like 4 a.m. early for Blake and I.

We got on the road before daylight, but it was the start to a beautiful day.

We borrowed Grant’s “jeep” (as Blake calls it) for our wheels, and took Eliza along with us too!

They are always better together!!

We arrived a smidge early, but sat in the parking lot to eat our breakfast out of our cooler.

Tate, however, would not eat anything.

He was so nervous!

We did not wait long once inside.

First up was imaging!

Tate did GREAT!

Then they measured and weighed our tiny boy!!

When Tate came home in August of 2015 he had just turned 4 years old, weighed 30 pounds, and was 3 foot tall.

Thursday he weighed 38 pounds and was 3 foot 5 inches tall!!

Isn’t that amazing!!

Once that was done we were taken to a room to wait and Tate said “I’m starving!”

I asked him if he had been too nervous to eat his breakfast before and he said yes.

When I asked him why, he told me he had never had pictures in the building we were in, and he thought the machine would be big and loud.

Sweet boy!

Blake ran back to the van and got Tate some breakfast!

Then these two played on the board while we waited for the surgeon.

The resident came in first and checked Tate over.

Then the surgeon came in.

He checked Tate over too, and then measured those new images, the images from one year ago and the images from eighteen months ago.

He is looking for progression in the degree of Tate’s curve – and there was a 3 degree increase in Tate’s curve this time – which is not what we want to see.

BUT – there is a degree of error in measuring too.

The surgeon said he will need to intervene if Tate’s curve gets to 60 degrees, or if Tate is in too much pain to live a comfortable life.

Yes, Tate does complain about pain in his back and side, but not on a daily basis.

Because of the progression, the surgeon wants to see us back in six months this next time instead of one year.

That’s ok, though!

We will take it!!

After that “stable for now” report, we did some clothes shopping!

Tate is still in the same size clothes, but his sister does not have one thing for this spring and summer that will fit her!

Then it was time for lunch.

Our two cherubs both agreed they wanted to go to Whole Foods.

We went to the hot bar where Tate chose fried rice with pork and Eliza chose roasted Brussels sprouts.

They are SO funny!

I got them some fruit too, and Blake shared his fried rice with Eliza, because I was sure Brussels sprouts would not make this girl full.

With our bellies full, we hopped back into the jeep for the long drive home.

This is how Eliza looked before we even left the Whole Foods parking lot!

Before heading home Blake made a promised stop and grabbed us both an iced Americano!

I added some coconut milk I had brought from home and we were set!

The ride home looked like this –

while Blake and I sipped our iced coffee and talked non-stop!

Phew.

Another medical check-up done.

Another chance to praise the Lord for ALL He has and is doing for our precious Tate Owen.

So many of you reached out to us to let us know you were praying for Tate and for us on Thursday.

You all, thank you.

Thank you.

I remember very clearly all the emotions and thoughts that filled my and Blake’s minds when we read Tate’s file for the first time as we started the race to get our cheerful young warrior home from China.

Quite honestly, it all looked overwhelming, scary, and FULL of unknowns that made our heads spin.

But we knew.

We knew Tate was meant to be ours.

And we believe.

We believe in a God that made Tate – fearfully and wonderfully made him.

A God that does not make mistakes.

I am SO, so, so glad we did not let that file scare us away.

(a sob just caught in my throat as I typed those words.)

We cannot imagine life without our dimply cherub!

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!