Ultrasound, take 2 update (2/28)

Thank you everyone for your continued prayers and support.  We believe that God is continuing to move and use Thatcher for His glory and for His kingdom.  We will get into more details of the appointment this afternoon (God certainly left his fingerprints all over this appointment), but first, as proud parents, we wanted to introduce everyone to Thatcher and his new trick:

Thatcher Caleb sucking his thumb!

If you have read other posts, or kept up with our story, you understand that this is something the doctors have said that Thatcher would not be able to do.  That because of the lack of brain tissue, Thatcher will struggle with movement, with sucking, with breathing, ect.  Praise be to God!  This is the second week in a row that we've seen Thatcher sucking his thumb.  It is only by the power of God that Thatcher is doing this as well as remaining as active as ever (continues to surprise doctors...)


Anywho, on to today and today's appointment.  We realize that we asked for prayer for very specific things last night, and we feel that this helps everyone understand Thatcher's story, and helps people to know what to pray for (including us).  Our prayer drastically changed this morning, not because of anything that had happened, but because of a realization.  By our prayers for these specific things alone, we were putting God in a box, we were asking that God do things our way, that He would do exactly this or exactly that, and we know that we serve a God who can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine!  Why would we try to put Him in a box? why would we limit Him?  Our prayer became much more simple, and much more open this morning as we headed into the appointment.  God, please move, please be present, please move in and through Thatcher, please amaze doctors, please continue to amaze us.  (this is not to say that praying for specific things is wrong, in fact we both feel that it's a good thing, we just felt that our expectations became that God would do exactly what we asked).

So into the doctor's office we went, anxious to see our friend G (our sonographer) and thinking of ways to coax her or sweet talk her into getting the measurements we were so eager to receive.  We signed in, and not 5 minutes later, we were called to the back.  But it wasn't G, so we thought, Ok, maybe this is just an assistant or someone who is bringing us to the room and G will be patiently waiting ready to give us our measurements....  This was not the case, just as we realized that this person was our sonographer for today, and our hearts began to sink as we began to understand that we may not get measurements .... Dr. S (our Sonographer today), spoke up, "I know you".  We both had confused looks and didn't really know how to respond to that, and she continued.... "You go to Crossroads, you both sing on stage".  Whit recovered first and asked, "Well, yes, we do, do you go to Crossroads?".  Turns out she does!  Seriously small world, and certainly a connection that God has orchestrated.  As she turned off the lights she went over what we would be doing, a biophysical profile and measurements would be taken next week.  We saw this as our chance to ask so Whitney very timidly went over our discussion with Dr. J last week, making sure to reiterate he had no problem reading the ultrasound and didn't think doing the measurements a week early was a big deal.  Dr. S explained that there are strict guidelines, and doing measurements could get her into trouble.  So we can not say that she did take measurements, obviously, if she did not take measurements we couldn't tell you that either.  So your guess is as good as ours as to whether she did or did not take measurements.  We don't remember frankly... it was all a blur... but hypothetically speaking if last week Whitney were to casually mention that she would be ecstatic if Thatcher weighed in at 5lbs 4oz at today's appointment, and if measurements were taken and Thatcher weighs around 5lbs 5oz, boy would that be proof that God is in control.  Hypothetically of course, but we know that God is indeed in control.  And that would certainly be God showing that He can do more than we ask.  But you know... back to reality...

The appointment went really well, by the grace of God, Thatcher passed his biophysical profile (BPP) with flying colors again, and much faster this time around.  The BPP is the test that looks at the amniotic fluid, heart rate, practice breathing, and movements.  We feel it is important to stress that this is only by the grace and strength of God alone, as the brain damage is still there, the ventricles were measured at roughly the same size this week, and his head has not grown and is still measuring around 32 weeks.  The underlying issues remain the same, this is why doctors are so amazed; scientifically, Thatcher should not be moving, not be doing these things, or at the very best, struggling immensely to do them.  We can not deny what the MRI showed, and what the ultrasounds show of Thatcher's brain, and we're sure the doctors know what they are talking about... but God is so much bigger than a diagnosis, He is not bound by the MRI, He is not bound by science, or theories, or anything else.  Yet again, God is doing more than we could ever imagine or ask, and it is certainly, and only by the grace and strength of God that Thatcher is moving the way he is, and is progressing the way he is.  May the glory be to God, all the praise, and worship be to Him because He is worthy!

Now for more proud parent pictures!  (thanks Dr. S for taking so many great ones!)

He was telling us to be quiet, but God was showing us that He is in control. (his hands, according to Dr's, should be clinched and turned in at his chest/chin area, essentially immobile)

We just like this one!!  You can see his little tongue...It's so cute!!

This was at the end.  He was tired of the ultrasound and the invasion of his privacy!  It was hysterical (albeit incredible!) to watch him go from a relaxed face to this furrowed brow frustrated look.  We could practically hear him whining as he did it.

 Thank you all for your continued prayers and support, please know that God is using his church (everyone of you) to help carry us through this incredible journey we are on right now.  Please continue to pray boldly and expectantly that God would heal Thatcher, and that He would continue to work in and through Thatcher as it is evident that God has His hand on His child.