one month post-op (with lots of photos, so i don't bore you to death)

It's been a month and 2 days since Tate's surgery... it feels like it's been years. It's so fantastic to be at peace. Even better - that Tate is at peace. He has been making no effort to wear a patch or bandage. He just wears his glasses every day. He isn't self-conscious (bonus of having this done at 4 years old!) and he doesn't seem to think about it anymore at all. He has said that his eye never hurts anymore, and even though I've heard that a hundred times now, it still brings tears to my eyes. When we made the decision in November to have this surgery done, we thought we'd never really know if it was the right thing to do... that we'd never know if we could have or should have waited... but God made it clear in the last few weeks before surgery that Tate couldn't wait. Even then, it was a gut-wrenching decision. But not anymore. Those feelings of anxiety are all gone. We have complete peace. And let me tell you, that is a great feeling. God is good!

We are starting another countdown. Tate will have his prosthetic eye made on February 25th. Only 10 more days! We see his surgeon on the 22nd for a followup from the surgery. We are praying for a good report, that everything is healing well (as it seems to be), so we can go on with the appointment with the ocularist on the 25th. It will be a long day next Friday... it'll take something like 8 hours from start to finish. But he will have his eye by the time we leave that day! I am hoping to take my camera and document the day... I need to call and make sure it's ok. 

I can't wait to see what my kiddo looks like afterward! I'm sure he'll be just as handsome as ever. :) I have perused the internet and youtube, looking for photos and videos of people with prosthetic eyes. I think it typically is a bit obvious (although that might be because I'm looking for it), but I figured that even if they don't look identical, or if you can tell that there's something "off" about his eye, it'll still look better than his real eye ever did! 

Tate, on the other hand, isn't so excited about it. He is very nervous about the whole idea of having an eye that we'll have to take out sometimes to clean. His conformer doesn't come out, and he's happy with that. He isn't concerned at all about having 2 eyes that look alike, so that doesn't increase his interest in getting his new eye. I really need him to be ok with getting his new eye made. He has to be still for THREE MINUTES for the mold to set in his eye socket. That means no flinching, squinting, anything.... they have to get a good impression of the eye socket to be able to do a good job making his eye. I honestly don't know if I could sit still for three whole minutes! Please pray that he will be relaxed and at ease for that important time during his appointment. 

We went to visit family in Kentucky this past weekend. We were there to celebrate my Dad's 60th birthday! It was a fun and much-needed trip. I snuck out one morning to take some photos of the boys out by a barn. With the exception of my little models being hounded by a neighbor dog (pun intended), it  was a fun quick session! Thought I'd share a few.... 

This handsome guy is my oldest, Jake. Sorry ladies, he's only 10! :) 

This is my super-sweet Noah, my middle kid.

Tate really is a little rock star. 

I ordered the boys some fedoras from Knuckleheads Clothing... Tate loved his, and wanted to show it off for some photos while his big brothers were doing homework this afternoon. 

Thanks for checking in on my little guy once again! We appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers! 

~jenn