Bringing Up Bates "Here's the Scoop!"
- Erin will be taking her first trip to Michael’s house in Chicago. “She is so excited about you coming,” Kelly tells Erin. “I have never heard her this excited.” Carson, Kelly, and Tori are going along.
- Kelly pulls up the AARP travel site for Chicago to start planning. “We actually are old enough to join, but Gil was putting it off because he didn’t want to admit that he qualifies for being old enough, but I was kind of proud of my age, so I was eager to join,” says the Bates mom, who turned 50 last October.
- Michael says she is adjusting to life in Chicago. “Sometimes I miss home, but I’m definitely falling in love more with it here,” she shares.
- The group arrives in Chicago, reunites with Michael, and heads downtown to Navy Pier. Erin drives, and Kelly is terrified.
- Their first order of business is to ride the Ferris wheel. “I will say, big city is definitely not my thing,” says Tori.
- Next, they take a boat tour. Carson is beyond excited.
- When they return to Michael’s apartment, Michael and Erin take the opportunity to cook together. Michael says she and Brandon aren’t set on staying in Chicago permanently. “I would love to move somewhere back to the mountains, and I think Brandon would, too,” says Michael.
- Michael tells Erin that she has found a fertility specialist. “Right now, it’s undiagnosed, so that’s hope,” says Michael, nearly in tears. “So there’s a lot of bloodwork and a lot of ultrasounds. It’s something I never thought I’d experience.”
- “I know everybody says they pray for you, but there’s not really something you can say,” Erin tells Michael gently. “You’re doing great. It’s okay. It’s okay to cry.”
- Erin can relate to Michael’s unfulfilled longing for a child, as she suffered multiple miscarriages before Carson came along.
- “There’s days I cry a lot, and then there’s other days I don’t seem to be fazed,” admits Michael. “Someday, maybe, and if not, I’ll adopt me a baby.”
- Brandon returns home and shows Kelly the rough draft of his children's book, which is set in the medieval times and has a strong message of character. His illustrations are beautiful.
- Back at the Bates home, Carlin, Katie, Nathan, and Lawson head up an ice cream making competition. They divide the kids into teams, with older ones as team captains, to see who can make the best flavor of homemade ice cream.
- “This was about having fun with the little guys and keeping them preoccupied, but of course since it had Lawson and Nathan in there, they made it all about the competition,” says Carlin.
- Katie is the judge. Team Carlin makes mint chocolate chip, and the flavor is overpowering. Team Nathan makes mint cookie dough, and Katie says it has the worst flavor she has ever tasted. Team Lawson makes cookie dough, and Katie crowns them the winners.
Where was Brooklyn during the trip?
ReplyDeleteAt home with her dad, or with gramma and grampa Bates!
DeleteOBVIOUSLY with dad or family!
DeleteMichael and Brandon have bought a home in Chicago now, so I wonder if they're thinking they'll stay there permanently now?
ReplyDeleteWhen did they buy? On the show they were still in that tiny apt. How do people find such details of their life?
DeleteIn the Bates Updates post from August 19th, it was said that Michael and Brandon moved into a new place, but it didn't specify that they "bought a home". They could just be in a new apartment!!!
DeletePraying for Michaella.Draw near to GOD and he will give you the disires of your heart.
ReplyDeleteIf I understand you correctly, you are implying that Michaela is experiencing infertility because she has somehow not drawn herself near enough to God... and if she only prays hard enough, you think her wishes will come true? You might mean well, but please, PLEASE don't ever say such a patronizing thing to anyone experiencing infertility. I heard stuff like this and I can assure you, it is not helpful or supportive, at all! Bad and horrible things happen to good people all the time. It isn't because they've lost a connection to God. It's because of our human condition, which is vulnerable to any number of afflictions. Time and chance also play a huge role in white happens to us.
DeleteChill.She wasn't saying Michael wasn't close to God or anything negative. She was only trying to be encouraging. Don't scrutinize words so much.
DeleteNO, I did not infer that from Piper's comment that she felt Michaela was not close to God. It was not a patronizing comment at all, but just plain Biblical advice for anyone suffering from anything.
DeleteI really think some people read the comments eager to pick things apart and find fault.
michaela is so brave to be sharing their struggle, but there are so many women/couples who can relate, that she's doing an awesome thing!! my husband and i went thru it too and my heart goes out to her. btw, absolutely love her new glasses!
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad that some people who would make wonderful parents have a hard time conceiving, yet so many who are unfit have no problem in this department. Every child deserves a loving and stable home. As an adoptive parent myself, it's encouraging that the Keilens are open to adoption. I hope they understand that infertility is something that just happens, like any affliction, and is not something God chose for them or because they are somehow lacking in faith or prayer.
ReplyDeleteI sympathize with Michael's struggles and cried along with her during the show. My husband and I have been trying to have a baby for a year, and after many uncomfortable and invasive tests, procedures, and even surgery, still no luck. We know it will happen when it's supposed to, but sometimes it's hard to trust God's timing when the thing you want so bad is a righteous desire. I'm hoping for 2 pregnancy announcements soon!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many abandoned children in this world who would love to be in a secure loving environment.
DeleteMany children are bounced from facility to facility with fear of making bonds with adults because of a broken system.
Instead of going through all the evasive medical procedures that you mentioned, why not adopt?
You seem to have much love for children and all children deserve safe and happy lives even if they are not from your womb they are still in need of love.
I haven't watched the Bates in a while so I don't know where the show is at time-wise, but was this filmed before or after Brooklyn was born? Did Erin leave her at home and just take Carson? Or is the show really over a year behind in time?
ReplyDeleteIt's only a few months behind. I'm sure her Erin's sisters watched her while Chad was working and Chad had her at night (which is why we didn't see her during the ice cream contest in the evening), or one of Erin's friends had her until Chad got off.
DeleteWhere was Brooklyn the whole time?
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you read this, but, I keep thinking, has your husband been tested?? Sometimes the man can be infertile, not the woman, sometimes it can be both. I do hope and pray God grants you a child, I know you would be a terrific mother. Don't give up, in the meantime, there are lots of babies out there that are waiting for a home, perhaps this would be an option. Sometimes when the mind lets go, the body responds. God Bless you.
ReplyDeleteTesting the man first is standard in any competent fertility work-up, because it's less invasive than what the woman may have to endure.
DeleteEveryone keeps asking where Brooklyn was...lol she does have a father who I am sure is who she was with!
ReplyDeleteI am SOOOOOO happy to hear that Michaela and Brandon do NOT want to stay in Chicago permanently and that they want to move back to "the mountains" someday,which I assume that to mean Tennessee! That will be good for Michaela to be closer to Erin since they both are real close, and to the Bates family.
ReplyDeleteMichael stated that she is seeing one of the top specialists. Testing Brandon would be one of the first things a specialist would do. I had tests 46 years ago.The first thing done was to test my husband before invasive tests for me. He had a low count. However, we were lucky & had 2 children. Our daughter turned 45 yesterday😄 Keep the faith Michael. I feel that God will answer you soon🙏
ReplyDeleteI've been blessed to work with a functional MD who's main mission is to find the root causes of certain conditions, one being fertility. She is very well known in the Southwest region as a specialist in abortion reversals too. With all that in mind, many females often have very low levels of progesterone and un-diagnosed thyroid conditions, both of which can hinder fertility. Once those 2 hormones are optimized we see many females conceive naturally. I strongly encourage Michael to have her levels tested :DDD
ReplyDeleteAbortion pill reversal is experimental at best. There have been no credible studies that give scientific evidence that it works, only anecdotal claims from anti-abortion doctors. Furthermore, any fertility specialist worth their salt will test hormone levels, as well as check for thyroid conditions. They were the first things I was tested for and this was 25 years ago. It's nothing new or innovative.
DeleteFunctional medical doctors can be very helpful with things! I'm curious, though. What is an abortion reversal?
DeleteGod may have other plans for you right now. But trust in him and good things will come. I know you believe that already and it's hard. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteGlad she is open to adoption. So many children in foster care that need good homes.
ReplyDelete