Another Cousin!

On March 17th, our family got a new cousin! Here is Wyatt William Kerger, belonging to Nick, Katie and big sister Mia. We are so happy you made it here safely! Tessa and Nate can't wait to meet you. Congrats Kerger family, he is beautiful!

One Year Ago....

One year ago today was a day of many feelings. We woke up that morning so excited. Today was the day we were going to see our little marshmallow on the ultrasound and find out if it was a he or a she. The workday went by so slowly. Finally it was over and it was time to go to the doctor. An unusual feeling came over me as we were sitting in the waiting room. During my previous pregnancy, the excitement of finding out the sex of the baby was the only emotion I remember. This time it was different. I even sent a text to my mom telling her that I was scared for some reason. I couldn't pin point why, but this ultrasound was different then the first.

The ultrasound went smoothly at first. The technician was able to pin point the sex of the baby pretty early into the session. I can still hear her saying "It's a boy!" Despite my excitement, there was still a strange feeling of worry that continued. Soon after the news, our technician began to show a look of concern on her face. There was less "chit chat" that was going on and more intensity as she looked at the monitor. After she completed the ultrasound, we were escorted into an examining room and told that the doctor wanted to meet with us. The worry in my gut got even heavier now. The doctor told us about her findings. The two main concerns were that my fluid was too low and that various parts of his anatomy were not able to be identified...specifically the kidneys. They wanted me to see a specialist that would perform another ultrasound. He also explained that they would be monitoring me heavily through this pregnancy. And so our journey began....

This past year has been an emotional roller coaster. The months leading up to the birth of our little one was filled with doctor visits, multiple ultrasounds per week, hospital monitoring checks, etc. All we have to do is look at the face of our little Nate and know how truly perfect he is. Despite his little kidneys, this little baby has brought nothing but joy to us! We do not know what the road ahead holds for family and his imperfect body, but we know that he is a blessing that we thank God for every moment!

Nate's 6 Month Update

Since the last post, Nate has had his 6 month appointment with his pediatrician and his check up with his kidney doctor. At the pediatric appointment, Nate's weight was only at 13.11 lb., which only puts him in the 3rd percentile range. We were a little concerned with the number, so we called his nutritionist and informed her of the new weight. She said that she wasn't surprised with this lack of weight gain, and this happens often to children with kidney issues. She knew we were meeting with his nephrologist soon, so she told us not to worry until we spoke with him.

Today, we met with his kidney doctor. He is up to 13.14 lb., which is still on the low side. This worries us because one of the main things we keep hearing from our doctor is that if he is unable to maintain a healthy weight, it might be the first sign that his kidneys are not doing so well. As of right now though, his creatinine level stayed at the .6 range, which we are very happy about; however, his acid levels are really low. Currently we have been giving him medication to help regulate many of the kidney functions. All the other levels are within the normal range. (Praise God!) Because of the low acid number, we are having to double his current medication with the hopes that it will bring his acid number to a safe number. This could also be the reason he is not gaining as much weight as we like. The doctor is asking us to repeat blood work in a month to see if there is a change. If there isn't, we will have to increase the dosage again. Right now he is handling the medication well, but with an increase in dosage we are cautiously hoping that there are no side effects that appear. As long as we see an improvement in his blood work next month, our next check up with the kidney doctor won't be for four months!

Our little guy is quickly becoming quite the "wiggly worm". He loves to lie on his back and squirm. He also is grabbing anything in his "zone", babbling to anyone who listens, smiling and giggling at his mommy, daddy and sissy, and he has recently taught himself how to blow "raspberries". He brings such joy to us daily. He is a great sleeper and has an amazing temperament. Please keep our little guy in your prayers as we keep taking it "one day at a time".

Love, The Turleys

PS: Here is a quick video of some of the cute facial expressions and noises Nate was making as we were waiting for the doctor to come into our exam room. So precious!

Our Sweet 6 Month Old!

Today marks 6 months for our little boy Nate! These last 6 months have been an emotional roller coaster with everything medical we have had to go through; however, each day we are reminded of what a blessing he is to us. His smiles and giggles light up a room, and his sweet nature melts our hearts. Here he is in a "yamaka"! Aunt Kamie was making a special project with her crocheting, and before it was done we decided to see what Nate looked like if he was Jewish. Well here he is...our little Matzo ball!

He got a giant polar bear for Christmas. It will be fun to see him climb all over it one day. Right now it is a little big for him though.

Tessa continues to adore her little "Bubbas". She is able to make him laugh and smile all the time. He gets a kick out of her craziness.

We have Nate's 6 month check up on Monday, and his next kidney doctor appointment on the 7th. We have gone three months without bloodwork, so we are anxiously waiting to hear what his levels are. Hopefully we will be amazing his doctors yet again. We will post his progress when we get it. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support.

Two Busy Months!

Here at the Turley household, we have been pretty busy. So many things have happened so we knew it would be easier to display them all in a video. Some of the exciting things that took place included us adding a new family member to our home (Pearl Magnolia, the Bulldog) and Reagan's entire family visiting for the Christmas holiday. While they were here, we had some great fun doing things like making Gingerbread Houses, going to Zoolights, sitting around the campfire, and getting lots and lots of cousin fun time. (Tessa didn't know what to do with all the playmates!) We even got to go on a Hayride though the neighborhood. We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Nate's Fourth Month

Last week Nate had his 4 month checkup. He currently weighing 12.13 pounds. His weight, head and height are all leveling around the 10 percentile range. This seems small when we compare him to his big sister at her age (where she was in the 113th percentile at one point...lol) but we are just so happy that he continues to grow and put on weight. Keep growing little one!

He is getting very active, alert and giggly! He even is learning to toughen up since his sister loves him in her rough and tumble way.

Only a few more days before all the cousins are together!

Turleys on the Go!

Adam recently got an early Christmas present. He has been wanting a bike forever, so Santa came a little early. Santa also brought a very fun attachment for the kids to enjoy. It is a little big for Nate yet, but Tessa loves going on bike rides with Daddy.

Anyone want to join us??