Another Update & Some Sweet Pictures

Sorry for the long delay in updating about what's going on with the little man. We got the results to the studies which showed that there is damage to his left kidney, however, the upper portion of it is still functioning and may even have it's own draining system. That being said, a couple of doctors (including my aunt who is a kidney specialist) that I am close with all recommended waiting on surgery. One of them also gave me a heads up that the doctor we were meeting with would probably recommend doing the surgery. Turns out they were right and the physician we met with recommended surgery. Jackson and I had already done some research and talked about it, however, and decided to wait. The most up to date information we have is that if his kidney is at least functioning at greater than 40%, conservative management would be to wait and repeat the tests in 3 months. His was functioning at 46% and so that's what we decided to do. We feel like the three months will give us some time to see what happens with the obstruction and will allow him time to grow and get stronger in case he does need surgery. Mostly we feel it will give us 3 months to pray for healing and God's wisdom in how to best take care of him. In the meantime, he'll continue taking an antibiotic daily since he is at risk for UTI/kidney infection. Of course, yesterday morning he woke up congested and was even worse today. He's not running a fever and is still eating like a champ, but we took him to the doctor just in case. She thinks it's just a cold, which I was worried about him getting since the waiting room at the doctor's office on Monday was like a giant petrie dish of coughing and sneezing children. Ugh!
We appreciate all of your prayers and encouragement and ask that you continue to pray-that he will remain free of infection/illness, and that his kidney will be healed.
We've spent most of the week (other than the doctor's appointment) hunkered down at home, as it has been cold and wet and I didn't want him to get sick. The highlight of the week was a toss up between getting his newborn photos back, which Jackson's sweet friend from work took a couple of weeks ago and getting my first smile out of him yesterday when I was holding him and talking. I love the way the pictures turned out, and now I can order his birth announcements! Here are a few of my favorites!