Welcome Dakota Jack!

Monday April 16th was the day! We had an appointment at Orem Community at 6:30am for an induction. With the pregnancy we had and all the swelling issues and what not we decided being induced at 39 weeks was a good choice. Soon we would know what a good choice that was!

The induction started around 8am and the water was broken about 9am.Progress was slow similar to my labor with Ethan. I would dilate and then stall and then dilate and stall. Also Dakota's heart rate would drop here and there. They thought that he must be laying on the cord so they needed to give some cushion.So they placed a catheter up to cycle fluid around him. This did the trick!

 Finally after a few episodes of "American Pickers" I was 6 cm. It was 1pm. I called my mom to give her the progress. My parents had Annie and Ethan with them and were waiting excitedly to come see the baby. No sooner had I told her that I was a 6 cm that I started feeling pressure. I knew this was it. I hung up, called the nurse and told her I was sure i was complete. She could not believe it-sure enough I was complete! She told me to keep my legs crossed and she ran to call the doctor and they set up the room.Before I knew it, Dr. Young was there and was ready for me to push. 1 and a half pushes later at 1:59pm, Dakota was born! The first thing I noticed was how small he looked (compared to my other two). We knew he would be small, but I thought that meant in the 7 pound range. He was 6 pounds, 5 oz and 19 inches long (the other two kids were each almost 9 pounds each). 

While they got Dakota cleaned up and ready, Dr. Young delivered the placenta. Everyone wanted to see what was up with it as it failed and then seemed to correct its self. Well I do not think it ever corrected its self-it was fragmented and almost shredded. Dr. Young had to manually remove parts of it as it would not come out on it's own. The cord was also in an interesting state-very long and twisted. We understood why his heart rate would drop-no matter where he laid he was on the cord. 

They noticed that his breathing was a little funky. They wanted to take him to the NICU just to keep an eye on him for an hour or so. Soon the nurse came back in and said there was another issue. His blood sugar level was so low they almost could not trace it. Had labor been any longer he would have had some major issues and would have crashed due to low sugar. He would be in the NICU for longer, maybe days while they get them stable. Each day it seemed there was a new development  and most pointed to the placenta as the cause.  Dakota's levels kept going up and down on blood sugar and bilirubin. He was under the lights to correct the jaundice. They diagnosed him wit ha few issues, Coombs Positive (caused the jaundice issues) and Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia ( results from maternal immunization against specific platelet alloantigens paternally inherited by the fetus)  Wednesday they had a neonatologist from Utah Valley Medical  in Orem  teaching a class. The nurses waited for him to drive in and right away told him that he needed to come look at Dakota. We talked about the pregnancy and the issues he has had in his 4 days of life. He feel he had Polycythemia (Dakota's body created more red blood cells to give him the oxygen that the placenta was failing to give) which would cover all his symptoms. Soon the pediatrician was there doing a blood reduction,  taking some blood out and replacing it with fluid. What happens is that not only is it so hard for his little body to push it all around but the red blood cells eat sugar and when he already has a low amount that does not help. He did great during the procedure and it did not phase him at all!

My friend Sara Scott came by and was the first to hold Dakota. 

At the NICU in Orem we were allowed to take any adult in with us. 

Tuesday the kids and my parents came to watch Dakota take his first bath. The kids could not come into the NICU but could watch through the window. They loved seeing their baby brother for the first time.

He was not to sure about the bath

Thursday at 4:50 Am my phone rang. It was the pediatrician calling to let us know that Dakota's sugars just were not getting to where they should and they decided that he needs to be at the NICU at Utah Valley Regional medical Center. I knew this was an something that could happen but it hit me hard. That was serious stuff and meant he would not be coming home as soon as I thought. 

He took his first car ride with some flight nurses.

His new bed at Utah Valley was nice-great view of the mountains and great sunlight. 

He settled right in!

They also wasted no time getting him on the bilirubin lights! They have Nurse practitioner and also doctors on the floor at all times. They work together to set up a plan for Dakota and keep an eye on his progress.We were glad to see him there and felt that we could see some great improvement. It was a rough first 4 days of life but we are so glad to have him in our family!