Biggest and best surprise of our life

John and I would like to announce (electronically for now) the arrival of our first born child, John Blaine Dickson. He was born October 19th at 10:23 pm and weighed 2 pounds and 6 ounces and 14 inches long. We call him Jack, since that is a common nickname for John.  We are so happy, words can't describe!  So here is his birth story.

Monday, Oct. 17th (2 days before he was born) I started to have upper back pain and very high stomach pain. I was 30 weeks pregnant so I didn't think it was more than the stomach flu since John seemed to have it. It got worse and worse and after calling my mom and later my sister in law who is a nurse I decided I needed to go to the hospital. I was able to wait until John came home at 10 pm and we went to Davis Hospital. After an IV of fluids and some tests they said I need to drink more and they never really addressed the severe back ache. So we went home deciding I would just take some Tylenol for my back but then found out it's on recall! Poor John had to go to Bountiful to find the generic and then by then it was 2:30 am and he had to work at 4!

Ok, so I stayed home from work Tuesday and felt fine and then woke up Wednesday with the back ache again. Luckily I stayed home again and felt fine most of the day. 5 pm rolls around and my back is hurting pretty badly.  I called a nurse and she said go to the hospital. Ugh I thought. They are just going to tell me the same thing, maybe give me a Tylenol and send me home. My mom came over and I drove us to the hospital because I felt fine. On Monday they wheel chaired me to the room but Wednesday I just walked. So funny.  John came right after we got there (on the phone I told him I was fine and he didn't need to come). So we start filling out the dumbest paper work that we just laughed and laughed at. Then I started feeling some contractions (but I didn't even know that's what they were.) The nurse comes back after the blood work came back and all of the tests had come back. She said I had preeclampsia or also called toxemia. She said I was very sick and the doctor is coming, not a doctor I knew though of course because mine had left for vacation 1 hour earlier. She said we might be having the baby tonight (yeah right I thought!)

The doctor comes in and says the only cure is delivery. I just kept looking at her to go on and tell me what we are really going to do. I can't have the baby now!  I was really scared and I know John was too, but he tried not to show it. He just kept hold of my hand and said we can do this and that we can do anything together, and kept having me look at him. He was just amazing. He got on the phone to call his family.  My parents were there thankfully too and helped me cope with the idea of going into surgery to have the baby. The anesthesiologist was so nice and made me less nervous. John got all suited up and we went into the operating room. I remember they kept poking my belly to see if I was numb enough and I could still feel it a tiny bit. I swear they didn't believe me because I was at the highest level. I guess it wasn't enough to worry about because I didn't feel pain so I just felt the weird pullings and pushings and then he was out! John got to see him while I threw up right on queue.  Jack made a tiny little squeak as they rushed him over to the NICU. My whole family was there in my room waiting for me and Gina, John's sister and only family in Utah, had just made it from Tooele.

 I didn't get to see baby Jack until 4 am when I pulled out my IV on accident.  So before that I'm sitting there in my hospital room in total unbelief especially since I didn't get to see him.  I was on this crazy medicine for 24 hours that literally made me insane.  It was magnesium and it made my skin feel like it was on fire and I was super itchy.  Thinking about it makes me itchy.  Finally, I was able to hold my little baby.  He is so tiny and little.  He is still in the NICU and is so well taken care of.  He has to basically do 3 things to come home: gain weight (double his weight, sounds so easy right), learn to suck swallow and breath, and maintain his temperature.  Last week he seemed to have developed this scary infection or something so feedings came to a stop and he was on antibiotics.  So we get to hold him twice a day and are inbetween home and the hospital all the time.  He dropped weight like all babies, but he went down to 2 lbs  1 oz but is now a whopping 3 lbs 14 oz.  So proud of my little man.  He has little cheeks now!

It's hard sometimes to be patient and leave him at the hospital but most days I feel very strong and happy.  I know our little baby is an absolute miracle and we thank our Father in Heaven everyday for him.  I know He has made us strong through this whole thing.  I know He is guiding Jack's doctors and nurses and is helping him develop faster than he should of had to.  I try and see it as we are getting a sneek peek and he has to spend some time in a "temporary womb" before we can be home together.  We are so happy.

For a lot (and I mean a lot) more pictures of Jack's first month of life, go here https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=mrsdickson&target=ALBUM&id=5679917885210838929&authkey=Gv1sRgCJiTy6KM4-D3Pg&feat=email