Update on Liz & Jonah Part 2

12 days ago Liz was admitted to the hospital, 4 days ago she gave birth to Jonah Rule Dobson. She was diagnosed with preeclampsia and as the doctor's watched her lab work values and platelet count drop, they decided an induced labor was necessary; otherwise we'd wait until it was too late and the only option to get baby Jonah out safely & quickly would be an emergency c-section. So we induced labor on Monday, and by Thursday, October 13th at 12:13am, little Jonah was born at only 28 weeks and 2 days gestation. He was 13 inches long and tipped the scale at 1 lb & 14.1 ounces. 


Jonah is being cared for in a level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and being watched like a hawk around the clock. He suffers from respiratory distress syndrome and his new home is a nice warm, quiet plastic incubator. He has help breathing through a ventilator and is treated with oxygen. He also has jaundice and is being treated with phototherapy, so he constantly bathes under the brightest blue lights to help get his bilirubin levels back down to normal. Left untreated, jaundice can really take a toll on a babies brain. The light is very bright so he wears a little mask over his eyes so he can rest. The doctors are also watching Jonah's tummy closely, as it appears to be distended - although soft. We are hoping it is just gas and his nurse tried to help move along any blockage today with a little sliver of glycerin suppository. This was the first time mommy saw Jonah cry and it broke her heart. Luckily this helped produce a poopy diaper & Jonah probably quietly celebrated. 


Every morning Liz and Jordan are invited to attend morning rounds and listen to an amazing team of doctors and medical staff discuss Jonah's care and treatment plan for the day. Jonah has been known to be "feisty" and a "fighter", traits his mommy thinks are perfect to help him get along in life, and especially during these first two months where every day gets him closer to coming home. 


Liz was discharged as a patient from the hospital on Sunday, but is still recovering slowly from preeclampsia. The hospital is allowing her to stay for boarding as long as there is room so she can continue to visit with Jonah as often as possible. She can't wait for the day he isn't hooked up to so many monitors and machines so she can hold him for the very first time. Every day is a good day, and we feel blessed to have him being taken care of by an amazing group of medical providers. Today we turned off the bright lights over Jonah and underneath the shades was a tiny baby boy that looked just like his father.