CdA's first baby of 2016 - It's a girl

COEUR d'ALENE — As the world celebrated the dawning of a new year, a special North Idaho family also celebrated the birth of their daughter.

John and Tullaya Akins of Sandpoint proudly announced that Mika Akins entered the world at 12:15 a.m. on New Year's Day, making her Coeur d'Alene's first official baby of 2016. She was born at Kootenai Health.

"We heard the celebration outside and that was right when Tullaya decided she needed to push," John said Friday afternoon. "We were kind of giggling about it afterward. It was right at the ball drop when little Mika started coming out."

Mika is the couple's second child and is joining her big brother, 21-month-old Kai.

"We’re just really happy," John said. "We really wanted a girl. We have a little boy, so this completes our family."

John said they were surprised but ecstatic to have the honor of the New Year's baby because Mika arrived a little early.

"It's really fun," he said. "It will be a good keepsake. She was actually due the 2nd."

Sara Drechsel, charge nurse in labor and delivery, has been a nurse at Kootenai Health through 18 New Year's Eves. She said the nurses get just as excited as the families do when patients are close to giving birth to the New Year's baby. She said three mommies-to-be were candidates for having 2016's first child.

"It's super exciting for the patients because they're very aware and excited to deliver the first baby of the year," she said. "It's a busy time for us at New Year's Eve and New Year's Day because everybody wants to have that New Year's baby. We get flooded with patients; there's a lot of anticipation, a lot of excitement."

John and Tullaya had not decided on a middle name as of Friday afternoon, but were absolutely overjoyed with their new addition after a somewhat brief — 5-hour — labor that kicked in on New Year's Eve. Mom and baby are doing very well, John said.

Mika weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces and was 20 inches long, and was born with a little bit of peach fuzz on her head.