Yukon's first 2020 baby a bit late, not causing much fuss, says mother

By being born late, Adam Douglas vandenHoek was also early, earning him the distinction of Yukon's first reported baby of the new decade.

"He's pretty chill so far, which is good. He hasn't caused a lot of fuss, which is nice," said Andrea, his mother. "We got three other ones running around the house, so it's nice that he hasn't caused too much trouble yet... yet."

Adam was born at 12:28 p.m. Thursday in his family's home in Whitehorse, five days after his due date. 

Andrea had a water birth with the assistance of a midwife. Adam had to be resuscitated after coming out, but it was an otherwise smooth experience, she said.

"I mean, it was birth, so it wasn't fun," Andrea added with a laugh.

She described having the first baby of 2020 in the territory as "pretty exciting."

Adam's middle name, belonged to his great-grandfather Douglas, with whom he shares a birthday.

"I caught [Adam] as he came out, so that was pretty special being able to do that," said the boy's father, Craig.

He said the couple prayed for a boy to create a gender balance at home; Adam has two sisters and one brother.

"Our son needs a playmate who likes to play rough a little more than his sisters do," Andrea said.

Adam broke an at least two-year streak in Yukon of New Year baby girls.

Matt Davidson, the manager of communications for Yukon Hospitals, said 396 babies were born in Whitehorse General Hospital in the last fiscal year.

He also noted in an email that the World Health Organization has chosen 2020 as the "International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife."

N.W.T.'s 1st baby of 2020 is Axel Akkak

In the Northwest Territories, the first baby of the new decade was Axel Akkak, said a spokesperson for the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority. 

He was born at 10:15 a.m. on Jan. 1, at Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife.