WAIMEA — Ethan Thomas Freitas earned the distinction of being the first baby born in 2009 on Kaua‘i. Freitas, who was born at 12:57 a.m. on New Year’s Day at Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital, is the first son of Kristen
WAIMEA — Ethan Thomas Freitas earned the distinction of being the first baby born in 2009 on Kaua‘i.
Freitas, who was born at 12:57 a.m. on New Year’s Day at Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital, is the first son of Kristen and Michael Freitas Jr. of Kaumakani.
Heading into New Year’s Eve, the nursing staff at the KVMH Birth Unit felt they were going to have a quiet night.
But that was before three couples checked in.
“We didn’t have anyone for three days,” said JoAnn Kawaguchi, a nurse at the KVMH Birth Unit. “Then, everyone came yesterday.”
Kawaguchi said the three couples could have been vying for the New Year’s baby honor.
The Freitas couple were among them.
“I never expected to have the New Year’s baby,” Kristen said. “I was more concerned about the health of my baby.”
Kristen, employed by Ace Hardware in ‘Ele‘ele, said she has been at KVMH since Monday when a medical condition forced her to be hospitalized and monitored by staff.
She said the hospital staff induced labor and together they decided to do the birth by cesarean section.
“That was the right thing to do since the (umbilical) cord was wrapped around his neck three times,” she said.
Ethan Thomas, a male, made his appearance into this world at 12:57 a.m., weighing in at 6 pounds, 10.9 ounces and measuring 19.75 inches.
“He’s already got a full head of hair,” said Michael, a gardener with the National Tropical Botanical Gardens.
“He’s ready for a haircut, already.”
Ethan is Kristen’s first child and Michael’s third.
“Our Birth Unit staff has been busy,” said Cheryl Orsatelli, another of the KVMH Birth Unit nurses on duty New Year’s Day.
Another nurse helping in the unit said, “One went home this morning, another is going home sometime today, and we have the New Year’s baby.”
Among the three couples in the Birth Unit New Year’s Eve, Orsatelli said Robert and Desaray Braun of Kapa‘a also gave birth to a son, Larry K., at 9:04 p.m.
She said that might be the last baby of 2008 at KVMH.
Larry K. is the third son of the Braun family and came into the world at 7 pounds, 1 ounce, measuring 20 inches.
Both babies were tended to by Drs. Surachat Chatkupt and Maila Coleman.
A call to the maternity department at the G. N. Wilcox Memorial Hospital on New Year’s morning revealed that there were two people in labor, but the New Year’s baby honors go to the KVMH Birth Unit.
Kawaguchi said since the Birth Unit was opened in 2003, KVMH has seen at least a quadrupling of patients. She noted that patients come not only from the Westside, but from as far away as Ha‘ena.
“The patients make our job easy,” Orsatelli said. “When the babies grow up, the parents always bring the children back to visit.”
Kawaguchi said when parents have a Christmas, or New Year’s baby, the nursing staff usually go out and buy things that they present to the proud parents.
“We didn’t have a Christmas baby this year, but I’m sure the nurses will be going out to get some things for the New Year’s baby,” Kawaguchi said.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.
com
