As Bay Area residents counted down the seconds to the brand new yr, the region's first baby was born.
Raelynn James Greenwell, who was born at 12 a.m. sharp on January 1, seemed to be the Bay Area's first newborn of 2025.
Her parents, Sophia Greenwell and James Greenwell IV of Union City, welcomed their fifth daughter at Kaiser's San Leandro Medical Center. She weighed 8 kilos and measured 18 1/2 inches.
“She has chubby cheeks, blue eyes and blonde hair,” Sophia Greenwell said of Raelynn James. “We are beyond blessed. She is perfect and looks like our youngest daughter. In fact, she reminds us of the little baby from Whoville.”
Sophia Greenwell, who arrived on the hospital at 2 p.m., thought her latest daughter could be born on New Year's Eve. She said she was really surprised when Raelynn James walked in at exactly midnight – exactly to the second, even.
“I was excited because I really wanted the basket they had and in it was a gift card to Target,” she said, referring to a present the hospital gave her for the birth of their first baby in 2025.
The basket also contained baby supplies, a teddy bear and a small outfit for her little girl.
“I just want her to be healthy, that's all,” Sophia Greenwell said of her hopes for her fifth daughter. “I just want to start the new year positive and healthy.”
The next two New Year's babies within the Bay Area were born at 12:03 a.m. and 12:04 a.m. The first child was born at John Muir Health Walnut Creek Medical Center; No further information was provided.
The second was a baby boy weighing 6 kilos, 15.8 ounces and measuring 20 inches tall who was born at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View.
Santa Clara parents Shivangi and Vivek, whose baby has not yet been named, said in an announcement that “midnight births are always special and exciting.”
“Midnight on New Year’s Eve takes this excitement to a new level,” the parents said. “Such births remind us of divine appearances in human forms on earth. With these precious thoughts in mind, we welcome our little boy in the hope that he will be a source of kindness, righteousness, energy and strength to those around him.”
At Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, the primary baby was born at 2:22 a.m. No further details were disclosed.
At Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto, the primary baby was born at 2:47 a.m. Ran Duan and Jerry Zhang of Mountain View welcomed their first child – a daughter they named Rania Zhang. Rania can be the family's first grandchild.
“We are thrilled that she is our baby dragon,” said Jerry Zhang, referring to the present Chinese zodiac sign.
The dragon represents power, strength, wisdom and luck, and her parents said having a toddler born within the Year of the Dragon was a source of pride. Chinese New Year 2025 will happen on January twenty ninth, marking the start of the Year of the Snake.
Despite being California's second-largest county-owned health system, Santa Clara Valley Healthcare didn't welcome its first baby of the yr until 8:28 a.m
Little boy Nguyen, whose parents haven’t yet selected a reputation, was born at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose and weighed 6 kilos, 14.8 ounces.
Originally published:
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