A baby girl born in a Port Hadlock home is the first reported birth of a North Olympic Peninsula baby in 2011.
Imri-Lael Holloway, 28, and John Holloway, 30, saw Eden Marie Holloway for the first time at 2:42 a.m. Saturday, according to midwife Carol Gautschi.
The first baby born in a hospital on the Peninsula this year was also the first reported birth in Clallam County.
Chance William Kemp was born to Katherine and Christopher Kemp of Port Angeles on New Year’s Day — and the baby’s mother’s birthday — at 10:58 a.m. at Olympic Medical Center.
Eden is the first child for both the Holloways, John said.
She was born weighing 7 pounds 3 ounces and was 20 ½ inches long
The Holloways decided to have the baby at home, after hearing about home births from some of John’s co-workers, he said.
“It was an amazing experience,” he said.
“My wife was in labor for 23 hours and 45 minutes — and it was all natural, no drugs or anything like that.”
Both mom and baby were healthy and happy, John said.
“My wife is doing amazing. She is still glowing,” he said.
“I am a pretty proud dad, too.
“I don’t know what words can capture the emotion involved,” he said. “You feel a new breath to life, that’s for sure.”
Said Gautschi, the midwife: “She is a beautiful little girl, and it was a beautiful birth.”
A nursing supervisor at Jefferson Healthcare hospital in Port Townsend said Eden was the earliest birth she had heard of so far in both home and hospital births throughout the North Olympic Peninsula.
Chance Kemp’s birth follows a pattern set by his mother, Katherine.
In addition to being born the same day of the year, Chance and Katherine also shared the same due date — Dec. 28 — and both were four days late, said husband and father, Christopher.
The night before her birthday on New Year’s Day, Katherine and Christopher rushed to OMC in Port Angeles.
Katherine, 23, who was four days overdue with her second child, has an old hip injury. It was flaring up, said Christopher, 25.
At the hospital, they were told she also was in labor.
“We came in at about 8 [p.m. Friday], and she was in a lot of pain,” Christopher said.
“It was moving really slow, so in order to speed it up, they had to induce her.”
Chance will be the little brother of Cody, 3, the couple’s oldest child.
Chance was born weighing 7 pounds 12 ounces and 19 ¼ inches long, his father said.
“It was pretty awesome, actually,” Christopher said.
“It is something I will remember the rest of my life.”
Both baby and mother were healthy and in good condition Saturday and would likely be released to go home today, Christopher said.
No babies had yet been born and no mothers were in labor at either Jefferson Healthcare or Forks Community Hospital by late afternoon Saturday, nursing supervisors at each hospital said.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
