Jacksonville couple wins race for first Craven County baby of 2023
A Jacksonville couple won the race for the first baby of 2023 born at CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern, but just barely.
On a day that saw a total of seven babies delivered at the hospital by late morning, proud parents Athena Hadder and JC Harris welcomed their baby girl, Khione Harris, at 12:01 a.m. on January 1.
The healthy newborn came in at a weight of 6 pounds, 12 ounces and a height of 19 inches.
“It feels like it was a competition and we won,” Hadder laughed. “I labored for 20 hours to get to that one minute on New Year’s Day. I didn’t do it on purpose but I feel like Khione did it on purpose.”
The Jan. 1 delivery was made even more special by the fact that Khione will now share a birthday with her father, who turned 30 Sunday.
“He wanted to share it with her and she waited for that one minute,” Hadder said. “At 12:01 her feet popped out and I put her on my chest.”
Harris described the experience as “pretty amazing.”
“I was jokingly wishing for it the entire time,” he said. “Then It started getting closer and I was like, okay it has to happen, I’m getting her for my birthday present.”
Hadder explained that although the spelling is Greek, Khione is a Hawaiian name that honors Harris’s birthplace.
“It’s a male Hawaiian name but when you spell it Khione it’s a Greek goddess of snow, and my name is Athena, which is a Greek goddess,” Hadder said. “So she was always going to be Khione, whether it was a boy or a girl.”
Hadder said her sister is also pregnant and was actually due a week before her on Dec. 31.
“My due date was Jan. 8. She hasn’t given birth yet so we were joking that we traded due dates,” she said.
Hadder said she was able to endure almost an entire day in labor with the help of a doula, a professional labor assistant who provides physical and emotional support during pregnancy.
“She was incredible. I couldn’t have labored for 20 hours without her help,” she said. “I recommend doulas and midwives, absolutely.”
As her first experience with childbirth, Hadder said the process had been overwhelming.
“It’s a little confusing honestly, just all the feelings I have,” she commented. “I’m really excited and can’t wait but I also just want everything to slow down. It’s amazing.”
Reporter Todd Wetherington can be reached by email at wwetherington@gannett.com. Please consider supporting local journalism by signing up for a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Jacksonville couple wins race for first Craven County baby of 2023
