Meet little Gavin
Published 9:30 am Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Meet Gavin Joel Gonsalez.
Born just before midnight on New Year’s Day at Naeve Hospital, Gavin is Albert Lea’s Baby New Year.
Weighing in at 6 pounds 15 1/2 ounces, he is brown-haired with blue eyes.
He is the son of proud mother Stephanie Gonsalez.
During an interview with the Tribune Monday in The Baby Place — the hospital’s third-floor maternity ward — Stephanie said she arrived at the hospital around 6:30 p.m. New Year’s Day with bad contractions. Light contractions had begun earlier in the day but progressed throughout the day.
Then for two hours — from 9 until about 11 p.m. — she pushed without any luck.
That’s when she was told she’d have to give birth via cesarean section — commonly known as a C-section. She was wheeled in for the surgery at about 11:15 p.m., and then at 11:55 p.m., Gavin made his debut into the world.
Stephanie said her family and friends think little Gavin looks like her and her brother.
He’s been sleeping a lot during the day and has been more awake at night, the new mom said.
His first name “Gavin” was a name she saw and liked, and his middle name “Joel” was after his grandmother’s name.
Name: Gavin Joel Gonsalez
Born: Jan. 1, 2009
Time: 11:55 p.m.
Weight: 6 pounds 15 1/2 ounces
Length: 20 1/2 inches
Hair color: dark brown
Eye color: blue
Hometown: Kiester
Family: mom Stephanie Gonsalez; grandparents Sal and Peggy Gonsalez
Stephanie said she is excited her son is the 2010 Baby New Year. She was kind of surprised, too, because Gavin’s due date was Jan. 4.
As of Monday morning, he was the only birth so far for the year.
In 2009, there were 506 babies born in The Baby Place.
In 2008, there were 492.
The mother and son were scheduled to go home later Monday.