Little Riley Maykayla arrived into a festive New Year’s world as her mother, Kimberly Moten quickly donned a glittery New Year’s crown. The holiday gliz was most appropriate as little Riley–six pound eight ounces—was the first baby born in 2013 at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center-at exactly 7:19AM.
“I kept saying I wanted to have her on New Year’s Day,” says mom Kimberly. “And I got my wish.”
It was a Happy Holiday for the whole family as dad Rodney Coby, the baby’s aunt Sharmaine Spain and godsister Symone Sheet lovingly surrounded baby Riley.
Aunt Sharmaine says Riley has her mom’s lips and her father’s nose. She also says Riley is already good at getting what she wants. This could be a helpful as Riley will share her world with her big sister, one-year-old Raegen. Symone says she is looking forward to baby sitting Riley.
The delivery didn’t quite go as expected. “I was playing with Raegen,” says Kimberly, “and she started coming.” Baby Riley was actually scheduled to be born at another hospital, but mom Kimberly and dad Rodney had to rush to MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital as Riley wasn’t going to wait.
Carrie Rutledge, RN was one of Riley’s attending nurses. “I had just started my morning, shift,” Carrie says. “It was very exciting to help in the delivery of the first New Year’s baby born at the hospital. “Kimberly couldn’t be nicer,” says Carrie. “She was very grateful for everything I could do for her.”
“I’m glad it’s over,” says mom Kimberly who works at Joint Base Andrews as a medical clerk . “It was fun being pregnant during the holidays. For a while I thought she might be born on Christmas. And I got to eat a lot of food, especially on Thanksgiving—because I used the excuse that I was pregnant.”
Little Riley is not only the first baby born at the hospital in 2013, she also has the distinction of being the first baby born in the new year after the merger between MedStar Health and Southern Maryland Hospital Center.
