Bay Area’s First Baby of 2025
The Bay Area’s first baby of 2025 arrived in San Leandro at the Kaiser Medical Center right at the stroke of midnight on January 1. Raelynn James Greenwell weighed 8 pounds even and was 18-1/2 inches long, said proud mom Sophia Greenwell.
Dad James Greenwell IV had been watching the countdown to midnight on his phone and it was also visible on a TV in the delivery area as Realynn made her entrance.
She joins four other daughters aged 5 through 17 at the Greenwells’ Union City home and hadn’t been expected until January 10, Sophia Greenwell said.
“We got to the hospital about 2:30 p.m., and she was born right at midnight,” she said. “I pushed about three times, somebody in the room suggested I cough, and when I did, Raelynn came right out!”
All the tests on Raelynn were normal, and her parents were able to take her home about 8 p.m., Sophia said. Everyone had recovered enough to give a brief TV interview to KRON4 News before leaving the hospital.
Sophia says Raelynn, named after a country singer with a similar name, is a good baby who did fine her first night, only waking when she got hungry.
“She has chubby cheeks, blue eyes and blonde hair,” Sophia Greenwell earlier told a Kaiser spokesperson. “We’re beyond blessed. She’s perfect and looks like our youngest daughter. In fact, she reminds us of the little baby from Whoville.” (In the movie “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.”)
“She’s a total wriggler, though. She’s very active,” Sophia added.
Raelynn’s sisters were eagerly awaiting her arrival, especially the two younger girls, Sophia said. They were all preparing the house for Raelynn, but as a new family member hadn’t been expected, she and James had recently gotten rid of all their baby gear and clothes.
Sophia said everybody at the hospital had been very nice, and that she hadn’t really expected having the first baby of the new year to generate so much media interest.
“We didn’t realize it would be such a big deal,” she said.