thedrifter
01-02-08, 09:10 AM
Craven’s first baby in 2008 born to Marines
By Nikie Mayo
January 1, 2008 - 10:57PM
The parents of little Gionni Felipe Colon probably wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d come into the world wearing combat boots.
Craven County’s first baby of 2008 was born to Cpl. Natalie Colon, a Pittsburgh native who is stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock. Her husband Josue is a former Marine himself. Both of the Colons have done tours of duty in Iraq.
“It took me nine hours of labor to push him out,” Natalie Colon said of her son. “I’m tired, but I feel good. The epidural was a lifesaver.”
Gionni was born at Craven Regional Medical Center in New Bern at 3:07 p.m. Tuesday. He weighs 7 pounds and 15 ounces and is 21 inches long.
“We gave him a name that’s tough to spell and that everybody will probably mispronounce,” his mother said, laughing. “We get, ‘Is there a Colon in the room?’ all the time, but our name is pronounced like ‘cologne’.”
The baby was due Monday and Dr. Karen Shelton had planned to induce his mother’s labor by Tuesday.
“But I started having contractions on my own when we were on the way here about 6 o’clock in the morning,” Colon said.
Gionni’s birth also “breaks a streak” for Shelton, the doctor said.
“I’ve delivered babies on New Year’s before, but I’ve never had the luck of having the first baby,” she said. “Last year, I was in Onslow County and I was beaten out. … And this little one was so late in coming today that I was beginning to think we wouldn’t have a New Year’s Day baby. But we’ve had four since 3 o’clock.”
Knowing that there were other women in labor around the same time brought out her husband’s competitive streak, Natalie Colon said.
“He said, ‘Come on, honey, you can push him out first.’ And if he thought somebody else was getting close, he’d say ‘Uh-oh. Uh-oh.’ He was keeping up with the others,” she said.
“It was kind of like watching a scoreboard,” he said, laughing. “But honestly, we’re just excited. He’s healthy and he’s our first.”
By Nikie Mayo
January 1, 2008 - 10:57PM
The parents of little Gionni Felipe Colon probably wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d come into the world wearing combat boots.
Craven County’s first baby of 2008 was born to Cpl. Natalie Colon, a Pittsburgh native who is stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock. Her husband Josue is a former Marine himself. Both of the Colons have done tours of duty in Iraq.
“It took me nine hours of labor to push him out,” Natalie Colon said of her son. “I’m tired, but I feel good. The epidural was a lifesaver.”
Gionni was born at Craven Regional Medical Center in New Bern at 3:07 p.m. Tuesday. He weighs 7 pounds and 15 ounces and is 21 inches long.
“We gave him a name that’s tough to spell and that everybody will probably mispronounce,” his mother said, laughing. “We get, ‘Is there a Colon in the room?’ all the time, but our name is pronounced like ‘cologne’.”
The baby was due Monday and Dr. Karen Shelton had planned to induce his mother’s labor by Tuesday.
“But I started having contractions on my own when we were on the way here about 6 o’clock in the morning,” Colon said.
Gionni’s birth also “breaks a streak” for Shelton, the doctor said.
“I’ve delivered babies on New Year’s before, but I’ve never had the luck of having the first baby,” she said. “Last year, I was in Onslow County and I was beaten out. … And this little one was so late in coming today that I was beginning to think we wouldn’t have a New Year’s Day baby. But we’ve had four since 3 o’clock.”
Knowing that there were other women in labor around the same time brought out her husband’s competitive streak, Natalie Colon said.
“He said, ‘Come on, honey, you can push him out first.’ And if he thought somebody else was getting close, he’d say ‘Uh-oh. Uh-oh.’ He was keeping up with the others,” she said.
“It was kind of like watching a scoreboard,” he said, laughing. “But honestly, we’re just excited. He’s healthy and he’s our first.”