Chicago area hospitals welcome first babies of 2024
CHICAGO (CBS) – While most celebrated the new year with food and confetti, some parents celebrated with a new bundle of joy.
On Monday, UChicago Medicine, Advocate Health Care, and Northwestern Medicine announced the first babies of 2024.
Parents Emily and Wes Ortman of Wheeling welcomed their first baby, named Ocean, on Jan. 1 at 3:18 a.m. at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. He weighed 5 pounds, 2.4 ounces, and measured 18.7 inches.
As his parents told CBS 2's Andrew Ramos, they didn't expect to be in the delivery room on New Year's Eve, but Ocean had other plans.
"We got told by our OGBYN basically she had high blood pressure [and] to get it checked out," said Wes Ortman. "And based on the results and tests they were doing, we were told, 'Hey, you know what? We have bad news for you. You're having your baby this weekend.'"
Parents Lindsey and Jordan Platts, of Hinsdale were not far behind. They welcomed baby Henry at 4:44 at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth in Hinsdale. He weighed six pounds, five ounces, and measured 19.5 inches in length. He will be welcomed home by his 2-year-old brother, Lane.
Kiara and Robert Rhodes of Crete welcomed baby Rue at 5:05 a.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center. She weighed four pounds, nine ounces, and measured 17 inches long.
Rue is the first girl of the family - joining her two older brothers, Robert and Kitvi.
Not long after that, at 5:28 a.m., Andrea Cladis-Hodge and Matthew Hodge celebrated the birth of their third child, Pearl Noelle Hodge.
Pearle was born at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 5 ounces, and measured 19.5 inches long.
Andrea and Matthew's first child was born on New Year's Eve.
"The whole year, we were like, 'Wait a minute, is this happening again?'" said Andrea Hodge, adding, "I guess you can't always decide these things, but it will be fun. We're gonna have to have a birthday battle every year."
Ramos: "It sounds like a very expensive double party that's gonna happen every year."
Hodge: "I think it'll be a very expensive December month, yeah."
Pearle's maternal grandfather, Dr. Peter Cladis, has been a physician at Delnor Hospital for 40 years.
The first baby for Cook County Health was Moses Tenorio, born at 9:39 a.m. at Stroger Hospital at 6 pounds, 4 ounces and 18 inches. His parents, Marisol Feliciano and Cosme Tenorio are from Chicago.
UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook welcomed its first baby to parents Paola Gutierrez and Miguel Graterol, of Chicago.
Mateo Gael Gutierrez Graterol was born at 4:07 p.m., weighing 8 pounds, 1 ounce.
Congratulations to the new parents.
