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Welcome to the world

County's first baby of the year arrives Saturday morning as a gift to a happy extended family

By Laura McVicker
Published: January 2, 2011, 12:00am
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As deliveries go, young Alexis Giovany Vasques’ was unremarkable.

His mom, Marisela Vasques, had a planned caesarean section. The surgery to bring the 8 pound, 1 ounce boy into the world lasted all but 45 minutes.

But 15 minutes later, Vasques’ doctor came back into the delivery room with exciting news for the Vancouver mom and dad: With an 8:02 a.m. delivery, Alexis was the first baby born in Clark County in 2011.

“It was exciting,” a beaming dad Servando Vasques said Saturday afternoon in their hospital room at Southwest Washington Medical Center.

With a scheduled C-section, you would think that having a New Year baby was done on purpose. But nope, the significance slipped the Vasques’ minds.

“It didn’t even click until this morning,” said Art Cazares, the baby’s uncle. “I think (Servando) was more worried about the baby and wife.”

While Alexis, who is 22 inches long, had a delivery date of Jan. 5, Servando said their doctor recommended an early C-section; Marisela was having occasional contractions the night before.

“It was time for the baby to come,” Servando said.

The couple stayed home on New Year’s Eve, and when the clock struck 5 a.m., they left for Southwest’s birth center in preparation for the surgery. By midmorning, most of their extended family, who also live in the Vancouver area, and a few friends were crowded around the room to meet Alexis.

There weren’t any surprises. “He called and said, ‘Hey, it’s done,’” Cazares said.

Particularly excited was Alexis’ 7-year-old sister, Mariana, who was granted the privilege of helping name her brother. She decided on Giovany, after a classmate at school.

As Alexis nestled in his mother’s arms, Mariana got really close, pulling at his blanket and cotton hat and exposing his full head of dark hair.

Next to the bed was evidence of Alexis’ accomplishment: blankets and stuffed animals from hospital staff to take home as gifts.

Aside from having the first baby of the year, the couple were excited to have their first son.

Asked how she felt, Marisela, through an interpreter, said simply, “happy.”

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