Baby Jacob becomes first born at Wayne Memorial in new year
By Steve Herring
Published in News on January 2, 2011 1:50 AM
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News-Argus/MICHAEL BETTS
Jacob Harvey-Ray Nelson, 10 pounds, five ounces, 22-and-a-half inches long, was born at 3:33 a.m. Saturday morning -- Wayne County's first baby of 2011. Jacob is held by his parents, Tiffany Thornton, and her fiancé, Chris Nelson, of Seven Springs.
Tiffany Thornton of Seven Springs hadn't planned on spending New Year's Eve at Wayne Memorial Hospital since her C-section wasn't scheduled until Monday. Jacob Harvey-Ray Nelson, 10 pounds, five ounces, 22 and one-half inches long and with a head full of dark hair, had other plans -- to be Wayne County's first baby of 2011.
Jacob, the son of Ms. Thornton, 23, and her fiancé, Chris Nelson, 22, was born Saturday morning at 3:33 a.m.
"He decided he wanted to be here quicker," said grandmother Kim Thornton. "Her great-grandmother said we were going to have to bring him a biscuit."
While Jacob is the county's first baby of the year, it was more important for his parents that his name is in memory of their grandfathers.
"Jacob was Chris' grandfather who just passed away a few month ago and Harvey was my grandfather who passed away in March," Ms. Thornton said.
Also, Ray is way to honor Nelson and his father, who share the name. Nelson is the son of George Ray Nelson of Seven Springs and Barbara Lynn Cross of Virginia. Ms. Thornton is the daughter of Ted and Kim Thornton of the Indian Springs community.
Ms. Thornton had not felt well and went to the hospital earlier Friday. She was told that she was dehydrated and was sent home with pain medicine. Within just a few hours she knew it was time. It happened so quickly that Mrs. Thornton called the county EMS to transport her daughter.
"I knew they could do more than I could," she said.
Ms. Thornton said she had so much medication that she was "in another world" Friday night and didn't realize Jacob would be the first child born in the new year. However, Nelson said he knew there was another woman close behind Ms. Thornton.
"It was like a race for time," he said. "I knew when we went in for the C-section that he would be baby new year."
Nelson said he wouldn't have any problems helping care for his son.
"I have seven brothers and sisters and I have seven nieces and nephews I have helped with," he said. "I don't particularly enjoy changing them."
"But that is just part of the package," Ms. Thornton said.
She said was not surprised that Jacob had a head full of hair. Ms. Thornton and her mother said they had always heard that a head full of hair caused heartburn.
"All of the heartburn that I had I told ma that he had better come out needing a haircut," Ms. Thornton said. "I could drink water and get heartburn."
She said her mother had already started spoiling Jacob.
"She started before he was born," she said. "She was buying stuff all of the time -- any time she ran across a deal on boy stuff she bought it."
"He has his own room at her house," Nelson said. "He has two cribs at our home. One in our bedroom and the other in his room. We have two or three cabinets full of clothes that we have not even gone through yet."
"He has my old crib (there)," Ms. Thornton added.
"And it still looks like it is brand new," her mother said.
Nelson said that during a baby shower people kept asking what was needed. Diapers and powder, he told them.
However, some of the diapers they received are going to have to be returned -- because of his size Jacob skipped the newborn size, Nelson said.
"Chris' father told me I was so big that I had a linebacker in there," Ms. Thornton said. "They thought there might have been twins, but they did another ultrasound and it was only one."