Aila Grace Sumcad crowned Stanton's first baby of 2017
Parents say they are blessed to have healthy daughter, born 9:33 p.m. New Year's Day
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Yellowknife couple say they feel truly blessed to have had a healthy baby girl 11 days ago - that she happens to be the first baby born at Stanton Territorial Hospital this year is just an added bonus.
Proud mother Stephanie Sumcad cradles newborn Aila at their home last Friday while beaming father Erwin Sumcad and big sister Alia share a spot on the couch. - John McFadden/NNSL photo |
Stephanie and Erwin Sumcad are the proud parents of Aila Grace Sumcad. She was the first baby of the new year born at Stanton - coming into the world at 9:33 p.m. on Jan. 1.
Little Aila arrived one week early but still weighed in at a healthy six pounds, seven ounces. Both mother and child were doing just fine when Yellowknifer stopped by their home for a visit on Friday.
"Two pushes and she was out," Stephanie joked about the relatively uncomplicated birth. "We were the only family in the maternity ward at the time. It feels good - very special."
Baby Aila is the couple's second child. They have another daughter, Alia, aged two-and-a-half.
Both parents agreed it may pose some challenges having two daughters with very similar names, but they added they really like both names.
Erwin, 39, was born and raised in Yellowknife. Stephanie, 29, came to Canada from the Philippines. They met about three years ago in Yellowknife.
Erwin works as a bio medical engineering technologist at Stanton.
"I'm a car mechanic for medical equipment. That's the best way I can describe it," Erwin said.
Both parents agreed their familiarity with the hospital and its staff made things that much more comfortable when it came time to have the baby, especially considering their first baby was born in Edmonton.
"My hospital co-workers were very helpful. The people I work with were there to help us," Erwin said. "They showed us where we were going to go, what rooms we would be in ... It was really reassuring and comforting."
As is tradition, staff in the maternity ward gave the couple a gift basket for having the first baby of the new year.
"It had things like a small tub, baby clothes, lotion and slippers for mom," Stephanie said. "It was very nice of them."
Erwin said he was in the delivery room when Stephanie gave birth as was his mother and a family friend, who were there acting as birth coaches.
Stephanie, who works at Canadian Tire, said she will take the entire year off for maternity leave. Erwin said he will spend as much time at home as he can using his saved up vacation days from work.
"With my wife off work at home with a young daughter and now an infant and a new home, we just couldn't afford to both be off work and not be getting paid. I'm lucky to be able to get time off work," Erwin said.
Both parents wanted to thank and praise the physician who delivered their baby - Dr. Margaret Woodside - and all the nurses in the maternity ward.
