EDMONDS – Everyone expected Mademou Drammeh to be born Christmas Eve.
Babies often have plans of their own.
At 4:49 a.m. on Tuesday, the 7-pound, 8-ounce baby girl entered the world at the Stevens Hospital birth center.
Her choice in timing made her the first born in the New Year in Snohomish County.
Momodou Drammeh is thrilled to be the father of a beautiful new baby girl, and excited she was first in the New Year.
“Everything was smooth. Perfect,” he said. “Whenever you become a father is good. It’s a good feeling.”
She is the second child for Drammeh and Jainaba Sillah, who live in Lynnwood. The couple have a 21/2-year-old son named Lassana.
The couple met in Gambia, West Africa, and have been married about three years.
The new baby girl is named for Momodou’s stepmother, who still lives in Gambia.
“Mommy and Daddy are happy to have a new baby in the family,” Drammeh said. “Our little boy has a sister now.”
New mother Jainaba Sillah speaks little English, but expressed happiness that her baby girl finally arrived.
When Sillah passed her due date, her doctor sent her home to rest with plans to give her a couple of days for the baby to come on her own.
Sillah’s discomfort prompted a trip to the hospital on New Year’s Eve. They arrived about 10:30 p.m.
“From there, she was in labor,” Drammeh said.
A little more than six hours later, the family met their newest addition.
Drammeh has lived in the United States for about 12 years and works as a nursing assistant at Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland. He became a U.S. citizen on July 4, 2000.
About 1,300 babies are born at Stevens Hospital each year.
“It’s plain darn exciting to have the first baby of the year in Snohomish County,” said Jack Kirkman, a vice president at Stevens Hospital. “We offer our sincere congratulations to the parents, and we’re glad that the baby chose our hospital.”
Mademou Drammeh’s birth marks the growing diversity in Snohomish County, Kirkman said.
The new baby is well behaved, her father said.
“I think she’s going to be a quiet baby,” he said. “Maybe she’s waiting for the night.”
Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.
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