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By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
Erika and Ramon Ruelas show off their newest boy,
Jose, Hawaii's first baby of the year. They
have another boy, Erick, 7.

Hawaii’s first 2001
baby checks in three
days early

The birth was expected
Thursday, family says

Firstborns have special distinction

---

By Rosemarie Bernardo
Star-Bulletin

New Year's Eve plans were altered for the Ruelas family when it received an unexpected arrival three days early.

Erika Ruelas, 26, gave birth to a healthy, 8.75-pound baby boy, Jose Armando, at 12:08 a.m. today at Tripler Army Medical Center.

Jose Armando is the first baby to be born this year at Oahu hospitals.

The Ruelases, originally from Mexico, arrived in Hawaii on March 20, 1998. The couple resides at Schofield Barracks with their 7-year-old son, Erick.

Jose Armando's father, Ramon, said the baby was not due until Thursday.

Before Erika went into labor, Ramon said, the family was planning to go to a New Year's gathering at a friend's house at Schofield.

She began to experience contractions at 4 a.m. yesterday and went into labor at 2 p.m.

Ten hours and eight minutes later, their second child was born.

"It was really exciting," said Ramon.

At Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, three baby girls were born within two hours of each other.

The first was born at 12:10 a.m., followed by the second at 3:40 a.m. and the third at 5:10 a.m. Queen's Medical Center reported a baby girl was born there at 3:10 this morning.

Hospitals on the neighbor islands had no births to report as of 7 a.m.