GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM The first baby of the new year, Nelna Leslie Marie Killion, was born at 1:25 a.m. yesterday at Kapiolani Medical Center to Redley and Maryjane Killion of Kalihi.

Girl born to Kalihi
couple is isles’ first
baby of 2002

Nelna Killion was born at 1:25 a.m.
at Kapiolani hospital

---

By Treena Shapiro
tshapiro@starbulletin.com

Nelna Leslie Marie Killion was due on Christmas Eve, but made her appearance at 1:25 a.m. New Year's Day instead, making her Hawaii's first baby of 2002.

Maryjane Killion, 28, of Kalihi, said the idea that she gave birth to the first baby of the year had not crossed her mind until she started receiving queries about her new daughter yesterday in her room at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children.

Nelna was born 16 minutes before a baby at Hilo Medical Center and 19 minutes before a baby at Queen's Medical Center.

"It's pretty exciting," said Nelna's father, Redley Killion, 24, who said he had expected a New Year's Eve baby when his wife went into labor about 10 hours before midnight.

"I thought she was going to deliver before the first, about 10 or 11 last night," he said yesterday afternoon.

Redley said he had planned to spend New Year's Eve taking his 1-year-old daughter Marilyn to watch fireworks but ended up leaving her with his sister while he and his wife were at the hospital.

Ushering in the new year will be different for the Kalihi family next time around, Redley said.

"It's going to be a big party," he said.

The black-haired, brown-eyed baby weighed in at 8 pounds, 10.11 ounces and measured 2034 inches long. Nelna is named for her grandmothers Nelly and Nena.