FIRST BORN

He’s just seven days old and already Omari Leonardo Garraway has etched his name in the history books – cameras flashing, newspaper articles, the works.

Omari’s fame comes from being the first baby born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the year. {{more}}The little one was born at 4 a.m. on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2005, to proud parents Leslieann Sam and Leodillon Orlando Garraway. Weighing in at seven pounds five ounces, Omari is not only the first baby born on New Year’s Day, but he is the first born to both parents.

When this publication visited the proud parents at their Campden Park home last Wednesday, the two had just put the boy to sleep. The father could not hide his joy at being a dad.

“I’m overwhelmed,” said Garraway. “When I see the baby boy come out I felt real proud and overjoyed.”

Garraway stood by his woman for the whole time she was in labour at the Maternity Ward A at the Milton Cato Memorial Hos-pital. He even slept on a chair.

“The experience seeing him born was like, wow!” said Garraway, who also said that witnessing the birth wasn’t a bad experience.

Omari’s mother Leslieann commented, “He’s my first and the first for 2005.” She doesn’t plan to have any more children right now but is truly glad Omari came.

“I feel good,” she said.

Also born on January 1 was “Baby Fraser” and he didn’t begin his existence in this world in a bad way at all.

Born at 4:08 p.m., Fraser is the last of the four newborns whose name will forever be etched in history, as the first babies born in 2005. Although Fraser was the last of the four to be born on New Year’s Day and the last to leave the hospital, his mother Ernestine Fraser thinks his being born that day was a sign.

Fraser said that “Baby Fraser” was due on January fifth. “He came early and that must be a sign,” she said from her bed at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital last Tuesday.

The Argyle resident, who has not yet named her pride and joy, revealed that her baby weighed six pounds six ounces and is fathered by Paul Jordon. Baby Fraser has two sisters.

Another of the babies was born to Esther Rawlins of Murray’s Road. Rawlins had the second baby of the day at 7:15 a.m. The healthy baby girl weighed six pounds 11 ounces. And Anesta Pompey, whose child was born at 1:45 p.m. hails from Byera. She had a baby boy weighing eight pounds six ounces, the third to be born on Jan. 1st.