8-pound, 8-ounce boy born at Coney Island Hospital at midnight
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Brooklyn is the home of New York City's first baby of 2015, as an 8-pound 8 ounce boy was born at Coney Island Hospital.
But the race for the year's first newborn went down to the wire.
Mom Olena Olenyukh gave birth to baby, Maxim, right at the stroke of midnight.
One second later, a boy, 7 pounds 10 ounces, (pictured above) was born at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. The boy was 19.5 inches, and both the mother, Angela Ortega, and her new son, named Elias, are doing well.
Both were not due Thursday, both in fact were days late.
"He came out in three pushes!", said Angela Ortega.
Elias Zachary is the 28 year old's third child, and Angela says she and the staff at Montefiore were pushing for him to be the first baby of the New Year.
"The doctors and nurses were coaching me and they were like, we are going to make this a New Year's baby so they were coaching me and prepped me through it," said Angela.
So Baby Elias clocked in in the Bronx at exactly 12 midnight and one second.
But he had tough competition from another baby boy in Brooklyn for King of 2015, a son of Sheepshead Bay: Maxim Olenyukh, weighing in 8 lbs and 8 ounces, and measuring 21 inches long.
"I'm so happy mommy you know," said his mother Olena.
His parents says they weren't aware of the hype surrounding Baby New Year, but quickly became aware as the ball started dropping, they were having a contender.
"Everybody's tells me we were watching on TV like 1, 2, 3, now 00 the baby comes out!", Olena said.
Her first child clocked in at exactly midnight. Nurses on the maternity ward at Coney Island Hospital feel he's the winner by one second.
"As the ball dropped we were watching TV and as the ball dropped the baby came out," said maternity nurse Rina Ganeles.
Regardless of who was first, both moms wished each other the best.
"Just the best wishes," said Olena.
"Blessings, blessings," Angela said.
And no matter who won, the main thing is that both babies are healthy.
