When Elizabeth Aguilar, 19, saw her baby girl for the first time after giving birth at 12:13 a.m. on New Year’s Day, her initial reaction was, “Oh my gosh. She is purple.”
Aguilar’s second observation was, “Oh my gosh, she has so much hair!”
Gazing at his daughter while she dozed serenely Monday morning inside room 222 at Saint Louise Regional Hospital, Aguilar’s boyfriend, Jose Gopar, 24, said he was looking forward to fatherhood.
While Aguilar had hoped for a boy – and later pushed for the name “Lilly Beth” after learning her baby’s gender – Gopar wanted a girl named “Adabella.” The name, which means “lovely,” stood out to him during a search on Google, he said.
“We argued about it so much,” laughed Aguilar. “In the end, I just gave up.”
Now sporting a healthy complexion closer to rosy/sun-kissed, South County’s first baby of 2012 is headed home to Morgan Hill today with her proud parents.
Adabella Esther Gopar, whose middle name is in honor of her paternal great-grandmother, weighs 6 pounds, 5 ounces and measures 19.5 inches. She has a full head of dark brown, feathery-smooth hair and arrived right on schedule.
“I was supposed to deliver on the 31st, so we were just waiting for her to be ‘the New Year baby,'” said Aguilar.
Aguilar was in labor for a fleeting two hours, making the overall natural birthing experience considerably smooth – especially since Aguilar chose to forego an epidural. Not wanting to expose her baby to any risks associated with painkillers, the first-time mother said she didn’t want to take any drugs that would have alleviated delivery discomfort.
Sitting upright Monday morning and chatting about her newly arrived baby, Aguilar appeared cheerful and in good spirits.
Aguilar grew up in Morgan Hill, where she graduated in 2010 from Central High School. Gopar, who graduated in 2007 from Sobrato High School, has lived in Morgan Hill for most of his life. The two work at a Morgan Hill Taco Bell together, where they met and became friends before striking up a relationship one year ago.
As first-time parents, the couple is a natural mixture of nervous and excited. Gopar, who played soccer in high school, said he is looking forward to teaching his daughter how to play his favorite sport.
“I’m just excited to experience parenthood,” he said.
