Joslyn arrives early -- and right on time

Published on -1/5/2012
Hays Daily News
By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN
dobrien@dailynews.net

The first granddaughter on her side. The first grandbaby, period, for his parents.

Michelle and Aaron Honas knew the birth of their first child was going to be a big deal in 2012.

They had no way of knowing how big of a deal.

Little Joslyn Renee Honas came into the world with a bang Sunday morning -- New Year's Day.

Making her appearance 26 days before her due date, Joslyn got a bit of instant notoriety.

Born 49 minutes after midnight Sunday, she became Hays Medical Center's first baby of the new year.

Weighing in at 8 pounds, 5 ounces, and 19.5 inches long, Joslyn beat her first cousin into the world as the first granddaughter on her mom's side of the family.

Michelle's older sister in Ellsworth is due Jan. 21.

The Honases, who live in Ellis, had a quiet evening planned with friends for New Year's Eve on Saturday.

Plans changed in a hurry about mid-morning.

Aaron got up and went to work at his job as a truck driver for Honas Tank Service and got a call from his wife at about 9:40.

"My water broke," she told him.

After arriving at the hospital and getting settled, the couple didn't mind waiting a few more hours for Joslyn's arrival.

We could have the first New Year's baby, they thought.

After calling Aaron, Michelle had notified her mother, Kelly Diller, who lives about four and a half hours away, in Chanute.

"I told her I needed six hours notice," Grandma Diller said with a laugh. "But I got here in plenty of time."

"A heck of a way to start the new year," Aaron said with a smile.

In an effort to give the same treatment to each of the 700-some babies who are born at its facility each year, HaysMed gives the first baby of the year the same gifts as every baby throughout the year.

"They're all special," said Kristy Schlaefli, clinical supervisor for obstetrics and pediatrics at HaysMed. "So we treat them the same, whether it be the first baby (of the year) or the 500th."

Every baby born at HaysMed goes home with a gift pack that includes some necessities, educational materials and a story book donated by the HaysMed Auxiliary.

That will fit well into the storybook theme in Joslyn's nursery.

"I love to read," Michelle said as she held her daughter.

Michelle, a teacher at Western Plains High School in Ransom, said she can hardly wait to read to Joslyn.

No doubt one of the first books read to Joslyn will be "Love You Forever," a popular book for all ages by Robert Munsch.

The book starts out with a mother singing to her sleeping baby boy and goes through his growing up years until the baby, now a grown man, sings the same thing to his elderly mother.

"My favorite quote, from my favorite book," Michelle said, nodding to the quote on the wall above Joslyn's bed.

"I'll love you forever. I'll like you always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."