Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2013

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When She WOKe UP On
New Year’s Day, something
quite new was about to
begin for Danielle White of
Georgetown. That some-
thing was motherhood.
White knew that her
nine months of waiting was up and that she could meet
her new baby at any time, but it did not dawn on her
that she would deliver a New Year’s baby.
“I was hoping for a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day
baby,” White remembered.
“But he made it on another
holiday, so that’s cool.”
At around 11:30 on New Year’s morning, White be-
gan feeling uncom-
fortable but believed
that she was expe-
riencing Braxton
Hicks contractions.
By mid-afternoon,
her pain increased,
so White made
her way to Roper
St. Francis Mount
Pleasant Hospital.
She was surprised to
learn that her pain
actually meant that
she was well into
the throes of labor.
At 9:54 that night,
White and Darnell
Howard welcomed
their son, Darnell
Christopher Howard Jr. Their new arrival checked in at
7.1 pounds and 20 inches long.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is my baby,’” White
recalled. “They put him on my chest and I was like, ‘He
was so cute.’ Words can’t describe how happy I was.”
Baby Darnell is not just any New Year’s baby; he is
Mount Pleasant’s first baby of 2013. Mount Pleasant
Magazine is in its second year of a First Baby Stork Basket
Contest between Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hos-
pital and East Cooper Medical Center. The competition is
all in good fun since moms-to-be really have no say about
who the winner will be. Fate is up to Mother Nature.
“I think it’s really interesting, but nobody has con-
trol,” White admitted. “It’s not a race or anything.”
Baby Darnell and his family received this year’s
Mount Pleasant Magazine First Baby Stork Basket.
Local businesses donated items to welcome Darnell to
the world: Southern Belles provided clothing, Baby
Bloomers contributed burp cloths and onesies, Coastal
Pediatrics offered a bottle and other goodies and
Angels and Rascals donated a gift certificate. The new
mom did not seem
surprised by the
generosity.
“I think it’s
really nice,” said
White, who is
considering moving
to Mount Pleasant.
“I love coming to
Mount Pleasant
because of how the
people are.”
In fact, she
chose to have her
baby at Roper St.
Francis Mount
Pleasant Hospital
because she felt
pampered at the
facility.
Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital is now
tied with East Cooper Medical Center, which boasted
the first baby of 2012.
White plans to enjoy her stork basket and her new
role as Darnell’s mom.
“He’s really good baby. He’s so neat,” she said.
ANewExperience
on NewYear’s Day
Feature
By AMy KehM
Darnell Christopher howard Jr., center, was Mount Pleasant’s first baby of 2013. his parents, Darnell
howard and Danielle White, live in Georgetown.
First Baby
Stork Basket
2013
Photo by Denise K. James