CNMI welcomes New Year's baby

A baby boy is the Northern Marianas’ New Year’s baby. 

Evelyn Roda and Agustin Ayuyu welcomed their baby boy, Aerich Roda Chen Ayuyu, on January 1st at 9:17 Monday night. The New Year’s baby, weighing 5 pounds and 11.7 ounces, came after eight hours of labor and is the couple's second boy. 

In an interview at the hospital, the mother told KUAM she was surprised because her original due date was January 17th. 

She said she feels overwhelmed, but also blessed to have given birth to the first baby born at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation on Saipan in 2024. 

The family from Dandan village received several gifts from MARPAC, including diapers and wipes, as part of the New Year tradition.