They thought baby was late till he came in first on O'ahu

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer

Mother Anela Florendo and older brother Iokepa marveled at Iokona Florendo, the first O'ahu baby of 2004. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Iokona was O'ahu's first baby of the new year. Born at a robust 8 pounds, 12 ounces, Iokona showed up at 1:53 a.m. yesterday. He was due Dec. 27 and his mother, Anela Florendo, said she had been in labor since Monday.

"He came right after the fireworks," Florendo said. "I saw the sky all lit up and he came right away after that."

Now that he is here, none of that mattered, she said as he tenderly touched Iokona's blue-knitted cap.

"He looks like his brother when he was first born," said the 25-year-old mother. "He's mixed up good."

Iokona's arrival was a happy time, tinged with sadness. Iokona is named for his father, who was killed in a car accident in May on Moloka'i. Florendo had just learned that she was pregnant, when her husband was killed after his SUV flipped over on a dirt road.

Florendo, who works at Coffee's of Hawai'i as a cashier, had her mother and other relatives with her in her tiny hospital room at The Queen's Medical Center. Her 6-year-old son, Iokepa, was eager to hold the baby, who had no clue that his birth had caused such a stir.

"We thank God that everything was good," said 'Opu'ulani Albino, Iokona's grandmother. "She's had so many things happen to her this year. We needed to be together for this."

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.