First baby of 2019 arrives a few days early at Lawrence hospital

photo by: Shutterstock images; Mackenzie Clark/Journal-World illustration

Because of their tradition, parents Hussain Alantari and Asail Aljmeeli requested that no photos be taken of them or their newborn daughter, Durar, the first baby born at LMH Health in 2019. “Durar” means “pearls,” shown here written in the Arabic alphabet.

While revelers rang in the New Year at midnight in Lawrence, Hussain Alantari was rushing his wife, Asail Aljmeeli, to the hospital.

Their daughter, Durar Alantari, came into the world at 9:06 a.m. Tuesday, weighing 6 pounds and 12 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.

“‘Durar’ means ‘pearls’ in Arabic,” Aljmeeli said.

Durar’s entrance came a few days early, earning her the title of the first baby of 2019 born at LMH Health’s birth center. She wasn’t due until Jan. 5, but the couple said they were ready for her birth.

About an hour after Durar was born, Aljmeeli and Alantari contacted their families via Snapchat. Because of their tradition, the couple requested that no photos be taken of them or their baby.

Durar has a 4-year-old brother, Jabr, in Lawrence, plus an extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all living in the couple’s home country of Kuwait.

Less than a day old, the rosy-cheeked newborn with a full head of black hair slept contently as the proud parents briefly showed her to local media on Tuesday afternoon.

Aljmeeli, 29, graduated two weeks ago with a bachelor of science in mathematics from Baker University in Baldwin City. Alantari, 29, is a graduate student studying applied mathematics at the University of Kansas.

The couple met through an arranged marriage.

“My mother said, ‘I have a beautiful girl for you,'” Alantari said, smiling.

They have been in the U.S. for five years. Jabr was also born at LMH.

“I like having babies,” Alantari said, again with a broad smile. He wouldn’t mind if they had 12 to 15 children — after all, he came from a family of 11 children.

Aljmeeli, smiling, said she might want five children.

They plan to return to Kuwait when Alantari is finished with school. He would like to work for a petroleum company someday, and Aljmeeli would like to teach high school math.

Meanwhile, it had been a busy 24 hours in the hospital’s birthing unit, according to staff. Six babies were born on New Year’s Eve, with the last baby of 2018 arriving at 7:45 p.m. As of Tuesday evening, a second baby had been born on New Year’s Day.

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