When Ashley Goranson found out she was due to give birth Jan. 17 she wondered whether her baby might arrive on Jan. 12, when she and her twin sister Amanda would celebrate their 21st birthday.
Joseph Pardeep Singhsidhu came early all right, so early that he was born instead on his father’s birthday and claimed the title of the metro area’s first baby of 2010.
Joseph arrived at 12:01 a.m. at Longmont United Hospital.
His dad, Moses Singhsidhu, turned 23 two minutes later. Singhsidhu was born at 12:03 a.m. Jan. 1, 1987 in Bakersfield, Calif. Unlike his son, he didn’t have the distinction of being that area’s first baby of the year.
“I never would have guessed that I would have my son born on my birthday,” Singhsidhu said. “I couldn’t imagine a better gift.”
Joseph just barely arrived before a baby born at Exempla Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge at 12:03 a.m.
Joseph weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 20 inches long. When his mom pulled off his little cap, there were “oohs” in the hospital room over all his black hair.
He is named “Joseph” after his maternal great grandfather and “Pardeep” after his paternal grandfather, a native of India.
And no calling the newborn “Joe,” despite the mouthful of a last name, his father said with a laugh.
The young couple lives in Lyons with Goranson’s son, Blake, who turns 2 in February. She’s a stay-at-home mom, he’s a ranch hand. They’ve known each other since she was 16.
Goranson said she got an inkling Joseph would be an early arrival after her doctor’s appointment Tuesday. She started having contractions Thursday. The couple briefly went to a New Year’s Eve party but returned home.
“I started having the worst contractions in the world,” she said.
When the couple left for the hospital, Singhsidhu feared his firstborn would make his appearance in the car but they made it to the hospital. Goranson said she was close to giving birth when she arrived.
Singhsidhu said he looks forward to their joint birthday parties.
“I think there is going to be a lot of cake involved,” he said to laughter.
Joseph’s grandmother, Kim Goranson, shot plenty of pictures, including frames of news photographers taking pictures of her grandson.
She recalled that in her own experience with Joseph’s mom and aunt she had no idea she was carrying more than one baby until about three weeks before she delivered. At a doctor’s appointment on Dec. 24, 1988, she was told “You have at least a set of twins here.”
“I said, ‘At least?’ and started crying,” she said.
Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327 or lbartels@denverpost.com
