PUKALANI - Madison Riley Freitas was going to be a perfect present born on Christmas Day.

She apparently wanted to wish her parents a Happy New Year instead.

Madison was born at 6:32 a.m. Thursday to become Maui's first baby of 2009.

The 9- pound, 21-inch infant is the daughter of Kelly Davis and Chris Freitas of Pukalani. The child is the engaged couple's first.

"We were kind of hoping for a New Year's Eve baby," Freitas said. "First of the year isn't bad either."

The proud parents were resting at home in Pukalani on Saturday and had Madison dressed in a turquoise New Year's baby T-shirt she received from Maui Memorial Medical Center. Madison slept through her first interview, only opening her left eye once as a photographer began snapping photos using a bright flash.

Davis, 27, had put off being interviewed about being a first mom, because she said she was tired after the New Year's Day birth, noting that little Madison was a healthy 9 pounds.

"I'm so tired, and she was so big," Davis said as she sat on a couch next to the family's Christmas tree, which was still decorated.

Freitas, 26, said he wanted to keep the Christmas lights up for his new daughter.

"She's already daddy's girl," he said as he held her.

Davis said she had been at her doctor's office on New Year's Eve for a checkup because she was a week beyond her due date. She found out there that she was in labor.

After about 14 hours of labor, Madison came early New Year's morning.

"Right when the sun was coming up. It just broke over the mountains, and she came out," Freitas said.

The couple was happy to have Freitas' sister, Lorilee Watt, an obstetrics nurse at Maui Memorial assisting in the delivery.

Madison is multiracial. Davis is Irish and Swedish. Freitas is a mix of Hawaiian, Portuguese, Filipino, Puerto Rican and Spanish, among others.

The couple said they had no problem picking the name Madison but had a hard time picking a middle name.

Davis said they went through 200 to 300 middle names and finally agreed on Riley.

According to Parents.com, Madison was the sixth most popular name for girls in 2008 while Riley was the 16th most popular.

Although Davis and Freitas will never forget Madison's birthday, they also noted that they met on New Year's Eve a year ago.

"It's an interesting date for sure," Freitas said.

Freitas was born and raised on Maui and graduated from King Kekaulike High School in 2000. He works in sales for Inter Island Solar Supply.

Davis was raised in Texas. She left high school early and later joined the Navy. After receiving an honorable discharge, she ventured to Italy before coming to Maui to enroll in a massage school in Makawao.

She said she fell in love with the island and never left.

Davis was tired but content Saturday. Leaning on Freitas' shoulder, she stroked Madison's black hair.

"I got my two loves of my life here. I'm stoked," she said.

Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.