Maui’s first baby of the year is a girl

The Fricke family started off the new year with a new baby girl, Maui County's first newborn of 2022 at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

After a few hours in labor, mother Heather Fricke of Pukalani gave birth to her second daughter, Olana, at 2:24 a.m. on Sunday at Maui Memorial. She measured 21 inches and weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces.

No babies were born on Saturday, New Year's Day, though Jan. 1 was Fricke's due-date.

"It's definitely a blessing and privilege to have two girls," father Austin Fricke said via phone. "(Heather) is healthy and recovering well."

He said that his wife started having contractions on Saturday evening before he drove her to the hospital around 10 p.m. to eventually welcome their newborn early the following morning.

Being a father to another newborn "is great," he added, and the experience is "not as stressful going through everything."

On Sunday afternoon, Heather Fricke said they FaceTimed their 2-year-old daughter so that she could meet her new baby sister.

"She seemed pretty excited to finally have a little sister to look at," the mother said.

Olana is healthy and doing well, Heather Fricke added, and the family looks forward to connecting more with the newborn.