Newborn Aiyana Michelle Clements will have a special place in local history as the first baby born on Whidbey Island in 2010.

Aiyana entered the world at 7:11 p.m. Friday, to Navy parents AT2 Garett and Tegan Clements of VAQ-134. She weighs 8 pounds, 12 ounces.

Garett said he didn’t expect his baby to be the first of the new decade, and there was some gentle teasing in the delivery room.

“She was in a race with the girl next door,” he said, of a woman also in labor that day. “The nurses were joking about it.”

Tegan went into labor at about 2 p.m. Jan. 1, but began what is known as “early labor” the night before. She visited the Oak Harbor Naval Hospital on New Year’s Eve with back pains and was released home. Thirty minutes later, her water broke.

Tegan’s mother is a midwife and she calmly returned the couple to the hospital.

The baby is the Clements’ first child, and her unique name was chosen based on family heritage.

“Her mother is Native American and Aiyana is native for eternal blossom,” Garett said.

A proud father, Garett describes his new baby simply as “beautiful.”

“She sleeps all day and fusses all night.”

The first baby born at Whidbey General Hospital this year was 7 pound, 1 ounce Jaden Markus Hadnot. Jaden was born Jan. 3 at 1:12 p.m. to parents Amanda Everett and JT Hadnot of Clinton.