The first baby born at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown New Year’s Day was Rylee Jean Hardesty of Terra Alta.
Rylee, the daughter of Grant Hardesty, 23, and Katie Molnar, 20, came into the world at 4:47 a.m. Wednesday weighing 7 pounds and 9 ounces and measuring 21 inches long. Katie, who had to be induced, said Rylee was originally due Christmas Eve.
“I was at 41 weeks,” said Katie, when asked about being induced. There were also no unusual cravings except for lime Popsicles.
Katie’s mother, Lori Conklin, of Arthurdale, said her daughter initially wanted five children. Now after delivering Rylee naturally, she’s not so sure.
“I told her to wait and see after this one was born,” Lori said. Rylee is Lori’s first grandchild.
Grant and Katie said they both liked the name Rylee and Jean was a family name. The couple, both graduates of Preston High School, learned they were going to have a girl in June and had plenty of time to prepare the pink, red and purple nursery for their first child.
“This has been amazing,” said Grant, who proudly held his daughter, who was clad in a pink sleeping bag with a matching cap.
“Look how much hair she has,” said Katie who removed the cap to show Rylee’s full head of dark hair.
“But she has big feet like her daddy,” added Grant’s mother Terrie Hardesty about her first grandchild.
Grant, who works at Working H Meats & Market in Friendsville, Md., changed his daughter’s first diaper and said it did not bother him. He said he had no previous diaper-changing lessons and has no problem with diaper duty.
When asked if they had any career plans for their daughter, both Grant and Katie said no.
“She can grow up and be anything she wants to be,” Katie said.
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