SYDNEY, N.S. — Nyjah Wrathall slept soundly in his father's arms while his dad stared proudly at him.
Cape Breton's first baby born in 2020, Nyjah arrived at 3:21 a.m. on Jan. 1 at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital.
Weighing nine pounds 12 ounces, Nyjah is the youngest of four children for Joan Gilbert and Derek Wrathall, who said their youngest son was a surprise.
Bobbi, the Glace Bay couple's five-year-old daughter, was supposed to be their last child. Joan was in taking her medical assistant's certification through the Centre for Distance Education and Derek was in the process of getting ready to start the certified care assistant program at Cape Breton Business College when they found out they were having another child.
"Derek's a skateboarder and we named Nyjah after his favourtie skateboarder (Nyjah Houston)," said Joan with a smile, Bobbi snuggled in close beside her on the hospital bed.
"I named him after my favourite skateboarder and my two grandfathers," Derek added, looking up from Nyjah for a quick moment.
Out of the couple's four children, Nyjah weighed the most at birth. His sister Bobbi was nine pounds eight ouces, his 10-year-old brother Colby weighed nine pounds six ounces and his oldest brother, 12-year-old Anthony, weight eight pounds four ounces.
Nyjah was also the couple's first child not born in the Glace Bay Hospital and he was the one who had the longest labour.
"It was really different this time," said Joan, who admitted she was tired and hadn't slept since 6 a.m. on Dec. 31.
"This time it was a lot longer than the hour-long labour I had with my other kids. This one took 20 hours."
Joan also said her stomach was much larger than it was with her other pregnancies.
"She was huge," said great-grandmother Ellen Gottwald as the rest of the family laughed as they nodded in agreement.
"And I ate so healthy," Joan added. "I barely ate any junk food or any take-out... I couldn't stand the smell of meat."
The couple praised their gynecologist, Stephanie Ellerker, and nurses that helped deliver Nyjah, saying they were "amazing" and really helped Joan with her long labour.
"It's going to be our last," said brother Colby, as his family members laughed.
"He's done," added his step-father Derek.
The couple admitted Nyjah was going to be their last one and said they know all of his siblings are going to be a big help when mom and baby are released from hospital.
"Bobbi actually cried yesterday when we told her we were going to the hospital to have him," said Joan. "I said, "Bobbi, what's wrong?" and she said, "I'm just so excited to meet him."
Being the oldest, Anthony said he knew what he would have to do once his youngest sibling was home.
"I guess I'm going to have to learn how to change diapers again," he said.
"I'm not changing any diapers," said Colby. "They smell."
UPDATED: This article has been updated to reflect new information.
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