Meet The First Southland Babies Born In 2014

PASADENA and CHINATOWN (CBSLA.com) — Two mothers were miles apart when they went into labor Tuesday and say they never would have expected their newborns to be the first in the area delivered in 2014.

Lathan Joseph Frederick was born at exactly midnight, January 1.

Doctors in Pasadena had planned to induce Lyndsey Frederick because she had dangerously high blood pressure. She checked in to the hospital Tuesday morning to avoid Rose Parade traffic. No one thought it would take Lathan 12 hours to make his debut.

"He was holding out until those last 30 seconds and then he finally, right at like midnight, he decided to make his entrance," Frederick said. "We had pretty much the whole labor and delivery staff in our room all excited about it."

Dr. George Matsuda has been delivering babies at Huntington Hospital for 22 years. Lathan is his first midnight miracle.

"We actually had the TV on and we could actually see the ball dropping as she was pushing it. It ended up that right after the ball dropped she had the baby and we were all cheering," Matsuda said.

Across town at Pacific Alliance Medical Center in Chinatown, another New Year's Eve baby came into the world. Jasmine Lauren Manila was born at 12:05 a.m.

Her mother, Ericka, spent 14 hours in labor. Her husband, Rick, says she had NO intention of waiting until midnight to deliver.

"At 10, she wasn't trying to hold out, she was ready to go," Rick Manila said.

But it's little Lathan who came out right on cue. Now the 6-pound bundle of joy will have another reason to celebrate each New Year's Day.

"I think he just wanted to have a dramatic entrance because he has some pretty dramatic sisters at home, so he has to keep up with them," Frederick said.

Both families say their greatest gift this New Year is having both mom and baby safe and sound.