Sioux Falls welcomed its first baby of 2024 on Monday, a baby boy born to Nyibol Kuchlong, 26, and Nyok Kuoiloi, 36.

Madit is the couple’s seventh child. He was born at 1:13 a.m. in the Sanford Medical Center.

The Brookings couple drove Saturday afternoon to Sioux Falls after Kuchlong’s labor started Friday.

“We didn’t expect this to happen this morning,” Kuoiloi said. “It was a surprise.”

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Both mother and child are healthy, and Kuchlong said Madit’s oldest sister is excited to meet him. The child weighs 6 pounds, 5 ounces.

Kuchlong and Kuoiloi met at a Sioux Falls church in 2016. Both are Sudanese and immigrated in 2012 and 2004 to the U.S., respectively. Kuchlong is employed as a caregiver while Kuoiloi is an assistant operator at 3M.

Madit looks like one of his sisters, Kuchlong’s fifth child. He’s also named after her father.

“In my culture we use family generation names,” Kuchlong said.

As Madit slept peacefully amid camera clicks and coos, his mom said she was looking forward to spending New Year’s Day sleeping as well.

For any new parent, the couple acknowledged it was hard work raising a child, but Kuchlong added, “You got to try your best.”

As of Monday afternoon, officials at Avera McKennan Hospital had not released the name of the first 2024 baby born at the medical center.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: First baby for Sioux Falls in 2024 born at Sanford Medical Center