Two Boys, Two Families Rejoice at Births on New Year’s Day 2010

COURT HOUSE — Nearly three hours apart, two boys entered the world on New Year’s Day 2010, the first to Cape May County parents this decade at two local hospitals.
At Cape Regional Medical Center in the county seat, Blaize Mason Lockerman was born at 8:47 a.m.
Blaize was 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and both he and his mother, Alexis Lockerman, of Green Creek were reported doing well. Dr. Joseph Milio delivered Blaize and reported that he was doing just great.
The Lockerman family lives in Green Creek and has two older children, Christian, 10, and Layla, 2.
Sue Staeger, marketing and public relations coordinator at Cape Regional Medical Center, visited with the Lockermans and presented them with a gift basket to welcome Baby Blaize. During that visit she had the opportunity to meet Alexis’ parents, Shauna Thompson and Wayne Hawkins of Lewes, Del. Keith’s mother, Suzanne Lockerman lives in Cape May.
“The care at Cape Regional Medical Center has been outstanding,” stated Alexis and Keith Lockerman. “The care and the staff are so warm and friendly. We have never been treated so well at a hospital before. Our experience was excellent.”
J. Otton’s Carib-Atlantic Grill, Fusion Salon, Suanne Bernacki, and the Cape Regional Medical Center Auxiliary Gift Shop all made contributions to the Baby New Year Gift Basket.
About three hours later, at Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point, Villas resident Jennifer Shivers had assumed she would deliver her second child before her Jan. 9 due date. She just wasn’t expecting to celebrate New Year’s Day in the delivery room, according to a release.
Shivers and her husband Chris were the proud parents of Landon Gary, Shore Memorial Hospital’s first baby of the New Year. Landon was born at 11:38 a.m. on Jan. 1. He weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces.
“I really didn’t think it’d be today,” said Shivers, 27, who came to the hospital around 5:30 a.m. “There was no warning, the contractions just hit me.”
The Shivers, who also have a 3-year-old daughter, Jayci. Chris Shivers, 31, is a third grade teacher at Maud Abrams Elementary School in Cold Spring while his wife manages the front desk of the El Coronado Resort in Wildwood Crest.
Shivers recalls giving birth to her daughter several days prior to her due date, and assumed that Landon would be early as well, though she’s glad he waited until after Christmas.
“I’m glad it’s January and not December, so it’s not such a holiday birthday,” Jennifer Shivers stated. “But it’s cool that we’ll be able to tell him he was born on 01-01-10.”
Contact Campbell at (609) 886-8600 Ext 28 or at: al.c@cmcherald.com