The first New Year’s baby at United Hospital was born to a couple who not only work at the hospital but who have three family members who also work there, hospital officials said.

Malakai Txuj Ci Strub was born at 11:25 a.m. on Jan. 1. He weighed five pounds, seven ounces and was 19 inches long. He is the second child for Chee Strub and Brett Strub.

Chee is a cardiac sonographer with the Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute and Brett is a registered nurse in the hospital’s critical care unit.

“But it gets even better,” the hospital said in its announcement, noting that Brett’s parents and sister — the baby’s grandpa, grandma and aunt — also work at United Hospital.

The baby’s grandmother, Krista Bryant, works as a nursing assistant in the hospital’s labor and delivery department but was not working on Jan. 1.

“While grandma Krista was not working on Jan. 1, she was doing another important job – watching the Strub’s daughter and awaiting the good news.”

“It’s pretty cool,” said Brett. “We weren’t planning on being the first delivery of the new year, but we came in at 2 a.m. and they mentioned they hadn’t had one [New Year’s birth] yet.”

Chee said they were surprised to learn they had the first baby of the new year. “It was really special that they all knew who we were because Brett’s mom works in the unit, and they all love her,” she said.

“It’s a blessing to know while I was watching my granddaughter, my family was in the caring and capable hands of my co-workers,” Krista said.

The baby’s middle name, Txuj Ci, is a Hmong name that means “bright opportunity,” according to the family.

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