Just a couple of weeks ago, the rooms and hallways of the new Special Beginnings Family Center at LSU Bogalusa Medical Center teemed with excited curiosity as members of the community and visitors from throughout the state, including Gov. Bobby Jindal, checked out the brand new state-of-the-art space that would soon offer Labor and Delivery services in Washington Parish for the first time in a decade.

On Monday, the new wing was abuzz again.

Not one, but two women were on-site and in labor.

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Before 10 a.m. Tuesday, RN Linda Lang walked towards the front desk across from the nursery.

“We’ve been busy,” she smiled. “We had one baby last night (Monday) and one this morning (Tuesday).”

Cole Lawrence Kehoe, son of Tammy and David Kehoe of Franklinton, will go down in history as the first labor room delivery in the parish in 10 years, and the first ever in the new family center. He made his appearance, at a solid six pounds and 12 ounces, at 9:10 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, 2008.

On Tuesday morning, the little guy was resting, apparently quite comfortably, in a room with his mother and father, who both had glowing praise of their Special Beginnings experience.

Tammy was in labor for about seven hours before Dr. Rojina Jasani made the delivery. Leigh Anne Parden acted as delivery nurse. Nurse manager Patsy Welch and Lang assisted the delivery. Lang was the nursery nurse. And two family practice residents were in attendance.

The Kehoes said they felt safe, secure and loved.

“They treated us like family,” said David. “They were so nice. They went out of their way. It seemed like everybody in the hospital was excited. I think everybody wanted to see the baby. They’re all like, ‘He’s a star. He’s a star.’ They said the whole city of Bogalusa was excited.”

Tammy, who was quietly recovering, in a bed beside her son, praised both the staff and the facility.

“They were great,” she said.

And they were close. If Cole had been born just two weeks earlier, the Kehoes would have had to make a labor-and-hopefully-not-delivery run to St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington.

Amazingly, the baby’s siblings were all born in Washington Parish. Of course, their ages have some significance. The older kids are 23, 20 and 16.

Maybe the fresh little guy with the head full of hair just waited to make his entrance until he could do it in grand style, comfortably close to home.

And as Cole Kehoe snuggled in his glory, swaddled in blankets and in the company of his parents Tuesday morning, the second child and first girl was born in the unit at 9:03 a.m. Raquel Jones, five pound and 11 ounce daughter of Pamela and Richard Jones, was also healthy and very, very welcome.

The Jones’ said they, too, had a good Special Beginnings experience.

The nurses were delighted. Both births had gone very well, they said. Everyone seemed nearly giddy with excitement.

“It was great,” said Welch. “It was so crazy. It was like we’d never done it before even though we’d done it hundreds of times. It was just great.”

After 10 years of waiting and two weeks of the facility and staff being absolutely ready, willing and able, the babies are back in Bogalusa.

But two births within 12 hours will probably be a bit unusual. The next one isn’t due for a little while, said Welch.

“I think this was it for December,” she said.