Sugar Grove woman's baby perfect 10

Ask almost any parent about their first child and they'll tell you the infant is a perfect 10.

Autumn Henze of Sugar Grove has a little bit more than most to back up her claim.

Nathaniel David Henze Milan was born to Autumn and her boyfriend, DeAndre Milan, at 10:10 p.m. Sunday at Edward Hospital in Naperville. For those keeping score, that's a perfect 10:10 on 10/10/10.

For about two months, Henze said she and Milan talked about how cool it would be to have their son on Oct. 10, which was, in fact, the baby's due date.

That possibility became more real when she was taken to the hospital about 9:15 a.m. Sunday.

As she was in labor, Henze, 19, occasionally peeked at the clock. When after nearly 13 hours it ticked past 10 p.m., she said she was a bit disappointed. “I started thinking it might be cool to have the baby at 12 midnight on 10/11, she said.

Not long after, Nathaniel entered the world.

Hospital spokesman Keith Hartenberger said the birth was natural and labor was not induced.

Even after the doctor told her the moment of birth in military time, 22:10, she said it did not immediately click. But when it did, it was kind of surreal.

“That only happens every 100 years or so, Henze said of the numerical oddity from her hospital bed, Nathaniel cradled in her arms. “It was just weird.

Henze, a first-year Waubonsee Community College student who might pursue psychology in the future, said the name came from DeAndre. Nathaniel is Hebrew for “God has given, and David means “beloved. Henze said the name was perfect.

Oddly, the numbers game is not entirely new to the family. Henze's grandmother's birthday is Nov. 11.

Henze said it did not really matter what time the baby was born as long as he was healthy and he was, at 8 pounds, 6 ounces and 19 inches. But her mother, Karla Bowman, said she started to root for the time when it looked like it could happen, even wondering aloud what it would have been like had the baby been just a bit heavier at 10 pounds, 10 ounces.

“It is so cool, she said. “I was hoping even though you can't really hope. But then there it was.