Penelope Page is already igniting hearts.
The newborn was born Monday at a room in Napa's Andaz Hotel. Her parents Rachel and James Page were planning a home birth, but when they had to evacuate Saturday they had the following options: have Penelope in a hospital, at a friend's house or at the hotel.
"It was really nerve wrecking. We knew things were progressing, that it might be a real possibility, but then when it was happening and realized I'm probably not having the baby at home, it was like 'Oh my gosh, this is really happening,'" Rachel Page said.
As contractions moved closer together, the Pages moved from a friend's house to the Andaz Hotel for more privacy. And at 1:58 p.m., all 9 pounds and 3 ounces of Penelope landed in her dad's arms.
"Yes, I caught her, got her out and put her on Rachel," James Page said.
Immediately after, the phone rang and a midwife answered.
"They said they had gotten a noise complaint and wanted to make sure everything was all right," said Heather Hilton, Napa Valley Midwives. "And her response was 'Yes, everything was great. We just had a baby.'"
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A baby whose entrance into the world was blazing in more than one way.
"I was pretty loud. Yes, I was vocal," Rachel Page said. "Especially right near the end. I was saying 'Can we get her out? Please get her out.'"
Penelope is not the first baby the Pages have had during a wildfire. Their daughter, Scarlett, was born a week before wildfires in 2017. The family is now heading to Sacramento to stay with family until the air quality gets better and they can return to their Windsor home asa family of four.
