This Couple Welcomed Their Year of the Horse Baby 19 Seconds After Midnight

While most families were ushering in Chinese New Year with reunion dinners, pineapple tarts and well wishes, 36-year-old HR professional Eda Ong and 33-year-old lawyer Darius Lim were counting down to something far more life-changing.

At exactly 19 seconds past midnight on Feb 17, 2026, they welcomed their second son, a Year of the Horse baby at Thomson Medical Centre.

Their little one wasn’t due for another 11 days (Feb 28), and certainly not right at the stroke of CNY. Weighing 3.39kg, baby Godric arrived via natural birth, becoming the hospital’s first Year of the Horse baby for 2026.

More meaningfully, he completed the Dragon–Horse brother duo the couple had been hoping for.

Speedy contractions, speedy birth

At about 6.45pm on CNY eve (Feb 16), Eda began feeling regular contractions about 15 to 20 minutes apart. By the time the couple reached the hospital around 8pm, things had escalated quickly. Contractions were just one to two minutes apart, and she was already 4cm dilated.

Within the next hour, she progressed to about 8cm — much faster than anyone expected.

At 9 to 10cm dilation, her water bag was still intact. She was prepped for birth at 11.45pm.

Nineteen seconds after midnight — while the rest of us were soaking in post-countdown festivities — Eda and Darius heard their newborn’s cries.

“Since Gaius (our firstborn) was out relatively quick, we were told to expect our second delivery to be faster. But I wasn’t expecting it to be so fast!” Eda shared, adding that her pregnancy and delivery this time had been “rather smooth and uneventful”.

“We’ve got our lóng mǎ jīng shén now”

For the couple, the timing felt serendipitous.

Their firstborn, Gaius (whose name means “to rejoice”) is a Year of the Dragon baby born in 2024. They had hoped their second son would arrive in the Year of the Horse, completing what many consider an auspicious pairing.

Together, their boys embody the Chinese idiom 龙马精神 (lóng mǎ jīng shén), symbolising energy and vitality. The horse zodiac is often associated with endurance, courage and forward momentum.

As Eda and Darius put it: “We’ve got our lóng mǎ jīng shén now.”

Godric’s name, which means “power of God” or “mighty in God”, adds another layer of meaning to the little one they see as a blessing. His Chinese name, Kai Sheng (凯胜), represents victory and success.

“We wanted a name that serves as a compass for his character as he grows up,” Eda told The Weekly.

As they begin this new chapter as a family of four, the couple hopes their sons will grow up embodying the spirit of the dragon and the horse: strength, courage, and a zest for life.

“Even though we’re tired, looking at his healthy glow gives us a second wind,” Eda said. “We just want him to carry that same energy and resilience through life.”