The Tri-Cities' three hospitals hadn't quite seen an even dozen babies by sunset on 12-12-12, but the number of pending births likely would put the tally well over that magic number by the time 12 midnight rolled around.

By about 5 p.m., Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland had brought six new bundles of joy into the world, while Kennewick General Hospital and Lourdes Medical Center each could claim two births.

But each hospital had more babies on the way.

Kadlec spokesman Jim Hall said the Richland hospital had a seventh mom in labor and expected another three to five births by the end of the night.

"We're hoping for 12," he said.

KGH still had a couple of active labors in progress early Wednesday evening, hospital spokeswoman Lisa Teske said.

Lourdes also had two births pending, and hospital spokeswoman Melanie Johnston said the four births Wednesday made for a full house in the small Pasco hospital's set of labor and delivery suites.

The Lourdes births also had the distinction of all being scheduled for Wednesday because the parents wanted their children to have "12-12-12" birthdays, Johnston said.

But Lourdes doctors won't allow an induced labor or schedule a caesarean section unless the mom is "very close to her due date," Johnston said.