Today, 9 proves its superiority.
From babies to birthdays to specially crafted creations by the Utah Quilt Guild, 9/9/99 is a day of joy and celebration for all that is nineness.Leading the parade of local births, 7-pound, 14-ounce Rebekah Mae Buchmiller came in hitting something of a 9-jackpot at 9:19 Thursday morning at University Hospital, the first child of Janet Buchmiller, 22, of Salt Lake City.
"The baby also was delivered in delivery Room 9. And the mother is in Room 9 on the maternity floor," said John Dwan, U. Hospital spokesman.
"We actually thought the baby would be born last night," said father Bryon Buchmiller, a U. student. "But when it went past midnight, we thought, hey, the 9-9-9 thing would be neat.
"She got close at 9:09 but went 10 minutes longer, which was still exciting."
Nosing in ahead of Rebekah at U. Hospital was Eliza Evans-Thompson, 6-pound, 14-ounces. The girl is the first child of Kristina and Bob Thompson of Park City.
Kelly Starinchak, Salt Lake City, bore her first child, a girl, at 12:54 a.m. at Cottonwood Hospital. The baby is 19 1/2 inches long and weighs 6 pounds, 15 ounces.
Not long after, Stefani Hazelgren, 28, Sandy, gave birth to a boy, Noah George, at 3:27 a.m. at Cottonwood. He is 19 inches and -- something in the water, perhaps -- also 6 pounds, 15 ounces.
"That's pretty wild, weighing in the same," said Kathy Smith, charge nurse on the Cottonwood maternity floor.
Hazelgren said 9-9-99 grew on her as the labor wore on.
"I actually was hoping he'd be born yesterday because today is the same birthday as my stepmom (Ruth). I thought it'd be better to not share a birthday with another family member," Hazelgren said.
"But as we got closer to delivery I thought . . . yeah . . . this 9 deal is kinda neat."
Her due date was Sunday. Her firstborn, Calan, 2 1/2, at home with dad Kerry, was 12 days early, so Hazelgren expected Noah the last of August.
"I'm just totally glad not to be pregnant right now," she said.
Amanda Gover Tank, 20, delivered an 18-inch, 5-pound, 9-ounce girl, Raean, at 4:08 a.m. at LDS Hospital. Raean, five weeks early, is doing great, her mother said.
"Oh, she's just perfect," Amanda said. "Ten fingers, 10 toes. I'm just ecstatic -- she's healthy and happy, and I couldn't ask for anything more."
After feeling labor pains for the past three weeks, 9-9-99 was the last thing on Amanda's mind.
"I didn't even know anything about it until the nurse brought it up,"said Amanda, who also has a son, Dedrick, 20 months, with husband Bud.
Told she and her baby would be in the paper because of 9-9-99, she said, "Oh, how cool."
That's pretty much how Jenna Durfey of American Fork feels about turning 9 on 9-9-99.
"I think it makes it more of a special day," she said.
Jenna, a third-grader, was in class this morning at Legacy Elementary (school starts at 9, natch). Then she was looking forward to her birthday party, including cupcakes, her favorite drink (Sprite) and favorite ice cream (cookie dough).
"Including Jenna, there'll be nine kids at the party," said Jacque Durfey, Jenna's mother.
There'll also be a shindig at 9 p.m. tonight at The Southwest Shop at Ninth East and Ninth South, where the Sugar House Chapter of the Utah Quilt Guild will award nine prizes for quilts best capturing the spirit of 9-9-99 in its "Take It to the Nines" contest.
"We thought we really should do something to honor this millennium before it goes out," said Susan Cosney, guild librarian.
Her quilt, with 99 patches, features cats.
"I'm a cat-lover . . . nine lives . . . all of that," she said.
One guild member sewed a quilt with nine rabbits running. Another did one with nine blooms on a garden wall, and yet another crafted one depicting 99 bottles on a wall.
Members had to pay 99 cents to enter. First prize: $9.99.
"We have about 900 members -- including some from out of state," Cosney said. "And, although I don't think we've counted them, I'm going to guess there are 900 books in our library."
Who could blame anyone for wanting to be attached to nine things? Is there a nobler number anywhere in the world?
As the great philosophers, Goethe, Nietzsche and Col. Klink would put it:
"Nein."