Chase J.J. Gray’s arrival into the world just mere minutes after the new year was ushered in was the last thing his parents expected.
Jamie and J.C. Gray of Lacombe, both 27, anticipated the birth of their third child before Christmas.
In fact, Jamie was induced for the first of five times on Dec. 8 — about two weeks before her Dec. 23 due date — because the couple’s second child was so big.
Even when she was finally successfully induced around 10 a.m. on Dec. 31, both Jamie and J.C. figured Chase would be born before midnight.
The couple didn’t start thinking that they may have the new year baby until after Jamie went into labour around supper time.
“The nurses were all rooting for us,” J.C. said.
“They were all hoping, saying, ‘Just wait, just wait.’”
Their eight-pound, eight-ounce baby boy was born at 12:04 a.m. on Jan. 1 at the Red Deer Regional Hospital, making him the city’s New Year’s baby.
“We were expecting it way before Christmas,” Jamie said of their son.
“It just made it all that more exciting. It made the wait worth it.”
The delivery was a welcomed change from the quiet New Year’s Eve they had planned.
“We normally wouldn’t even stay up till midnight,” Jamie laughed.
The couple said they didn’t have to worry about waking up their friends and family to share their good news as many were still up bringing in 2011.
Jamie’s parents, who were watching the couples’ four- and three-year-old sons, drove in from their farm near Blackfalds to meet their new grandson around 1:30 a.m.
Other family and friends also stopped by to visit the newest addition to the Gray family on New Year’s Day.
“This is the best new year’s,” Jamie said.
Chase didn’t face much competition in his race to be titled Red Deer’s New Year’s baby.
The baby born before him at the Red Deer Regional Hospital was delivered around 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 and no other baby had been born as of 1 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
Eva and John Loewen’s son was the New Year’s baby in Drumheller after the seven pound, three ounce baby boy was born at 4:36 a.m. at the Drumheller Health Centre.
ptrotter@www.reddeeradvocate.com