Tim and Dowanna Klassen gave their newborn daughter LaShaya a name to honour her birthday.
“Her middle name is Dawn for the dawn of the new year,” Tim explained.
The seven pound, two-and-a-half ounce baby girl was born at 10:47 p.m. on Jan. 2 at the Stettler Hospital and Care Centre, making her the new year’s baby of the town that the family lives just south of.
Dowanna’s due date was Dec. 29 and Tim said they were hoping to have the new year’s baby.
“It’s definitely an awesome way to start the year and a sign of good family times together,” the proud dad said from the hospital on Monday.
He said that their other four children — aged 12, nine, seven and five — are all excited about the newest addition to the family.
Tim’s parents, who stayed with the children on Sunday night, already met their new granddaughter and the couple called Dowanna’s parents, who live in Washington state, to share the happy news.
New year’s babies had not yet been delivered at the hospitals in Rocky Mountain House and Rimbey.
ptrotter@www.reddeeradvocate.com