AUBURN - When Theresa Coff spent New Year's Eve with her mom, Diane Parsons, she expected the night to be low-key. They stayed in, watched movies and fell asleep just before the ball dropped on television.
Just after midnight, Coff realized that 2008 was going to kick off with a baby boom.
“She woke me up and said ‘Mom, this is it,' and we called a doctor,” Parsons said. “It's a good thing she was staying with me that night.”
About 15 hours later, Coff gave birth to Sahara at Auburn Memorial Hospital. Born at 3:06 p.m. on Jan 1, and weighing 6 pounds, 3.5 ounces, Sahara was the first baby to be born in Auburn in 2008.
The arrival was a bit unexpected for Coff, who said that Sahara's due date was Jan. 14 after the doctor moved it back from Dec. 26.
“It was a big surprise that she is a New Year baby,” said Coff, 25, who lives in Auburn. “But I guess someone has to be the first one to do it.”
Sahara, who was born via Cesarean section, was sleeping Wednesday afternoon while Coff tried to keep her other children, Marissa and Austin, from making too much noise in the hospital room. Coff's third child, Xavier Redden, was sleeping as well.
“She's slept quite a bit since yesterday,” Coff said of the newborn. “But she's got a set of lungs on her. She came out screaming.”
Parsons said it was a good sound to hear.
“We knew everything was okay,” she said.
Sahara's brother, Austin, said he is excited about having a new baby sister.
“She's cute and snugly,” said Austin, 9.
Marissa said that her new little sister cries a lot, though Parsons said Marissa is happy to have another girl around.
“The whole time, she kept saying that the baby better be a girl,” Parsons said.
According to Dona Wilder, a nurse who was in the delivery room when Sahara was born, there is always a little more excitement in the hospital's maternity department when the first baby of the year is born.
“Sometimes it is days before we have the first one,” said Wilder, who said she was also in the delivery room when a baby was born on Christmas.
Because of financial issues at AMH, it is unclear if the hospital will see many more New Year babies in the future. In December 2006, the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century recommended that the hospital close its maternity ward. In April 2007, the hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
However, the hospital announced in November that it posted an operating profit of $1.1 million through the first 10 months of 2007. Also, the hospital has petitioned the state department of health to allow it to continue providing full maternity services and is awaiting a decision.
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.
“She woke me up and said ‘Mom, this is it,' and we called a doctor,” Parsons said. “It's a good thing she was staying with me that night.”
About 15 hours later, Coff gave birth to Sahara at Auburn Memorial Hospital. Born at 3:06 p.m. on Jan 1, and weighing 6 pounds, 3.5 ounces, Sahara was the first baby to be born in Auburn in 2008.
The arrival was a bit unexpected for Coff, who said that Sahara's due date was Jan. 14 after the doctor moved it back from Dec. 26.
“It was a big surprise that she is a New Year baby,” said Coff, 25, who lives in Auburn. “But I guess someone has to be the first one to do it.”
Sahara, who was born via Cesarean section, was sleeping Wednesday afternoon while Coff tried to keep her other children, Marissa and Austin, from making too much noise in the hospital room. Coff's third child, Xavier Redden, was sleeping as well.
“She's slept quite a bit since yesterday,” Coff said of the newborn. “But she's got a set of lungs on her. She came out screaming.”
Parsons said it was a good sound to hear.
“We knew everything was okay,” she said.
Sahara's brother, Austin, said he is excited about having a new baby sister.
“She's cute and snugly,” said Austin, 9.
Marissa said that her new little sister cries a lot, though Parsons said Marissa is happy to have another girl around.
“The whole time, she kept saying that the baby better be a girl,” Parsons said.
According to Dona Wilder, a nurse who was in the delivery room when Sahara was born, there is always a little more excitement in the hospital's maternity department when the first baby of the year is born.
“Sometimes it is days before we have the first one,” said Wilder, who said she was also in the delivery room when a baby was born on Christmas.
Because of financial issues at AMH, it is unclear if the hospital will see many more New Year babies in the future. In December 2006, the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century recommended that the hospital close its maternity ward. In April 2007, the hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
However, the hospital announced in November that it posted an operating profit of $1.1 million through the first 10 months of 2007. Also, the hospital has petitioned the state department of health to allow it to continue providing full maternity services and is awaiting a decision.
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.
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