For one couple the new year also brought a new addition to the family.
Eddie and Tabitha Childress saw Mila Faith Childress enter the world at 3:57 a.m. Friday at Northern Hospital of Surry County.
The couple said Mila and Tabitha will be headed home to meet up with big brother Kaydence, 2, on Saturday morning. Mila weighed in at six pounds, 15 ounces and was 20 inches long at birth.
Hospital director of marketing and communications Ashly Lancaster said the hospital had confirmed that Mila is the first baby born in Surry County this year.
“Northern Hospital excitedly welcomes the first baby born in Surry County for 2016! In recent years, we’ve been several days into the new year before our first baby of the year was born, so it comes as a pleasant surprise to celebrate Baby Childress on New Year’s Day,” wrote Lancaster.
Birthing department director Cade Wright said the hospital brings about 30 new lives into the world every month. However, she said sometimes there a days without a birth and added a New Year’s baby is really something special.
Tabitha Childress said Mila was supposed to be a New Year’s baby, having had a due date of Jan. 1 all along.
“I was really hoping she’d come on time, and she did,” said the relieved mother.
The Childress family received a gift basket from a number of local merchants. The basket included donations from Chick-Fil-A, Pine State Marketing, Northern Hospital volunteers, Cracker Barrel, Belk, Walmart, Big Lots and Paige’s Books.
Eddie Childress said they were thankful to have the gift.
“That’s awesome,” said the elated father.
Lancaster said the hospital is thankful for the support that led to the gift basket.
“We send out a big thank you to our local merchants who collectively sponsored the gift basket we were able to present to the family,” stated Lancaster.
