For a Lethbridge couple, ringing in 2020 meant welcoming new life. Melissa Foley gave birth to the first baby born in Lethbridge this year on Wednesday morning at Chinook Regional Hospital.
“He was born about 10 (minutes) to eight,” Melissa said. “They told us right before the C-section that he might be the first baby of the year.”
“We figured there were multiple babies born before 7:30 in the morning but apparently not.”
Daxton Matthew Mueller was born at 7:47 a.m., weighing a healthy six pounds and three ounces.
Born almost eight hours after the clock struck midnight, Ryan Muller, Daxton’s father, is shocked his son was Lethbridge’s first child of the new decade.
“I still can’t believe that he’s a New Year’s baby,” Ryan said.
This is Melissa and Ryan’s third child. But, after tragedy struck for the couple during their first pregnancy, they’re grateful for this moment.
“Every pregnancy is hard because of our first son passing away at 33 weeks, so I would say that my anxiety is heightened,” she said.
But Daxton kept Melissa on her toes, and although he was sleeping Wednesday afternoon, Melissa said he was much more active in the womb.
“He was a mover, so he kept me pretty confident,” she said.
“With everything that’s happened over the course of three years, we just never thought this would have happened. We’re just grateful that he’s here and he’s alive,” Ryan added.
For Melissa and Ryan, 2020 couldn’t have started more perfectly.
Now they’re excited to take Daxton home to celebrate the New Year with their recently expanded family.