Meet Annika, the 2022 Lethbridge New Year’s baby

Annika Beijer is the Lethbridge New Year’s baby.

When mom and dad, Amanda and Theo, realized they were one of a couple of families vying for the title, Amanda admitted she got competitive.

“The nurse said right off that bat that I was progressed enough that she was like, ‘Oh you have a shot!’ And I was like: ‘Oh, it’s on!’ But I really did not think I had a shot since I was only in active labour for a couple of hours, so I was trying to be competitive but did not expect it,” laughed Amanda.

At 2:49 a.m. on New Year’s Day, Annika arrived at the Chinook Regional Hospital, earning a fun way to stand out from her two older sisters.

“For her, being the third child, it’s nice to have something special in her own way,” added Theo.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Alberta Health Services said before the New Year it would not be making the birth of New Year’s babies public due to current COVID-19 restrictions and extremely busy labour and delivery teams, but it hopes to resume the tradition next year.

0:27 British Columbia welcomes first baby born in 2022

Family friend Julia Poffenroth didn’t want the exciting time for the Beijers to go unrecognized and is hoping to do something special for the young family.

“Being the first New Year’s baby, that happens once in a lifetime, and it’s a pretty big milestone for someone. So I thought I’d like to try and get a gift basket together or something for her.”

Poffenroth is collecting some fun things to help baby Annika celebrate her special title, and is hoping the Lethbridge and surrounding communities will help her put together a fun package for mom and baby.

“I think the essentials you need for a baby — and not just right away but maybe in the next couple of months she might need it — and at the same time, I think it would be really nice for the mom to have a few nice things for herself too,” added Poffenroth.

Anyone interested in donating some items to the gift baskets can reach out to Poffenroth through her email: julespoffenroth@gmail.com.

Mom Amanda said Annika is doing great, and is looking forward to having a reason to celebrate her daughter’s birthday in a big way every year.