Tiny arrivals herald start of 2013 (From Swindon Advertiser)

Tiny arrivals herald start of 2013

6:00pm Tuesday 1st January 2013 in News By David Wiles

FIREWORK celebrations had only just started and Auld Lang Syne was still being sung at New Year’s parties when Swindon’s first baby of 2013 came into the world – just one minute after midnight.

The little girl, who was yet to be named yesterday morning, was partly delivered at Great Western Hospital in the dying minutes of 2012 but did not come fully into the world until this year – making her one of the UK’s first babies of 2013 – if not the first.

Parents Darren Eden, 38, and Eve Johnson, 33, of Stratton, were originally told she would arrive on January 11 but, due to Eve’s gestational diabetes, they think she came slightly early. She weighed in at a relatively light 6lb15oz.

Eve, who is a biomedical support worker in pathology at the hospital, said: “The head was out, apparently, in 2012 but the rest followed a minute afterwards. “I was banking on 2012. I was not expecting it because it was quite a quick delivery. “We said it would be quite cool as you get older, there’s no excuse for anyone not to come into town on your birthday.”

Darren, a cable joiner, said he heard the fireworks going off during the delivery. “I looked at the clock and the fireworks went off,” he said.

“I was a bit shocked because it was a baby girl. I thought it was going to be a boy all along so I was a bit chuffed. “We have got two boys, so it was quite nice to have a girl.”

Another couple at the hospital also welcomed their own new arrival in the early hours of New Year’s Day. Hollie Peachey was born at 4.23am to first-time parents Sarah Robinson and Shaun Peachey, both 27, of Freshbrook, in West Swindon.

She weighed in at a healthy 7lbs7oz and was expected on December 31 but came later, partly because she needed to be turned before delivery.

Sarah said: “My waters broke 24 hours before, so we were expecting her on New Year’s Eve. “She got stuck. She was facing the wrong way. Everything slowed down and we had to have her moved.”

The couple said they heard the midnight count-down on the television in the background, as well as the fireworks, but were too preoccupied with the impending delivery to have any form of celebration.

Sarah said: “It’s lovely she hung on to New Year’s Day. “You are always guaranteed a party. It’s just a nice present to start off the year.”

Shaun, who is a self-employed bricklayer, said: “It adds to it. You will always have a party at the start of the year.”