THUNDER BAY – Hanging around a few extra days paid off for Gabriel Gregory Moore McKenzie.
The youngster entered the world screaming, said his mother Melissa, who gave birth to Thunder Bay’s first baby of 2017 at 4:28 a.m. on New Year’s Day, less than two hours after her water broke.
Originally scheduled for a Boxing Day birth, the youngster even hung on long enough for his mother, and father, Gregory, to have a New Year’s Eve dinner.
Having the first baby of the 2017 wasn’t really a consideration, at least until Dec. 26 came and went with no signs of Gabriel’s imminent arrival.
“We were a week overdue, so I guess it was something that always crossed our mind as each day passed and there was still no baby. We didn’t really anticipate it until three o’clock in the morning when my water broke,” Melissa said, hours after giving birth, already back at home surrounded by her extended family.
“Then we were like, ‘OK, this is potentially possible.”
When the couple arrived at the hospital, there was already another mother-to-be in labour, but Gabriel’s delay entering the world had lasted long enough, the third-time mother said, her son’s Nickolas, 7, and Jackson, 4, at her side.
They’d also taken a sneak peak at years past, and realized last year’s first baby was born in the afternoon, and the year before that, late in the morning.
“We knew it was in the cards that maybe it would happen. We didn’t try to make it happen, by any means,” she said.
They called their midwife and within two hours of arriving at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Gabriel was born.
“When we went in there there was somebody else already in labour, but I just beat them to the punch.”
Gabriel weighed exactly nine pounds at birth.
“He was a big baby. He was 21 inches long,” mom said.
Older brother Nickolas said he was quite happy to have a little brother come along, especially when he considered the alternative.
“I didn’t want a girl, because they’re usually bossy,” he said, matter-of-factly.
Melissa and Greg said they had no idea the sex of the baby, and while a girl might have been a nice change of pace, they’re equally happy it was a healthy baby boy.
“I think we have a pretty perfect family here,” Melissa said.
