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West Michigan welcomes first babies born in 2019

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WEST MICHIGAN, Mich.--  As West Michigan celebrates the new year, some local families are celebrating new bundles of joy.

Not everyone got to go out and take part in New Year’s Eve because they were a little busy at the hospital, but they say they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Just a few minutes after the ball dropped at midnight, Meghan Behymer welcomed her baby girl Eleanor into the world.

"Start to finish it was about two hours," said Meghan Behymer. "It was less than two hours from first contraction to delivering. We got here about 11:55pm on the 31st and then we delivered 15 minutes later.”

The bundle of joy arrived six days early at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. It’s a birthday that has extra meaning for this family.

"It’s really special for our family because my brother’s actually born on New Year’s Day as well, so it was nice to share that information with him later in the day," said Behymer. "Just in the moment it was cool as well because we heard the fireworks going off."

About an hour later in Grand Rapids, Lexie and Ian Deming welcomed their first child: a little boy named Riggs. Riggs was born at 1:16am weighing in at 8 lbs. 9 oz.

"He was21 inches with a big head," said Lexie Deming.

The Deming's moved back to Grand Rapids from Pearl Harbor in Hawaii where Ian was stationed on a submarine in the Navy. After he got out of the Navy about a year ago, they wanted to move back closer to family to start their own.

"We had no idea that his birthday was going to be such a celebration," said Lexie Deming. "I think we’re so excited to always have the day off and always have a big party on his birthday.”

Lexie was in labor for 30 hours, expecting to go in on Sunday for a quick check up.

"They told us we were not going home and we were being admitted into the hospital and he was born Monday, no, Tuesday? I don’t even know what day it is. I don’t know what day it is."

"He was born this morning at 1:16am," said Ian Deming.

"Yeah so 30 hours of labor for this little guy," said Lexie Deming. "Everyone said it would be worth it and it truly is. I love him already. ”

This isn’t the first unusual baby store for the pair: Lexie and Ian were actually born just two days apart at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing and recently just found out they even laid next to each other in the hospital’s nursery.

"Ian and I were next to each other in the nursery at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing," said Deming. "So we just found that out a couple weeks ago, and when he was born I said, ‘Are there any little girls that are born on this floor that could be his future soulmate?'"

The families say they are excited to have everyone celebrating their children's birthdays with them on future New Year's Days.