Bronson hospitals welcomed the first babies to be born in 2020 just hours after the clock stuck midnight on Wednesday.
In Kalamazoo, the first baby to arrive was Marlee Rai Wiitanen. She was born at 1:39 a.m. weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces.
Marlee wasn’t due until Jan. 12, but her mother’s water broke on the way to a doctor’s appointment on New Year’s Eve.
“We were all so excited to have a New Year’s baby. My birthday is Dec. 29 and my son’s is Dec. 30, so we think she wanted her own day and her own year,” said Amberlee Wiitanen, Marlee’s mom.
At Bronson BirthPlace in Battle Creek, the first baby was Douglas Kristen Blowers at 4:43 a.m. weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces. His parents say they are proud to have the first baby of the new year in Battle Creek and they hope their son grows up happy and healthy.
