Gabrielle Arsiage/News-Sun
The mother was bouncing, but the first baby of 2022 in Lea County was a baby girl.
Ringing in the New Year was baby Mia Lona Cortez.
Mother Citalli Juarez said the baby was originally due on Jan. 6, but Citalli and the baby both decided they were ready.
“My due date was originally Jan. 6 and I was already 39 weeks and two days and I was already expecting her,” Citalli explained. “I got on the yoga ball to induce labor and I basically went into labor the next day. I was tired of being pregnant. I didn’t expect her to come New Year but I was in labor on New Year.”
Mia came into the world at 1:27 a.m. on Sunday, weighing 8 pounds, 11 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches. Mia was delivered by doctor Mercedes Sayago at Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital to parents Citlalli Juarez and Martin Cortez, of Lovington.
Grandparents are Sadiola Sepulveda and Adam Juarez of Del Hart, Texas, and Martin Cortez and Ramona Cortez, of Chihuahua, Mexico.
Baby Cortez was not only Hobbs’ first born baby of 2022 but was also the first baby for Citlalli Juarez and Martin Cortez as well.
“It feels good. She’s my first baby and it feels good to have her here,” mother Citalli said.
Citalli said she and her husband were shocked when they first found out about the pregnancy.
“I was shocked when I found out that I was pregnant, but I was also happy,” Citalli said. “My husband was more shocked than me.”
As the first baby of the new year at Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital, the family received a gift basket that included diapers, bottles, bibs and other necessities for the baby.
Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital Marketing Director Shannon Bush is the one responsible for gathering those items for the newborn.
“I actually look forward to it each year because I get to go shopping for the little kid stuff,” Bush said. “I get to pick out the cool stuff for the kid. They seem like a sweet little family.
“The baby was so sweet, she was sound asleep on her daddy’s chest.”