By By Janet Little Cooper
A Huxford couple is the proud parents of the first baby of the New Year for Baldwin County.
Katelyn Marie Carnley, daughter of Robert and Holly Carnley of Huxford, was born at 3:27 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006 in North Baldwin Infirmary in Bay Minette.
The baby born three weeks early was born 17 minutes before another baby who was born at 3:44 p.m. in Fairhope at Thomas Hospital.
"The two hospitals were calling each other back and forth during Holly's labor," Gayle Johnson, the baby's grandmother said. "They were the only hospitals in the county with women in labor and they each wanted to be the first. The excitement was all over the hospital even down to the custodians."
The New Year's birth caught the first-time parents off guard. Carnley's due date was not until Jan. 22.
"I had not even thought about her being born in time for New Year's," mother Holly Carnley said. "I didn't expect that at all. We were almost ready. We had her room ready, but still had some odds and ends to do."
Carnley began having a few minor labor pains on New Year's Eve that prompted her to call her doctor. The doctor requested that the couple come on to the hospital to be checked.
Upon her arrival, Carnley who was 37 weeks pregnant to the day had already dilated two centimeters causing her doctor to admit her. The contractions became more frequent and fierce with each passing minute.
It was at this point that the expectant parents began to realize that they might have the first baby of the New Year.
"Robert got so excited," Jean Ediker said. "He started patting Holly's stomach and talking to the baby telling her to get ready and get here before another mother came in."
The anxious father got his wish when the doctor's broke his wife's water on New Year's morning. After 24 hours of labor, the Carnley's baby was born that afternoon making her the first baby of the New Year for Baldwin County.
To the families and hospitals dismay, Channel 5 news reported the baby who was born at Thomas Hospital 17 minutes after the Carnley's daughter as being the first-born.
The hospital gave the family a gift basket in recognition of being the first born for 2006 and The Baldwin County Times published a picture of the new family before they left the hospital on Jan. 3rd.
The couple that has been married for two years is thrilled with the early arrival.
"She is daddy's girl already," father Robert Carnley said. "She is already holding her head up and is so aware of everything around her."
Katelyn's parents, Robert works at Swift Lumber and Holly works at Creek Entertainment Center.
She is the granddaughter of Gayle Johnson of Huxford, Angie Carnley of Huxford, Ron Carnley of Jay and Jean Ediker of Jay, Junior Salter, Jeanette Odom and Jim Odom. Her uncles are James Johnson and Randy and Alysa Carnley.