New Years Day was more than just a normal celebration for one Lacombe family, who welcomed their baby girl into the world early that morning.

Corine Veenema and her family welcomed the first baby born in 2019 in Central Alberta; Annalie Mathilda Hicks, in the early morning hours of January 1st.

This came as a small surprise to the father, Darren Hicks since they didn’t believe it would actually happen on his wife’s due date.

“We were due on the first, but about 5:30 on the morning of the 31 she started getting some of the labour foretellers.”

He says they are settling in nicely and their 21-month-old son, William Thomas Hicks is happy to be a big brother.

“Things have been going pretty well, some pretty sleepless nights for the first while but she seems to be settling into a bit of a routine, we actually have a half an hour now which is extra nice to brush our teeth and things like that.”

Annalie was born at the Red Deer Hospital and weighed 6 lbs, 13 oz.