January 2, 2012

Waterville baby is area's first in the new year

By Ben McCanna bmccanna@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

WATERVILLE -- Cole Wilshusen entered the world at 7:21 a.m. Sunday in The Birthing Center at Inland Hospital and was the first baby born in 2012 in Central Maine.

click image to enlarge

Mercedes Humphrey holds her newborn son, Cole, who was the first baby born in central Maine on Sunday, New Year’s Day. Cole arrived at 7:19 a.m. at Inland Hospital in Waterville. The boy’s father, Joey Wilshusen, looks on in the hospital room.

Staff photo by David Leaming

Cole weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces and measured 20 inches long at birth.

The parents are Mercedes Humphrey, 16, of Waterville, and Joey Wilshusen, 15, of Pittsfield. Cole is their first child.

The staff at The Birthing Center prepared a bundle of gifts Sunday morning for the New Year's baby, which included a rattle, rubber ducky, receiving blankets and more.

Beth Williams, registered nurse and team leader at The Birthing Center, said the staff was excited.

"We're very happy to have a New Year's baby this year," she said. "It doesn't always happen."

Humphrey said she didn't expect to have a New Year's baby when her contractions began Saturday at about 8 p.m. She also said there wasn't a rush to get to the hospital like in the movies.

"We didn't drive crazy because the roads were icy," she said. "We didn't want to take any chances."

Cole's maternal grandparents, Trudy Howell of Waterville and Travis Humphrey of Norridgewock, were at Inland Hospital to see the newborn Sunday. Travis said he's still trying out monikers for his new family role.

"I'm Grampy, Grandpa or Papa. I don't know which one. I haven't settled on that yet," he said.

There was at least one other baby born Sunday in Central Maine. At 12:40 p.m., Drake Douglas Frederick was delivered at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington to parents Whitney Nichols and Gary Frederick of Kingfield.

Ben McCanna -- 861-9239

bmccanna@centralmaine.com

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