Leslie Gonzalez, 31, and Rolando Martinez, 37, were preparing for a New Year’s Eve party on Sunday, marking just 10 more days until their baby was expected to arrive.
Their plans for the evening quickly changed when Gonzalez’s water broke.
“We called our doctor, and he told us it was time to go straight to the hospital,” she said in a statement. “We were so excited to know she would be a New Year’s baby.”
Luna Isabella Martinez was born 2:46 a.m. Monday at Valley Regional Medical Center. She is 17 inches long and 6 pounds, 13 ounces.
“All deliveries are exciting, but there’s something extraordinary about New Year’s Eve,” CEO Art Garza said in a statement. “There’s a special energy in the hospital, and we all look forward to seeing who is going to be the first to ring in the new year.”
Valley Baptist Medical Center welcomed its first New Year’s baby several hours later.
Carolina Garcia was born 9:49 a.m. Monday. She is 18.25 inches long and weighs in at exactly 6 pounds. Mother Emily Mendieta, 19, chose the name after the state where her husband works.
“It’s a great way to start the year,” she said.