Baby girl is first in province for 2018
Six-minutes passed midnight was as long as Alexia Jacqueline Burton could wait to enter the world, making her the first baby born in Nova Scotia for 2018.
Born at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Alexia’s due date was Dec. 29.
Originally her parents, New Waterford residents Andrew and Amanda Burton, hoped she would be a New Year’s baby. But they changed their minds after a few of their friends had babies in 2017.
“We were trying to have her in the same year for the school year,” said Andrew, 31.
“So they could be in the same class,” added Amanda, 26, an LPN at the Northside Guest Home.
When Amanda was told to start pushing around 11 p.m. on Sunday, she tried her hardest to get Alexia out before the clock struck midnight.
“As soon as they told her to push, she would push and then looked at the clock,” Andrew said as him, Amanda and her sister started to laugh.
“She pushed her heart out trying to get her to come out before 12.”
Weighing eight pounds six ounces, Alexia is Andrew and Amanda’s first child. They married in May 2016 and for now,
they are unsure if they will have another.
“It was long. I started having pains on Thursday… I tried to imagine the worst and it was worse than that. But it is over now. And it was so worth it,” Amanda said.
“She was amazing,” Andrew, who works at Island Cabins in Gabarus, said praising his wife.
The couple, who have been together for seven years, were beaming with happiness and Amanda had just as much praise for Andrew as he had for her.
“I’m impressed by him… he was right in there, holding my legs back,” she said, laughing.
“I watched everything, cut the cord, ya, I did it all,” Andrew said, admitting it was more work than he thought it would be.
Alexia may have foiled plans to have start school the same year as her parents’ friends’ kids but her mom and dad joke she had her own reasons for doing so.
“She is smart. She wanted to be a celebrity and have her picture in the paper,” said Amanda as everyone started laughing again.