Baby Benny is the best gift
Overjoyed at Christmas Day arrival
Christmas Day provided the best present of all for a Lochearnhead couple as they celebrated a new arrival.
Little Benjamin Lynch, who was one of five babies born at Forth Valley Royal Hospital on December 25, came into the world at 9:32pm and weighed 8lb 6oz.
He is the second child for couple Naomi and Michael, who have recently moved to the area from Edinburgh to stay with Michael’s parents while their new home is built.
The pair knew the due date raised the possibility of a festive birth, but admitted that it was still a special feeling.
Michael told the Observer: “We do feel quite lucky and because we’ve just moved into the area, we’ve had to arrange everything pretty quickly so it has been a rush.
“We’ve sold our house in Edinburgh and living in the house with my parents at the moment, so that will mean we can all form a bit of an extended household bubble.
“It was obviously different at the hospital this time with everything that is going on, but the staff went above and beyond to make it feel as normal as possible, although I wasn’t able to hang around at the hospital after the baby was born.”
The couple, who have been married for around five years, have both been working from home in their jobs for a bank and a financial services company respectively.
And that home is set to get a little bit busier with the new face now settled in, with Naomi describing 23-monthold sister Harriet as “over the moon” to have a baby brother to look after.
Meanwhile, dad Michael was keen to praise the staff for helping to create a genuine Christmas vibe around the day, including a special visitor to the ward.
He added: “I just want to say how incredible the people working on that maternity ward are - everyone from the consultants through to those involved in the follow-up care have all been second to none in taking care of Naomi.
“They really did their best to make it feel like Christmas even though we were in hospital.
“There was a Christmas dinner and Benny even had his first visit from Santa, which was a real thrill from the day.”