Thunder Bay hospital welcomes New Year's baby at 7:05 a.m.

Alexander Bunting just couldn’t wait to be born.

Due at the end of the month, he gave mother Clarissa Wesley a New Year’s Eve surprise, deciding to enter the world a little earlier than planned.

His arrival, at 7:05 a.m. Saturday morning, earned him the New Year’s baby title at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, the first baby born in the city in 2011.

“It was very unexpected, because he wasn’t due until the 25th of this month,” said Wesley, a Slate Falls First Nation resident who was visiting family for Christmas and New Year’s Eve when she went into labour.

All along she planned to have her fourth child at home. It just didn’t work out that way, though Wesley didn’t really care where the baby was born as long as everything went well.
“I’m just happy that he’s healthy and that he came safely and that I’m OK.”

Like his older siblings, Alexander followed family tradition and took a name that began with the alphabet’s first letter.

Older brothers Ashton and Antonio, and sister Angel began the trend, which Wesley said is mostly because of their father, Antonio Bunting.

“They boys were all named by their dad,” she said, awaiting their arrival at the hospital on Saturday afternoon.

“We had an agreement. If we had a boy he’d name him, if we had a girl. I’d name him. I was hoping for a girl, but I’m happy,” she said, smiling.
The New Year’s birth will make the holiday that much more special in future years, Wesley added, reiterating she had no idea young Alexander would put the spotlight on her as 2011 began.

“Everyone talks about who is going to be the first baby of 2011, and I didn’t think it was going to be me. When I went into labour last night at midnight, I thought it was just a false (labour), but by 5:30 a.m.  they called the ambulance. Then by 7 a.m. he was born. It was quick.”