By Nicole Obre
Free Press Staff
A Jaffray couple are delighted to welcome their newest family member, and the first local baby of the new year, Isaac Robert Leuenberger. Born at 8:56 am on Sunday, January 5 in the Elk Valley Hospital, and weighing in at 8 pounds 9 ounces, Isaac is the second child and first son to parents Shelly and Matt Leuenberger.
“We’re pretty thrilled that we’ve got a boy to complete the family,” said Shelly. “We’ve got a boy and a girl now, both healthy and happy, so we’re excited. We didn’t know he was going to be a boy so that was a cool surprise. You forget what it’s like, the whole newness of the baby.”
Shelly went into labour around 9 pm on Saturday night and after calling the hospital they advised she stay home, get some sleep, and head to the hospital in the morning when things had progressed a little further. After leaving for Fernie the next morning at 7 am, baby Isaac arrived just a couple of hours later.
“He was very fast,” remarked Shelly.
With the operating room at the hospital in Fernie closed just the day before and icy road conditions in play, Shelly and Matt were happy to be able to have a normal delivery close to home.
“It was nice that we were able to have him here [instead of Cranbrook],” said Shelly. “It’s just such a nice atmosphere, smaller hospital, the nurses are all awesome. Doctor Forrest has been my doctor for over 15 years so it was nice to have her here as well.”
Shelly and Matt work as outfitters and have been living in Jaffray for the last nine years.
Isaac has already met his excited one and-a-half year old big sister Colby, and his mom and dad were getting ready to check him out of the hospital and head home to Jaffray on Monday afternoon.
