Tricia Abar and Jay Hamilton didn’t have your typical New Year’s Eve celebration.
Walking the halls of the Penticton Regional Hospital for most of the night, they welcomed the city’s first baby of 2017, Cameron Robert Hamilton, at 7:39 a.m. on Jan. 1.
“It was quite different for sure, but it was a really cool way to bring in the new year,” said dad Jay.
Cameron was expected to be born on Dec. 29.
“Tricia drank one of those old wives tale concoctions of castor oil (Saturday) afternoon around 2 p.m. and then the party got started,” said Jay.
The couple were in the hospital by 7 p.m. with mom having light contractions. Tricia, who was raised in Penticton and an RN that works in the operating room, walked the familiar halls of the hospital until just after 10 p.m. when doctors decided it was time to induce.
“Tricia’s mom was a labour delivery nurse in Penticton for 20-25 years, and is now retired. Then we had a friend of ours who is an LPN that was working that evening and off at 7 p.m. She stayed around to help. It was really neat because of all the staff that both the family and Tricia know, it didn’t feel so formal,” said Jay, who is a Penticton resident of eight years.
One of the “few surprises left in life,” the couple decided to keep the sex of the baby a mystery to be revealed at birth.
“I have two daughters of my own and everyone wanted a brother, everyone wanted a boy. I was actually OK if it was going to be another girl because I know how to deal with them, but the girls really had their hopes up for a boy,” said Jay.
Still the couple had a girls name on standby, then surrounded by friends and family they introduced the eight pounds, four ounces Cameron Robert Hamilton this morning.
“The middle name, Robert, does hold a special meaning. Tricia’s uncle passed away years ago in a truck accident and we decided to use his name,” said Jay.
Both mom and baby are doing fine and his half-sisters, Ellie and Norah, are anxiously awaiting them to come home.
Armstrong parent’s Kimberly Hewitt and Andreas Shannon welcomed the Okanagan’s first baby of 2017. Lucy (seven pounds, 1.5 ounces) was born at Vernon Jubilee hospital at 4:57 a.m. on Jan. 1. Interior Health said Kelowna has not yet had their first baby of 2017.
