Little Jerik Papequash is already following in his daddy’s footsteps.
Figuratively speaking, that is, as he’s not walking quite yet.
Jerik was the first baby to be born at Surrey Memorial Hospital in 2019, clocking in at 12:19 a.m. on New Year’s Day.
His parents are Jeanna Spence, 33 and Jeremy Papequash, 35.
“We’re pretty happy because his dad is a Canada Day baby, born at B.C. Women’s Hospital,” Spence told the Now-Leader. “Yeah, so it worked out pretty well — it’s like we were joking about him being a holiday baby with his dad, and it happened.”
“We’re very excited.”
Surrey Memorial Hospital’s first baby of 2019, Jerik Papequash, rang in the New Year with a snooze. (Submitted photo)
Mommy is from Prince Rupert, and daddy hails from Saskatchewan.
“We both live in Surrey here.”
Jerik weighed in at seven pounds six ounces.
“He was early,” Spence said. “We’re both doing great — he’s in good health.”
He has two brothers. Joseph is 11 and Jacob is 3.
“Right now I’m a stay at home mom on maternity leave. I was a cook at Browns Social House and my husband is a labourer for Wales McLelland construction, it’s a big construction company,” Spence said. “We were doing a countdown in the delivery room. The nurses and the doctors were all wondering if he was going to be the midnight baby.”
READ ALSO: 2019 B.C. New Year’s baby born in New Westminister
B.C.’s first baby of 2019, Dominik Soswa, was born to Janet Shimizu and Lukasz Soswa at 12:01 a.m. – 18 minutes before Jerik – at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster.
Dominik weighed in at eight pounds, three ounces. He is the couple’s first child.
Meantime, the Midwives Association of British Columbia celebrated the province’s first midwife-assisted home birth of the New Year in Langley, at 7:25 a.m. Jan. 1.
Arthur Carmichael, weighing nine pounds, was born to Leah and Scott Carmichael, with help from midwives Jennica Rawston and Linda Park.
“We’re very pleased for Leah and Scott Carmichael and two-year-old brother George who welcomed baby Arthur into the world through a safe and comfortable homebirth at 7:25 a.m.,” said Ganga Jolicoeur, CEO of the Midwives Association of B.C. “What a thrilling start to their new year.”
— with a file from Black Press Media
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