Meet Rush-Copley's first baby of 2015
Michael Alvarado became the first baby born in the Western suburbs before 2015 hit the one-hour mark.
He was born at 12:57 a.m. Thursday at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora. Michael was the fourth child and first boy born to Hilda Tecun and Victor Alvarado of Hinckley.
Tecun said she had been in the hospital since about 10 p.m. Tuesday waiting to deliver what turned out to be a 7-pound, 10-ounce boy. She said she didn't think Michael would be born in 2015.
"It was exciting, but we didn't expect that," Tecun said. "We were expecting between 10 and 11 p.m."
As eager as Michael was to enter the world at 12:57 a.m., two boys wasted even less time in Cook and Lake counties.
Preston Cozzie Jr. was born at 12:01 a.m. Thursday at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, as was Maximus Edward Maise at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital near Lake Barrington.
While 8-pound Maximus is the first child for Megan and Nicholas Maise of Sharon, Wisconsin, the Good Shepherd delivery room was not a new experience for the mother. That's because Megan Maise is a nurse in the Lake County hospital's labor and delivery department.
"Let me tell you, it's a whole new perspective on all the medicine you get and all the exams," said Megan Maise, who's been a Good Shepherd labor and delivery nurse for five years.
Obstetrician Randy Zimmerman, who works with Megan, was the delivering physician. The medical personnel had sparkling apple juice to ring in the new year after the birth.
Megan Maise was in the hospital about two days before delivering Maximus. Her husband said he's just happy to be a father to a healthy boy.
"We're about on empty around here," Nick Maise said.
At 8 pounds and 4 ounces, Preston Jr. was the first baby announced in the Northwest suburbs of Cook County. He is the first child for Krystina and Preston Cozzie of South Elgin.
Krystina Cozzie said she arrived at Alexian Brothers in Elk Grove Village about 6 a.m. Wednesday for induced labor. Even with an emergency Caesarean section, she said, she was "cool, calm and collected" when she gave birth to the couple's first child just after midnight.
"Once it rang 12 o'clock, everyone said, 'Happy New Year,'" said Cozzie, an escrow administrator.
Not far behind in the first baby of 2015 derby was Alexian Brothers Women and Children's Hospital at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates. A 6-pound, 11-ounce girl was born at 12:12 a.m. to Kiran and Raghu Tammina.