These babies waste little time ushering in 2009

Three of Barbara Conway's eight children were born in January.

But never did the Bolingbrook woman think her ninth would be among the first children born in 2009.

"The doctor asked us if we wanted to wait it out until the new year," Conway said Thursday from her bed at Edward Hospital in Naperville. "But we both wanted it as soon as we could."

At just one minute after midnight, Parker James Conway became presumably the first child born in DuPage County. The newborn weighed 9 pounds, 3 ounces and measured at 21 inches.

Conway began having contractions Wednesday evening and was at the hospital by 10 p.m. The entire family was by her side shortly after the delivery.

"They'll all want their turns holding the baby," she said. "It'll be like a new toy around the house."

Conway's 11-year-old son, Ryan, was the closest of her children to be born on New Year's Day. He was born Jan. 8. Three-year-old son Jake was born Jan. 11, and 2-year-old Daniel was born Jan. 12.

Other New Year's arrivals were:

•Samuel Skucha of Chicago was the first child born in Northwest suburban Cook County when he arrived at 1:15 a.m. at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village. Samuel weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces and was 21 inches long.

•Bridgett L'Anglais of Beach Park was the first child born in Lake County when she arrived at 1:16 a.m. at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. Bridgett weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces.

•Andrew Christian Sportsman of Sycamore was the first child born in the Fox Valley area when he arrived at 8:03 a.m. at Delnor Hospital in Geneva. Andrew weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and was 19 inches long.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=261681">Baby, you're in good company <span class="date">[1/1/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>