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2018's first babies arrive; set to join class of 2036

Still getting used to it being 2018? How about this: The first babies born in the new year will be on track to be part of the high school class of 2036.

Several new suburban residents made their debuts just after midnight on Monday, giving them an unforgettable birthday and a lifetime of worldwide celebrations on every birthday eve.

A baby girl named Mary Elizabeth was born at 12:03 a.m. at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights. The 6-pound, 9-ounce bundle was the second baby born to an Arlington Heights family who wished to remain anonymous.

Seven minutes later at 12:10 a.m., Matt and Mikela McGrory of Glen Ellyn welcomed a baby girl named Maren at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield.

Matt McGrory was at the grocery store checkout at about 11 a.m. Sunday getting supplies for what he thought would be a day of football, when Mikela called.

"Two words: 'Get home,'" he said. "We were two weeks early and were not expecting to go in."

He raced home and within two hours they were at the hospital. The pregnancy for the couple's fourth child, all under 4 years old, was seamless but the labor was long as midnight approached.

"I was like, 'Oh my gosh, we're right on the nose here,'" Matt said. With the other three kids and nursing staff in the room, he began filming as he had with the other kids.

"It's such an incredible moving event when it's happening. You can't describe it," he said.

Maren means "the sea," Matt said. In a rare twist, Dr. John Carroll, who delivered Maren and the other three children, also delivered Mikela 31 years ago.

"It's like home to us," Matt said of Central DuPage.

At Edward Hospital in Naperville, baby Evan was born a minute later at 12:11 a.m. to Cody and Jessi La Due of Aurora.

The couple were at home and well prepared for their first child, which was due on Dec. 29. They were about to eat dinner about 4 p.m. Sunday when Jessi "just knew it was time to go," Cody said. The family is doing well and adjusting to parenthood, he added.

At 12:32 a.m., mom Anusha Ankathi and dad Rakesh Kotla of Prospect Heights welcomed their first child, Aryansh, at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. The name is a combination of the parents' names and means "popular."

At 12:37 a.m., Liam Adam Shevstova was born at Elmhurst Hospital to Anna Shevstova and Serghei Adam of Streamwood.

And, at NorthShore University Highland Park Hospital, Vincent Manuel Regalado-Perez was born to Jose Perez and Aliza Regalado of Waukegan at 12:50 a.m.

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At 12:32 a.m. mom, Anusha Ankathi, and dad, Rakesh Kotla, of Prospect Heights welcomed their first child, Aryansh, at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. The name is a combination of the parent's names and means "popular." Photo courtesy Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Matt and Mikela McGrory hold their new baby girl named Maren at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield. Maren was born at 12:10 a.m. Monday, making her one of the first babies of the new year. COURTESY OF CENTRAL DUPAGE HOSPITAL
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