1st Alle-Kiski Valley baby of 2021 is a Verona boy
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The first baby from the Alle-Kiski Valley born in 2021 is a boy from Verona.
Carter Magee made his debut at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital at 12:54 a.m. Friday, weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long.
Baby Carter’s parents are Jennifer Celender and Patrick Magee of Verona.
Mom showed off the new arrival Friday afternoon via a Zoom conference from her hospital room.
Baby Carter, cradled by his mom and wrapped in a navy blanket, was on his best baby behavior during his first interview.
She said little Carter’s arrival on New Year’s wasn’t a complete surprise.
“He was due Jan. 8, and we had a feeling he might come early because I was almost 4 centimeters dilated,” Celender, 31, said.
Celender praised hospital staff covid protocol during delivery, adding she initially was concerned about giving birth during a pandemic.
“They were wonderful from triage to delivery,” Celender said. “We felt very safe and comfortable.”
Carter’s big sis, Peyton, 3, caught a peek at her new brother via phone video.
“She really wanted a brother,” Celender said.
As the first baby born at Magee-Womens, Carter, along with his mom, received a practical gift: Free diapers for a year.
Carter is the first baby to receive free diapers from the Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank, a nonprofit started in 2012 in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Pittsburgh that has distributed more than 1.2 million diapers to local families in need.
Diaper Bank co-founder Cathy Battle said covid-19 hospital restrictions led to the decision to donate what’s estimated to be about $1,000 worth of diapers to the first baby born at Magee-Womens.
“We wanted to bring some cheer, joy and love to let the mom know that she is cared about,” Battle said.
Data from the National Diaper Bank Network lists diapers as the No. 1 need expressed by new parents.
“One in three families are struggling to provide diapers for their babies nationally,” Battle said.
“We felt blessed, thankful and shocked,” Celender said of the gift of diapers. “It makes us very excited, and it’s something we won’t have to worry about the next year.”