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Pittsburgh Hospitals Welcome First Babies Of 2018

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The first babies of 2018 have been born in Pittsburgh.

At West Penn Hospital, the first baby, a girl, was born at 3:17 a.m.

What started as a typical New Year's Eve for the Handshue family, of Pleasant Hills, quickly took an unexpected turn.

"We were watching TV, because we were getting ready to celebrate New Year's with our other three children, when all of a sudden, I said to Jim, 'I think it's time! We need to go to the hospital,'" says mother Christina Handshue.

After a quick phone call to grandpa to watch the kids, Jim and Christina left for West Penn Hospital.

"I just wanted to get here, because I was afraid we were either delivering on the side of the road or in an ambulance or something crazy," says Christina.

handshue-family
(Photo Credit: KDKA)

She didn't even have a chance to get an epidural. Within a few hours, baby Eleanor Rose was born. They're calling her Ellie for short, after a character from the movie, "Up."

"She's adventurous! We think we have a little adventurous spirit here," says Christina.

Ellie is the biggest baby out of her three siblings. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces, and 19.5 inches long. Her older brother and two sisters, ages 8, 6 and 3, are sure to fawn over her once she gets home from the hospital.

"I've loved her since the moment I knew I was pregnant with her," says Christina. "I just can't wait to see her grow up."

But, one thing is for sure, the Handshue family never expected to spend New Year's in the delivery room.

"It's very interesting," says Jim Handshue.

"I thought we would either have her mid-December or mid-January, but never on New Year's Day," says Christina. "It's perfect. It's a perfect story."

Meanwhile, Markia Allen gave birth to McKenzie, the first baby born at Magee-Women's Hospital, at 7:06 a.m.

markia-allen-mckenzie
(Photo Credit: Magee-Women's Hospital)

We're told everyone is doing well.

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