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Newborn Mainers put a baby face on 2020

The first baby of the year at Maine Medical Center was born at 12:24 a.m.

PORTLAND, Maine — The new year was only 24 minutes old when Maine Medical Center welcomed its first baby of 2020.

Eleen was born at the Portland hospital to Israa Aldulaimi and Mustafa Ismail of Falmouth. She is the couple's first child.

Credit: Maine Medical Center
Eleen Aldulaimi, weighing in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce, was the first baby born in 2020 at Maine Medical Center in Portland, arriving 24 minutes past midnight on New Year's Day.

A new year birth was not supposed to be in the cards for Eleen. Her due date was set for a week earlier.

Maine Med says Eleen was born healthy, weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce with a full head of hair.

The maternity ward at St. Mary's Health System in Lewiston was also decked out in pink for the arrival of Noelle Grace at 9:19 a.m.

She was born healthy at a weight of 7 pounds, 12 ounces. Noelle's proud parents, Brielle Merrifield and Dean Lamontagne, can't wait to take her home to Auburn.

Credit: Dean Lamontagne
Big brother Lucien Lamontagne appears happy to make room in the family for new sister, Noelle Grace, who was born on New Year's Day 2020 at St. Mary's Health System in Lewiston.

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To find a boy, we head to Aroostook County. Benson made his mother wait two days after she checked into Northern Light AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle before he was born at 1:33 a.m. on New Year's Day.

“We’re just happy that he’s finally here and that he’s healthy,” said the proud father, Brandon Farley. Benson's mother is Sydney Kinney. 

Credit: Northern Light AR Gould Hospital
Benson Steven Rodney Farley was born at 1:33 a.m. on New Year's Day 2020, two days after his mother checked in to Northern Light AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle.

The family is from Washburn. For them, the holiday season is also birthday season. Benson is the middle of a birthday sandwich, born two days after his father's birthday and two days before his mother's.

Benson also splits the difference between his parents when it comes to his looks. Mom and dad agree he has Brandon's nose and Sydney's eyes. His birth weight was 6 pounds, 14 ounces.

The staff at AR Gould delivered another new year baby about an hour earlier at 12:35 a.m. However, the family has chosen to keep the details of the birth private.

The year's first baby in Bangor has roots in Sidney, and not the town in Maine, but rather Sidney, Australia. That's where his biological father, Simon, is from.

Credit: Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center
Simon holds his new son, Henry, born on Jan. 1, 2020 at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor via gestational carrier Kristie Carr.

Simon arranged to have Henry carried to term via a gestational carrier, Kristie Carr from Eddington. She gave birth to him at 12:11 p.m. on January 1 at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center. He weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces.

Kristie also served as the carrier for Henry's older brother, Samuel. Henry is the third child to be carried by her.

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