Many believe the new year is the end of an era and the start to a new beginning. For some, it’s the start of a new life.

“It was fun having something else to count down as well as a birth to count down to,” said New Mother Jaime Brown.

At 12:42 a.m., Brown welcomed her newborn baby to her family. Little Samuel is also the first child to be born in 2018 in the Grand Valley. However, Brown said this didn’t come as a surprise.

“I felt that way the whole time. I was like, this will be the first one,” she said.

Though her baby may have been the first, but it certainly wasn’t the last. Sarah Cozza gave birth to her little girl, Isabella, just a few hours later.

“It was surreal because she came so fast. I just wanted to get her out pretty much,” said Cozza.

Unlike Brown, Cozza said her baby came sooner than expected.

“We went out to dinner last night and I wasn’t feeling anything at all,” she said.

Yet once she got to the hospital, it wasn’t long before reality set in.

“She came out with two pushes and no epidural,” said Cozza.

Now both moms are resting comfortably. Despite everything, they said they wouldn’t trade this start of the new year for anything else.

“I look at her and I’m just like, it’s not real yet,” said Cozza.

“Who wouldn’t want to start off a new year with a brand new perfect baby boy,’ said Brown.