First baby of 2000 welcomed

Fort Frances–and Rainy River District–welcomed its first baby of the new year, century, and millennium with the safe arrival of Garrett Austin to Darwin and Michelle Woods (nee Mauro) at La Verendrye hospital Jan. 2 .
Ironically, the eight-pound baby boy, born at 3:45 a.m., was more than two weeks overdue.
“I had no idea [he would be the New Year’s baby],” Woods said Sunday evening from her hospital bed. “Dec. 16 was my original due date.”
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” echoed her husband, who works at the Fort Frances Airport. “I took holidays from Dec. 17-28 thinking that was more than enough time [for Michelle] to have the baby.”
“What’s really cool is his birth date–00/01/02,” she noted.
“He’s not Y2K he’s 1-2-K,” he chuckled.
The infant also is the first paternal and maternal grandson, and the first sibling for “big sister” Savannah, four, who couldn’t have been happier to have a brother, her parents said.
“On one of my ultrasounds, the baby stuck out its tongue and Savannah said it had to be a boy because boys stick out their tongues,” Woods smiled.
“All Savannah wanted for Christmas was a baby brother [and] she’s just thrilled,” Darwin Woods said. “Her imaginary brother [disappeared] Sunday.”
Grandpa Forch Mauro was equally thrilled.
“He’s the first grandson and the first male in the family in a long, long, while,” Mauro enthused Monday morning although he had yet to see his grandson due to a bout with the ’flu.
“It was a surprise but we all suspected it–we all hoped it,” he added. “I have four daughters and one granddaughter.”
But the fact his grandson made headlines as the “millennium” baby here didn’t carry much weight with Mauro.
“Overall it doesn’t matter. [What’s important] is that we have a healthy child there–who is a male finally,” he reiterated with a chuckle.
In related news, the Woods family was presented with a new smoke alarm by Tyler Moffitt, co-ordinator of the “Learn Not to Burn” program, on behalf of the “Smoke Alarms for Every Baby” initiative.
Launched a year ago, it provides a smoke alarm and fire safety pamphlet to the parents of each newborn in Rainy River District.
So far, some 350 families have benefited from the program, which is sponsored by Gillons’ Insurance Brokers Ltd. and Holmlund Financial Services, and supported by Canadian Tire, Riverside Health Care Facilities Inc., Atikokan General Hospital, and the Rainy River District Mutual Aid Fire Association.
The Woods family also received a gift basket valued at $200 from Mary Calder of “Mary’s Little Lambs” for having the first baby of 2000 here.