LEWISTON – She wasn’t the first baby born in Maine on New Year’s Day, but Noelle Grace Lamontagne sure looked happy to be here. 

Born at 9:19 a.m. Wednesday, she came into the world at 7 pounds, 12 ounces, which one nursing supervisor described as “just perfect.” 

Noelle Grace is the daughter of Brielle Merrifield and Dean Lamontagne of New Auburn. They weren’t quite expecting a New Year’s baby – in fact until late New Year’s Eve, Brielle was playing cards with friends. 

Then Noelle Grace decided she wanted to celebrate New Year’s Day, too, and off to St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center went Brielle. 

The delivery offered no complications. 

“It was relatively comfortable and pretty fast once it started,” said Brielle, 28. “It was really exciting. She came in with a bang. She wanted out.” 

It was a thrill for the St. Mary’s birthing unit, as well. All day, they fussed over Noelle Grace, giving her a “New Year 2020” crown to wear for photos. 

“The nurses,” Brielle said, “have been awesome.” 

Later Wednesday, Brielle was still getting acquainted with her second child, with a friend nearby. 

“She’s a beautiful baby,” said Katherine Gould, the friend.  

Brielle went to the hospital Monday night, but was sent home when her contractions stopped. They started again Tuesday night as the clock was winding down toward midnight and a new decade. 

“We celebrated New Year’s Eve playing card games between contractions,” Gould said. 

All around Noelle Grace throughout the day, friends, family, hospital staff and even some strangers buzzed with excitement about the New Year’s baby. Her father, Dean, posted photos on his Facebook page with his daughter wearing her crown. More than three dozen people began oohing and ahhing in the comment section. 

“Oh, my goodness,” wrote one family friend. “She’s perfect!” 

That seemed to be the prevailing opinion of Noelle Grace, the second baby born in Maine in the new year and new decade. 

The first? That distinction went to Eleen Mustafa Aldulaimi, born at Maine Medical Center in Portland to Israa Aldulaimi and Mustafa Ismail of Falmouth. 

“Eleen, who is Israa and Mustafa’s first child, was born at 12:24 a.m., weighing in at 7 lbs., 1 oz.,” a MMC spokeswoman wrote in a news release. “She was born more than a week past her due date and has a full head of hair! Both Israa and Eleen are in good health.” 

Back in Lewiston, Noelle Grace was facing the possibility of getting her first pal – St. Mary’s officials said there was the possibility that one other child would be born before the day’s end. 

That would put St. Mary’s ahead in numbers – there weren’t a whole lot of babies born early in the day Wednesday, although they seemed to be rallying, in some places, by nighttime. 

By 4 p.m., no New Year’s babies had been born at any of the Central Maine Healthcare facilities, including Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston and hospitals in Rumford and Bridgton. 

But then, at about 7:30 p.m., it was reported that yet another New Year’s baby had been born. The particulars about that baby were not immediately available.

In Farmington, at Franklin Memorial Hospital, one woman was said to be in the early stages of labor at about 2 p.m. Again, a hospital spokeswoman said it was too early to tell if that baby would be delivered on Wednesday. 

At Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway, a spokeswoman on the birthing unit said no babies had been born and none were expected on New Year’s Day. 

At St. Mary’s, Brielle was looking forward to her first sleep in about 24 hours. She was also looking forward to bringing Noelle Grace home to meet her brother for the first time. 

If that boy is like everyone else, he’ll declare his little sister perfect and welcome her to the family. 

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