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SLEEPY HOLLOW, N.Y. Maria Suarez was caught off guard when she went into labor on New Year's Eve and after a long, hard night, she was pleasantly surprised to find out that her baby boy, Anthony Suarez, was the first baby to be born at Phelps Memorial Hospital in 2012.
"I'm very happy because we didn't expect it for New Year's," said Suarez, 25, in Spanish. "He was supposed to be born January 13, but he came early."
Anthony Suarez was born at 9:57 a.m. and weighed 7 pounds and 1 ounce at birth.
Suarez and her husband, Miguel Suarez, are originally from Mexico and currently live in Croton. They have one other child, Kevin Suarez, 3, who met his baby brother for the first time on Monday.
"The baby is by our side sleeping right now. He's already been taking milk from his mother," said Miguel Suarez. "Thank God that he doesn't have any problems. I'm very happy to be a father for the second time."
Miguel Suarez said his wife's contractions began on New Year's Eve and became stronger as the night progressed. At 7 a.m., her water broke and the couple went to Phelps hospital.
Maria Suarez had planned to give a natural birth but when doctors found that the baby's heart was weak, they decided to perform a Cesarean section.
"They couldn't wait for the baby to be born naturally," Suarez said.
Suarez received her pre-natal care at Open Door Family Medical Center in Ossining.
"Everything's fine. The pain from giving birth is fading and I'm very happy," the mother said.
Asked if she and her husband have any future career plans for their new son, the couple said no.
"My first son really likes going to school. I guess we'll wait to see what they like," Maria Suarez said.
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