First baby born in Chicago area in 2016 is a girl

Evelyn Holmes Image
Friday, January 1, 2016
First baby born in 2016 is a girl
Jaylanie Aliyah Rodriguez was the first child born in the Chicago area in 2016.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Jaylanie Aliyah Rodriguez was the first child born in the Chicago area in 2016.

A few seconds earlier and she wouldn't have made it; she was born at 12:01 a.m. Friday at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. She weighed 5 pounds, 10 ounces.

Her mother, Aliyah, said Jaylanie is her first child.

Jaylanie Aliyah Rodriguez, born at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2016, is the first baby to be born in the Chicago area in 2016.
Courtesy of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

"I'm very happy," says Arnalis Gonzalez, a family friend. "When we found out we had the first baby in Chicago, we were like 'oh God for real? We did it.'"

The Chicago area also welcomed several other new year's babies. Madeline Elizabeth was the first baby born in 2016 at Prentice Women's Hospital at 12:04 a.m. Teddy Sepsis was born 7 lbs. 4 oz. at 12:25 a.m. at Northshore Evanston Hospital, the first child in his family.

At Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, a Carpenterville couple welcomed their second child, Jaxon Lee Erkert, at 6:30 a.m. Friday. He joins older brother Evan, who turns 3 in February. In Downer's Grove, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital welcomed its first baby of 2016 at 3:11 p.m. Friday. The baby girl, Emily Louise, weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. and is the second daughter of Kevin and tanya Nowakowski of La Grange, Ill.

All the mothers and babies are doing well and resting comfortably.