Cedar Rapids' first baby of 2011 arrives a month early

It's a new year, and a handful of Eastern Iowans are ringing in new additions to their families.  The first baby born in the Cedar Rapids area came a month earlier than expected.

As the iconic ball dropped in New York City to ring in the New Year, back here in Eastern Iowa, folks in the Cedar Rapids St. Luke's Hospital maternity ward were hard at work.

Mother Maegan Mathews was on her way in for what she thought was just a precaution.

"Around midnight my water broke and I came in,” said Mathews. “I wasn't really having contractions, just my pants were wet."

But after just two hours of a painful delivery, Maegan says her third child -- who's also her second son -- was finally born.

"I guess he just felt like today was the day,” said Mathews.

Baby Mathews didn't give his relatives much time to get ready for his arrival either.  Even text messages didn't send out a quick enough alert.

"It came at about 4:30, so by the time I replied she already had him, so I missed it," said aunt Amy Burke. "I jumped in the shower and came straight down."

He's more than a month early and weighing in at five pounds, three ounces.

Two of Maegan's three kids have holiday birthdays -- her daughter on April Fool's Day, and now her youngest on New Year's Day.

"Kind of shocked, excited, it's different,” said Mathews.

"I'm very excited," Burke added. "Love babies."

And for years to come, the whole world will be celebrating on Baby Mathews' birthday.

Baby Mathews was the first baby born in the Cedar Rapids area.  A few other women are expected to give birth sometime New Year's Day at St. Luke's.  But the first bay born in Eastern Iowa is likely Baby Trumm, who was born about an hour earlier at Mercy Medical Center in Dubuque.