Dantzelle Kelly and Tim Yazzie of Cortez rang in the new year with the birth of their daughter Serenity Yazzie, the first baby born at Southwest Memorial Hospital in 2017.
Serenity was born on Sunday, Jan. 1, at 4:25 p.m. She weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces and was 19 inches long at birth.
“We’re happy she’s here and healthy, and we’re looking forward to starting the new year with our baby,” Yazzie said.
Serenity’s sister is Harmony Lopez, and her grandparents are Don Kelly, Bernice Lee, and Tony and Rita Cornfield.
Southwest Memorial Hospital nurse Tye Sprague presented the family with a gift basket full of baby supplies and a card congratulating the parents on the first birth of the year.
Kelly said Serenity came about two weeks earlier than expected. Kelly was induced before the new year, and the parents thought Serenity would be born near Christmas or New Year’s Eve, she said. When they realized Serenity might be Cortez’s first 2017 birth, they laughed about it, she said.
“At first it was kind of a joke,” Kelly said.
Harmony was excited to welcome her new baby sister.
“I think she’s great,” Harmony said.
