IT'S A NEONATAL NEW YEAR!

Marissa Lynn Hebert's arrival in the world was no surprise to her mother.

Bobbi Jo Hebert scheduled Marissa's birth, but she did not expect her daughter to be the north country's first baby born in 2009.

Marissa was born at 2:50 a.m. Thursday at Alice Hyde Medical Center, Malone, 20 days before she was due.

A medical condition required doctors to induce labor, but Ms. Hebert and her 7-pound, 15-ounce baby are both doing well.

"Aside from the soreness, I feel great," she said.

Marissa's father is Richard Nathan III, Malone.

Marissa is not the only one in her family to share a birthday with a holiday. Her sister, Makayla Jean, turned 2 on Christmas.

The second baby to be born in the north country on New Year's Day was Cole M. Meyer, to Alayna C. and Matthew H. Meyer of Castorland at 3:35 a.m. at Lewis County General Hospital, Lowville.

Jan. 1 was her due date, an exhausted-sounding Mrs. Meyer said. The birth had been induced because of her high blood pressure at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

"They didn't think it would take that long, but it did," she said. Baby Cole weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce. He was "sleeping a lot right now, but I'm sure that will change," Mrs. Meyer said.

Mr. Meyer is a farmer, Mrs. Meyer a hairdresser.

Cole was born with black hair — "quite a bit more on the back than on the top," Mrs. Meyer said.

Cole is Mrs. Meyer's second child and Mr. Meyer's first. Half-sister Aubri C. Monnat is 2 years old.

Aside from bringing a new child into the world, the Meyers did some more traditional New Year's Eve celebrating, too, Mrs. Meyers said.

"We did watch the ball drop together in between contractions."

In Watertown, Erica L. and Michael J. Mason welcomed their son, Tyler J. Mason, at 11:45 a.m. at Samaritan Medical Center. The 8-pound, 15-ounce baby was due Jan. 9. If Tyler had come just 12 hours earlier, his parents could have boasted of two births in 2008. His sister, Lily Ann, is 11 months old.

"We were just watching movies last night," Mrs. Mason said. "We came into the hospital at 6 a.m. It was really quick and easy this time."

Still, she's ready "to take a break," she said.

Mr. and Mrs. Mason are military engineers and live at Fort Drum.

Two other babies were born at Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown on New Year's Day: AyDah J. Hamilton to Cheryl Hamilton at 6:33 p.m. and Brayden J. Vehlewald to Alise and Daniel Vehlewald at 6:38 p.m.

Another New Year's baby was born at Lewis County General Hospital at 8:41 a.m. The child's name was unavailable.

Carthage Area Hospital was expecting up to two New Year's Day births before the night was over.

No New Year's Day births were reported at the St. Lawrence County hospitals with maternity units — Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Ogdensburg, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Potsdam, E.J. Noble Hospital, Gouverneur, and Massena Memorial Hospital.