Meet Utah’s 2021 New Year’s babies

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4 News) – Three Utah families are ringing in the new year with babies that were born within the first few hours of 2021.

The University of Utah welcomed their firstborn baby at 12:02 a.m. Officials told ABC4 News the baby girl was taken into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Juliana Harden made her debut at 12:09 a.m. She was the firstborn within Intermountain Healthcare at Intermountain Medical Center.

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Born at 1:56 a.m. Cora Carter arrived at MountainStar’s Brigham City Hospital.

“This wasn’t in our plans,” said Trent Carter, Cora’s father. “We were just hanging out at a New Year’s party and Kierste said ‘I think it’s time to go’ and I said, ‘Well then we’re going right now.'”

Her parents, Kierste and Trent Carter, said they were surprised with Cora’s New Year’s Day arrival.

“Everyone here – including ourselves – we’re kinda excited to have the New Year’s baby,” said Trent Carter.

“It just means other people know that she’s as special as we know she is,” said Kierste Carter.

While excited to have MountainStar Medical Group’s first New Year’s baby, Kierste and Trent said they’re grateful Cora is here safe and healthy.

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Because of COVID-19 restrictions and concerns, Kierste and Trent Carter’s three older boys are not allowed at the hospital.

But for the parents of four, they said it’s about perspective.

“I know my boys are just fine to meet her tomorrow and they’ll be just as excited to meet her tomorrow as they would be today,” Kierste Carter said.

Some studies suggest following the pandemic, the country could see a baby boom. The UNICEF reports 140 million babies will be born this year.