Will County's First Baby of 2015 Born at Silver Cross

The Rodriguez-Roman family and baby Daniel. Credit: Silver Cross Hospital.

Will County’s first baby of the new year apparently couldn’t wait to make his debut.

Mariela Rodriguez, 23, and Arturo Roman of Joliet welcomed baby Daniel, born a full week ahead of schedule early Thursday morning at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox. The baby weighed in at 7 pounds and was 21 inches long.

Dr. Joyce Albi, obstetrician/gynecologist with Aunt Martha’s Joliet Community Health Center, delivered the baby boy, who is the couple’s first child.

“I was eating tamales at my mom’s house when I went into labor,” Rodriguez said. “I wasn’t due until Jan. 8, so this was a nice surprise.”

In celebration of their New Year’s arrival, the Rodriguez family received a gift basket loaded with essentials for both mom and baby fromSilver Cross Hospital’s Women and Infant Services Birthing Center staff as well as a giant teddy bear from Childerguild— the hospital’s auxiliary, which has donated more than $3 million to support women’s and children’s services at Silver Cross Hospital.

Dr. Albi also delivered the last baby born in 2014 at Silver Cross Hospital. The first child of Guadalupe Marin and Alejandro Campos of Joliet, Ayanna Sophia was born at 9:48 p.m. on Dec. 31.

Unlike Daniel, who was a week early, the baby girl was a week over due.

Both mothers and babies are happy and healthy, the hospital said Thursday in a press release.