Two area couples welcomed New Year additions to their families, with the distinction of having the first babies born at Hendricks Regional Health and IU Health West Hospital in 2013.

The county’s first child of the year was born at 5:49 a.m. Jan. 1 when Mishael and Tyler Neier of Coatesville met their third child, Andry, for the first time. Andry was 7 pounds, 8 ounces and 20 inches long at birth.

Mishael said when she arrived at HRH, she wasn’t thinking about her child being the first baby of the New Year at the hospital.

“Originally, when I got to the hospital, I was just ready to have him,” she said. “I really didn’t care. I just wanted to be done with being in labor. Then they told us he was the first baby of the New Year and that’s pretty special. He’s our first boy and to be the first at the hospital, it’s pretty cool.”

As the first baby of 2013 born at HRH, the hospital and local businesses teamed up to present the family with a gift basket.

“There was all kinds of stuff (in the basket),” Mishael said. “There were a lot of really neat and special things for the baby, (like) diapers and wipes, and all those important things you need for a baby. Then there were some really neat things for my husband and I. There were gift cards to Walmart and (Texas) Roadhouse, and (for) pizza.

There was one from Orange Leaf Yogurt to take our new family of five out for yogurt. I know I have two little girls that will be really excited for that. It was really neat to get that home, and get it all opened up and see how special the community thought our little one was.”

According to a press release from HRH, the basket contained items from Orange Leaf, Hendricks Regional Health Gift Shop, Silver Shears Styling Salon, the Copper Grill, Harmony Baptist Church, lactation consultant Carla Bolen-He’bert, Gerber Nutritionals, childbirth center director Deb Case, care coordinator Vonda Davidson, Duke Energy, Texas Roadhouse, Anderson Chiropractic, Hungry Howie’s, State Farm Insurance, and Avon-Washington Township Public Library.

Mishael said it was nice to get Andry home on Wednesday, so he could meet his older sisters.

“We got home at about 1:30 p.m. (Wednesday), so we left the hospital a little bit early,” she said. “We’re happy to be home because we have two other little ones here. My oldest is 2 1/2 and she’s very excited to have her baby brother at home.”

Mishael said she was happy she had Andry at HRH.

“We had a really great experience,” she said. “We’re happy he’s here and that we got to deliver at (HRH).”

The first baby of the New Year at IU Health West Hospital in Avon was born at 6:29 p.m. Jan. 1 to first-time parents Dane and Erin Shiltz of Brownsburg.

According to a press release provided by the hospital, Dane and Erin’s newborn, Sloan, arrived a few days early, giving the parents a pleasant surprise. Sloan was 8 pounds and 20 inches long at birth, and even sported a full head of dark hair, like her father did as a newborn.

“Having Sloan was a great ending to a long day,” said Dane. “Definitely worth the reward ... although, that’s easy for me to say!”

Sloan and her mother Erin are both doing well, and the family was presented with Baby New Year gifts from the hospital.

The gifts included infant care items, a cozy swaddle sleeper, a photo frame and album, a parent-baby time book and CD, a blanket teddy bear, and a beginning Yoga DVD for mom.

IU Health West sees an average of 1,200 births each year.

The Maternity Center at IU Health West is designed to make the birth experience as comfortable and stress-free as possible, with cozy home-like furnishings and artwork, flat screen televisions, and music players in every room. The unit has been expanded twice since the hospital’s opening in 2004, currently offering 16 birthing

suites.