A Sundre couple recently welcomed their second son into their lives a little earlier than expected.
"I was kind of surprised," said mom Megan Pittendreigh about giving birth to the New Year's baby.
"I was just waiting for the baby to come ó I wasn't planning on New Year's or anything. He's about five days early."
Zayden Wyman was born healthy and without complications at the Sundre hospital on Saturday, Jan. 2 at 8:35 a.m., weighing eight pounds, four ounces.
Everything went really well, said Pittendreigh. Her labour started on Dec. 17, and she had contractions up until the day Zayden was born.
"And then the delivery only took about 10 minutes."
The Sundre Hospital and Care Centre Auxiliary provided the family with four $250 gift cards to local businesses Pharmasave, IGA, the Sundre V&S Department Store and the Sundre Community Drug Mart.
"We've done it for years," said Vi Ellithorpe, president of the auxiliary.
Pittendreigh moved to Sundre from Caroline with her fiancÈ Chase Wyman about two years ago, and the family has no plans to relocate any time soon.
She had previously lived in town but moved to Caroline when she met Chase.
"We lived in Caroline for a while ó that's where we had our first son."
Chase, who now works in Olds, was employed in Sundre and she has family here, "so it was easier for us to live here in town than on the other side of Caroline."
Pittendreigh is the head detailer at Country Road RV, but is now on a maternity leave until the end of October.
Meanwhile, Zayden's older brother, Zayne, 5, is "really excited to be a big brother," she said.
The family enjoys spending time outdoors going fishing and taking day trips into the wilderness to go hunting, she said.
"We're nice and close to the bush, so it's really handy."
Sundre is an ideal location for such a lifestyle.
"We're fairly set here in Sundre. We don't really have any plans to leave town," she said.
Olds hospital also delivered a New Year's baby to a Sundre couple.
A girl, Brinly Lynda Steeves, was born to Cheryl Steeves and Ross Aldred of Sundre at Olds Hospital and Care Centre on Friday, Jan. 1 at 5:50 a.m.
She weighed eight pounds, 10 ounces. Hospital officials said mom and baby are doing well.
