Sweet Home’s first baby of 2001 is Boe James Baxter, born to Shim and Shauna Baxter at 1:41 a.m. on Jan. 5.
Boe was also the first baby born at Lebanon Community Hospital and is technically the first Sweet Home and LCH baby of the new millennium.
Boe’s parents were both surprised to learn that Boe was the first one born five days into the new year.
His parents also bear similar distinctions for their own birthdays. Shauna was the first baby in Arlington on Jan. 2, 1975. Shim was a New Year’s Eve baby in 1963 at LCH.
“We’re, like, going we can’t believe it,” Shauna said. “For being Jan. 5 and having the first baby, they (the hospital) were pretty bored this year.”
Shauna and Shim never though about the fact their baby is also the first baby of the first official year of the new millennium, but thought it was “pretty cool.”
“I was just surprised we had the first baby of the New Year at Lebanon,” Shauna said. For that, they received a gift basket, blanket and some clothes.
“I was surprised it was the fifth, and he’s the first one,” Shim said. LCH had told the Baxters that the hospital was going to induce labor in another woman. “I told Shauna she’d better hurry up.”
Boe weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. He has brown hair and blue eyes.
His father works for Oremet. His mother is a homamaker.
Shim has lived in Sweet Home all his life. Shauna has lived in Sweet Home for about 10 years.
Maternal grandparents include Jim and Dena Wixson of Sweet Home and Art Aiona of Hawaii. Paternal grandparents include Pat and Ernie Baxter of Sweet Home. Great grandparents include Mabel Baxter of Sweet Home and Don Jewett of Sweet Home.
Boe joins two brothers, Sonny, 14, and Hunter, 2.
“He’s pretty sweet,” Shauna said.
“He doesn’t really cry that much,” Shim said.
Shim and Shauna enjoy playing softball and joked that they’re trying to build their own team. They also enjoy volleyball and paintball.