Allison Nicole Linares is Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s first baby of the new decade.

The healthy baby girl is also the first child of Flowery Branch residents Shelby and Rafael Linares.

Allison Nicole Linares was born at 12:33 a.m. Friday and weighs 6 pounds, 5 ounces and is 19½ inches.

Shelby Linares said her due date was Jan. 3, but she was induced early due to blood pressure problems.

“I never would have thought in a million years that my baby would be born on New Year’s Day, especially being the first baby,” she said. “It was really surprising just because we didn’t think she was going to be the first. We realized she was going to come that day, but maybe at 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning.”

As the first parents of the new year, the new mom and dad received several gifts, including a $500 savings bond for Allison.
“We got hooked up really good. I didn’t expect all that we got,” Shelby Linares said.

Along with a few items for mom, Allison received a car seat, pillow, a case of diapers, a baby gate, baby books and a teddy bear,
Shelby Linares said she and her husband are looking forward to celebrating Allison’s future birthdays.

“We’ve always celebrated New Year’s so I think it’s going to fit in well with our New Year’s parties,” she said. “It will actually be pretty fun.”