As the New Year's Eve ball was dropping, one local woman was on her way to St. Clare Hospital, to deliver Sauk County's first baby of 2009.

And he was a big baby boy, coming in at 9 pounds, 10 ounces and 21 inches long - which surprised the happy

19-year-old mother, Crystal Cloud. This is her first boy, and her second child.

A St. Clare Hospital nurse said five other babies were competing for the same distinction as the first baby of 2009 on Thursday. Cloud's baby was born about seven hours after the new year (6:58 a.m.), which she thought might have been her boy's destiny.

"We were (wondering) when I (was) going to go in, because I was like four days overdue and I think he was meant to be born on New Year's. I didn't take anything or do anything to go into labor," Cloud said. "I guess it was meant to be. He was meant to be the new year's baby."

Cloud enjoyed a smooth delivery and was hopeful about the upcoming year. She was especially happy to have a boy, whose eyes were eagerly darting back and forth in conversations to identify faces with voices that might have sounded familiar.

"It is pretty great how the new year brings something new. In this new year I can just enjoy him," she said. "My main thing is to be the best parent I can be."

The Reedsburg Area Medical Center and Sauk-Prairie Memorial Hospital both saw New Year's births in 2009 as well. Sauk Prairie recorded one birth narrowly missing the new year by seven minutes.

At St. Clare Hospital eventually the runners-up to Cloud's baby boy will be born. St. Clare will then begin to add up the number of babies born at the hospital again.

In 2008, there were 304 babies born at St. Clare Hospital, which is a slight decrease from 2007 when St. Clare had the most births in the region, at 346 births.

A prize package of gifts was presented to Cloud for having the first baby of the year, thanks to local businesses.

The baby's father, and other family members have been visiting and Cloud has received well wishers, cards and other gifts.

Among the gifts Cloud's boy received was a Pendleton blanket from grandma, which is a tradition in Cloud's Ho-Chunk family. A traditional reception at the Native American Church will also be held soon in absence of a baby shower.

"Everyone you know wants to see the baby when it is so small and little," Cloud said.

Perhaps like the upcoming year, one gift the baby of 2009 will soon be receiving is a name, though Cloud wants the name to come from deep within the family.

"I wanted my brothers to help me, but they can't decide on a name, so I have my sisters helping me," she said. "Our family is really close and we bond, and do stuff together, and coming up with a name is kind of a together thing to do."