It was a celebration worthy of more than just champagne for Kathleen and Nick Dugas on Jan.1, as the husband and wife celebrated the birth of their baby girl Brielle Marie Dugas.
Brielle was born at St. Joseph's Hospital at 8:20 a.m. on New Year's Day, weighing eight pounds, 13 ounces.
"She was due earlier — Dec. 30," explained Kathleen in their Comox home. "We were watching the ball drop on TV on New Years Eve around 11:30 p.m. when my water broke."
The couple, who were married in Victoria in February, moved to the Comox Valley in July.
Nick is a firefighter at 19 Wing and a volunteer with the Town of Comox, while Katheen is a registered care attendant for the Vancouver Island Health Authority.
Although the family has a history of births on the first of the month — four-year old big brother Brenden was born on July 1 and along with nieces of the couple who were born on May 1 and April 1— Kathleen admitted she never thought Brielle would be the Comox Valley's New Years baby.
"It never crossed my mind; I was actually a bit disappointed she wasn't here for Christmas," she said with a laugh.
She noted the delivery was quicker than with Brenden, but "was still painful."
The couple said the name Brielle was chosen prior to the birth, while Marie was chosen as a middle name as it is a family name for both Kathleen and Nick.
Kathleen added Brenden is ready for the role of big brother, and is already very protective of his new sister.
"He can't wait for her to grow up," she added.
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