The Sunshine Coast’s first baby of 2017 was born on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at Sechelt/shíshálh Hospital to proud parents Jillian Maidana and Rob Gurney.
Their new baby boy, named Oliver Daniel Gurney, made his appearance at 8:57 a.m., weighing in at 8.5 pounds and measuring 19 inches long.
Jillian had no idea she was in the running to have the New Year’s baby. “There were 10 women due around New Year’s and there were also five moms who were overdue at that time,” Jillian said, adding she was sure one of those women would have had a baby before her.
Jillian was scheduled for a C-section and went into the hospital that morning with her contractions ramping up.
“He was definitely ready to make his arrival,” she noted.
Once Oliver was born, the nurses congratulated Jillian and Rob on having the first baby born on the Coast in 2017.
“They made us feel like we were rock stars,” Jillian said.
“They handed him to me and I said, ‘You’re the man of the year.’”
She and her husband Rob decided to name their new son Oliver in honour of Rob’s great grandfather and they picked the middle name Daniel in honour of Jillian’s dad, who passed away when she was four years old.
“It’s got some special meaning to us, for sure,” Jillian said.
When she and Rob introduced Oliver to his two big brothers Mason, 8, and Wesley, 9, the boys were very excited and eager to help out.
“He’s awesome,” Mason said of his new baby brother.
Rob and Jillian own Coastal Crust Pizza in Sechelt. Jillian plans to take off a few months to spend time at home with Oliver, if the business will allow it.
Once she returns, she plans to bring Oliver in a Snugli and work with him because, she said, “it’s never too early” to get comfortable at the family business.
