2012's first baby arrives early

photo Graham Hartzog, front center, was born at 2:03 a.m. Sunday at Erlanger East. He was the first baby born in 2012 in a Chattanooga area hospital. His mom and dad, Jeanne and Kevin Hartzog, and his big sister Jillian, 3, hold Graham Sunday afternoon.

Graham Eli Hartzog was supposed to be born in a scheduled Caesarian section on Jan. 5.

"He had other plans," said his father, Kevin Hartzog.

Graham was born at 2:03 a.m. Sunday in an emergency C-section at Erlanger East on Gunbarrel Road, making him 2012's first baby born in a Chattanooga-area hospital. He weighed 8 pounds and was 19.5 inches tall, his father said.

While Graham was not planned to be the year's first baby, his mother, Jeanne Hartzog, thought it was "a pleasant surprise."

"It was pretty neat, pretty special," she said.

The Hartzogs, who live in Ringgold, Ga., chose the name Graham in advance because it was familiar but unique, Jeanne said.

Graham joins his big sister, 3-year-old Jillian, who came with her mom and dad to the hospital and was awake until 6 a.m. on New Year's Day.

Jillian wore a shirt advertising her big-sister status around the house all last week, said Jeanne Hartzog's mother, Wanda Simandl.

This is the first time in at least five years that the Chattanooga area's first baby was born at Erlanger East, hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Homa said.

This year, Erlanger East beat Parkridge, Erlanger at Hutcheson and Erlanger Baroness Campus, she said.

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