By The first baby of the new year gave his grandmother the best present — a shared birthday with her first grandson.
Born to Jessica and Hayden Snyder of Aberdeen, Harlan Mathias Snyder arrived at Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center at 10:03 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 1. Weighing just 4 pounds, 6 ounces, Harlan’s arrival was three weeks earlier than expected.
Hayden is owner of Optimize Service Pros, a carpet and duct cleaning business. Jessica is a nurse at Sanford’s oncology department.
News of Harlan’s pending arrival came after one of Jessica’s recent appointments when her doctor grew concerned that her son wasn’t growing as expected. They made plans to induce at 37 weeks, which was Wednesday, Dec. 31.
Hayden and Jessica Snyder hold their newborn son, Harlan Mathias, who was the first baby of the new year born Jan. 1 at Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center. Aberdeen Insider photo by Elisa Sand.
“It was quite a surprise,” she said.
They had five days to prepare for their new arrival, who is small, but otherwise happy and healthy.
It wasn’t until delivery that doctors found a knot in the umbilical cord, which was restricting the flow of nutrients and preventing Harlan from growing as he should.
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He already has something in common with two family members — Jessica’s mom Jolynn Podoll and Jessica’s first cousin were also born on Jan. 1.
Harlan is the first grandson for both sets of grandparents, Jolynn and Joel Podoll and Michelle and Frank Snyder.
