EVERETT — Patrick Morgan wore the right T-shirt to the hospital Monday evening.
“Tonight is your lucky night,” it read.
Sure enough, at 4:04 a.m. Tuesday, his son, Jason Thomas Morgan, became the first baby of 2013 to be born at Providence Pavilion for Women and Children in Everett.
Patrick’s mother, Janet Morgan, now known as Grandma, was there for the birth, an experience she called “incredible.”
Despite the beauty of the newborn, the star of the show was the new mom, Monica Hendrickson, looking refreshed and happy Tuesday afternoon after a long night.
“Monica was a trooper,” said Janet Morgan.
“She was wonderful,” Patrick Morgan said of his wife.
Morgan, 24, and Hendrickson, 20, of Arlington, were anticipating a Dec. 30, 2012, birthday for Jason, their first child.
“It was always in the back of our minds that he could come on Jan. 1. We even were taking bets on whether he would be born in 2012 or 2013,” Morgan said. “But the timing was great. How cool is this to have a New Year’s baby?”
Jason weighed in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and measured 19.5 inches long.
“I was apprehensive when labor began,” Hendrickson said. “But the pregnancy was good and the birth went very well.”
Hendrickson and Morgan, who grew up in Snohomish County, were pleased that their son was alert and seemingly delighted to be in their company on New Year’s Day. Joining them in the hospital room were paternal grandparents Janet and her husband, Robert “Grandpa” Morgan of Everett, and new uncle Dale Morgan, who drove all the way from Idaho for the occasion.
“Jason is the most perfect little thing I’ve ever seen,” said Janet Morgan, with a tired smile.
An average of 4,000 babies are born each year at the Pavilion for Women and Children, said Providence spokeswoman Cheri Russum. The number accounts for the majority of babies born in Snohomish County, she said.
The maternity staff at the Pavilion gave the Hendrickson-Morgan family a large gift basket of baby necessities and treats as part of the honor of having the first baby born at the facility in 2013.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
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