NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. — British Columbia's first baby of the year came into the world at a minute past midnight.
Baby Dominik Soswa was born at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster to Janet Shimizu and Lukasz Soswa just as fireworks lit up the skies at 12:01 a.m.
The eight pound and three ounce baby arrived via caesarean section.
Mom Janet Shimizu says the family is healthy and happy.
Shimizu says she thought Dominik would arrive on Dec. 31 but her labour stopped and doctors decided that it would be best for her to have a caesarean section.
This is the couple's first baby.
"We're feeling very tired but we're feeling very, very good," she said.
The new mother said she wants her son to just be himself and happy.
"My partner wants him to be a surgeon," she said, with a laugh, adding that Soswa is an orthopedic surgeon out of Langley.
For now the family wants to rest and catch up on sleep.
The new year's baby is the first of the approximately 42,000 babies that are expected to be born in the province this year.
UNICEF has estimated that 999 babies would be born in Canada on New Year's Day on Jan. 1, 2019.