
Kennedy Lynn Schmitt, the first Boston baby born in 2017, has always been an overachiever.
Her doctor was impressed with Kennedy throughout the pregnancy, so being the first baby of the new year is “very in character for her,’’ mom Julia Schmitt said.
The girl arrived at 12:01 a.m. at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and measuring 19¼ inches.
Julia and her husband, Will Schmitt, didn’t think they would have the first baby of the year, especially because Kennedy wasn’t due until the 3rd. The couple, who live in Brookline, spent New Year’s Eve taking their French bulldog, Bentley, to the veterinarian, going to a deli, and visiting the library, Julia said.
Their plans changed around 5:30 p.m., when Julia’s water broke.
“We’re first-time parents, so we didn’t know what to expect,’’ Julia said.
They arrived at the hospital around 6:30 p.m., and had a baby just after the ball dropped.
“All the credit goes to [Kennedy],’’ Julia said. “She’s extraordinary.’’
The second baby born in the new year was only 13 minutes behind. That child was delivered at 12:14 a.m. at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Will and Julia Schmitt found out the gender about 12 weeks into the pregnancy and had their doctor write it down. They didn’t read the note, but they took it to a bakery and had a cake made.
When the two sliced into the cake on the back porch of their home, they saw pink. Now, months later, their own little girl was quietly cooing in her mother’s arms, wearing a pink onesie covered in giraffes.
For both Julia and Will’s parents, this is the first grandchild in the family. Julia’s mom, who will take on the title “Nonny,’’ will be helping the new parents out for a few weeks.
Besides being new to parenting, the couple is new to Boston, having just moved from California in June.
Will, originally from Ohio, graduated from business school at the University of Southern California, and the couple moved east when he got a job offer.
The same week they moved, they found out Julia was pregnant.
Julia, a Chicago native, is thrilled to raise their daughter in their new city. “Now, we’re in Boston history,’’ she said.
Martha Schick can be reached at martha.schick@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarthaSchick.