6 lbs. 11 oz.: Baby Lucas is first newborn of 2015 in Milwaukee area

WAUWATOSA (WITI) -- It was a very special New Year's celebration at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin in the first few minutes of 2015. They welcomed the first Milwaukee area baby of the new year!

It was a different kind of countdown for the Menke family.

"The anticipation! Like are you going to have a New Year's baby or are you going to have the 31st? " said mom Kristy Menke.

As the clock struck midnight, Kristy started pushing.

"At first I'm like 'Oh, I want the 31st' and then as it got closer I thought 'Oh, I would be really neat to have the first baby of the new year!'" she said.

One minute later, Lucas Preston was born.

"It was pretty incredible to have it be 12:01 am!" said Kristy.

He's a healthy boy at 20 inches long and 6 pounds, 11 ounces.

"He came so quick and so fast -- he's been such a good baby," said his mom.



And Lucas drew in quite the crowd to celebrate.

"It was just a fun experience because everybody was so happy and cheering, and I just wanted to get the baby out for the first baby because everyone was so excited," said Kristy.

It`s a little bit of a friendly competition between area hospitals to see which one has the first baby on New Years , and nurses here say it's been since the 90s since Froedtert's Birth Center won.

"It is so exciting for us because it`s been a really, really long time. None of us have actually been able to be there for that very exciting day," said nurse Angie Conto.

The nurses even snapped a few photos to remember the big moment.

Now, mom and dad plan to spend some time getting their two boys to know each other -- and enjoy their new family with plenty of visitors.

"Teach Kasen to be gentle with his little brother," said Kristy.

Kasen and Lucas have something in common. They were both born on holidays! Kasen's birthday is on Valentine's Day.

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