Baby Hayden claims title of New Year’s Baby, as well as fine gifts

by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor

The wait for the county’s first baby of 2022 came to an end with Hayden John Harrington, son of Joshua Harrington and Kaitlin Kortman, being born into the world, Jan. 16 at 7:06 p.m.

It seemed to be a long, two-week wait for the Presque Isle County Advance/Onaway Outlook’s first baby, but it must have felt like an eternity for Kaitlin, who was in labor for 39 ½ hours. 

“My water broke at 3:30 a.m. Saturday at home,” stated Kaitlin in a text message Tuesday. 

The couple resides in Belknap Township and Hayden was their first. He was born at McLaren Northern Michigan hospital in Petoskey.

“We went to the hospital right away and they admitted me,” she said. “I was supposed to be induced the following day, but they decided to keep me. I was given two different types of medications to help get everything going.”

The o

riginal due date was Jan. 22. Hayden weighed 5 pounds, 14.6 ounces and was 18 ½ inches long.

“It feels great to start the new year off with our boy,” said Kaitlin.

As the 2022 New Year’s Baby, the newest member of the county and his parents will receive many fine gifts from merchants across the county, including a one-year subscription to the Presque Isle Advance/Onaway Outlook.  

The parents of last year’s New Year’s Baby, Steve and Alyssa Budnick, were able to utilize all of the gifts that were given to them over the course of 2021.

Hayden’s grandparents are Theresa Kortman of Rogers City; Kevin Kortman of Rogers City; April Tennant of Onaway; and Ernest Harrington of Oden.