Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox said 10 babies were born on New Years Day, including the first baby in the Chicago metro area for 2026.

The title of first baby of the new year, went to baby Aaron L. of Joliet, who was born to parents Lisbeth and Carlos at 12:01 a.m. as thousands of people were still likely shouting Happy New Year, the hospital said on Friday.

Silver Cross officials report that baby Aaron, the third of the couple’s children, weighed in at 7 pounds, 9 ounces at birth and measured 20 inches long.

“Silver Cross was ringing in the New Year with babies,” Silver Cross Director of Woman and Infant Services Kristina Salcedo said in a released statement. “Ten babies to be exact. That’s a New Year’s Day record since I’ve been here the past seven years.”

Aaron was one of four baby boys welcomed by the hospital on Thursday. The other six newborns were girls.

“It was definitely a busy day for our staff,” Salcedo said. “But what a great way to start the New Year!”

Baby Aaron and his family received a large gift basket from the Woman and Infant Services team at Silver Cross to celebrate the timing of his arrival.

Silver Cross expects the 10 New Year babies will be the first of many new arrivals they will welcome in 2026.

The hospital sees an average of over 3,000 births every year and hosts Will County’s only Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit, the hospital said.