VW hospital fetes 2018 New Year’s Baby

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The New Year’s Baby came a little bit later than usual at Van Wert County Hospital as Beckem Ryder Eversole was born this past Thursday.

Beckem, the son of Ryanne Eversole and Thomas Lantow, was born at 6:37 p.m. Thursday and weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces at birth.

Eversole said the birth of her son, who is her first child, was difficult, but the happiest moment of her life so far.

“I’ve never cried for joy anytime in my life until he came out,” the new mother said during an interview on Saturday. “Earlier today, I was looking at him and I got happy and started crying. That’s a moment you just wait for.”

Eversole, who said Beckem’s birth has put her life back on track, added that she’s a little unsure of what the future will bring, but that her family has been very supportive.

“It’s kind of scary, a newborn baby,” she added. “I think the scariest part is just moving forward with everything.”

As a single mother who still lives with her parents, Eversole said that, while things are a bit unsettled at the moment, she thanked her family for being there for her.

“My mom’s been super helpful with this (and) so has my dad; he’s been super accepting of the situation,” the new mother said. “My little sister is still in the house, so she’s excited to have a baby in the house.”

Eversole said it was a pretty uneventful pregnancy, although the delivery didn’t go quite as smoothly. She said her water broke at 2:30 a.m. Thursday, and she was given an epidural to ease the pain of her contractions about 10 a.m. Unfortunately, the epidural had worn off by the time Eversole had Beckem at 6:37 that evening.

“I felt everything!” she said of the birth procedure. “I was tired and exhausted, but I definitely cried for joy even afterward. It was a happy moment.”

Eversole said Beckem has been a good baby so far, though, and she’s happy he is the New Year’s Baby, noting that several other women had also been admitted to the hospital’s Maternity Department around the time she came in.

Van Wert County Hospital provides a number of gifts to the New Year’s Baby, including diapers and wipes, baby bath products, baby toys, teething products, board books, a stroller organizer, and bibs, as well as gift cards to Walmart and several local restaurants, including Brewed Expressions, Subway, and Wild Willy’s.

Meanwhile, Eversole said she is excited about seeing her baby grow up and all the “firsts” that will come along the way.

“He hasn’t smiled yet, so I’m looking forward to seeing him smile,” Eversole said, noting that Beckem was the first boy born in her family in quite a while.