First baby of New Year announced

Pete and Loth Souphom are the proud parents of the first baby of 2006 born at the Bedford County Medical Center. Baby Michael, the couple's first child, was born by emergency C-section at 1:55 a.m. on Jan. 2, weighing 6 pounds 5 ounces, with Dr. Lana Beavers performing the delivery.

Linda Haines, RN, director of obstetrics and gynecology at BCMC, said: "It is always exciting when the first baby is born in a new year. We are all tickled that he is here, and healthy, and both mother and baby are doing fine."

The hospital and local businesses showered the family with gifts as Bedford County's first baby of the new year. Gifts were presented from Renegar Drugs, Wal-Mart, Grammy's Gingham Dog, Peoples Bank, First Community Bank, Stan McNabb, Heritage Jewelers, McGee's Prescription Shop, Blue Moon Photography, Merle Norman, and Bedford Cheese. BCMC presented the mother with a dozen red roses.

The Souphoms are natives of in Laos, but have spent most of their lives living in the U.S. The couple met at a Laotian New Year party in Louisiana and were married in 1995. They then moved to Alabama and ran a Thai restaurant across the border in Columbus, Ga. But, ready for a lifestyle change, they relocated to Bedford County and began farming near Wheel. Today Pete stays busy raising cattle and chickens, and Loth works at Tyson Foods.