MANSFIELD — Richland County’s 2018 Baby New Year will have plenty of company when she gets home.
Serenity Elizabeth-Louise Arthur is the fourth child born to Sheena Arthur, of Mansfield. But she was the first infant born this year in Richland County.
“I’m always checking every year, is it Shelby or Mansfield, this year it was Mansfield,” said Christina Thompson, Communications and Media Relations manager at the hospital.
A maternity nurse noted another child was delivered on the same day, and one in Shelby on Tuesday afternoon, but neither was close to the finish line when Serenity joined the world.
“She was the easiest all around with general delivery,” said Serenity’s mom, Sheena Arthur.
The 28-year-old former Sam’s Club employee has three other children, 8, 7 and 6. They had yet to see their sister on Wednesday afternoon, but were excited by the prospect of her arrival.
“Last night I was talking to them on the speaker phone and they were all talking all over each other so she would know that voice that was talking to her when she was in my tummy,” Sheena noted.
Serenity weighed five pounds, five ounces at birth and measured 18.75 inches. She was due on Jan. 8, but Sheena went into labor just before the doctors could induce labor.
Each of her siblings had a hand in naming the baby, and her middle name comes from her two grandmothers.
“I just want to get her home and see how the others react to her,” Sheena said.
