Olmsted County’s 1st New Year’s baby born to Kasson couple

Olmsted County’s first baby was born to Paul and Sara Bailey of Kasson at 12:50 a.m. on Jan. 1. The baby, Payton Mary, delayed her arrival until the New Year.

Sara was induced at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31, and figured her little bundle would arrive on the same day. But Payton held out for the new year, making her entry into the world on the first day of the new year and being immediately graced with a knitted hat reading “2021” by one of her Mayo Clinic Methodist Hospital nurses.

Paul was able to be with Sara for the duration of her labor and delivery, but because of COVID-19 and restricted hospital visiting rules the couple’s two older children had to wait until Payton returned home on Jan. 3 to make her acquaintance.

Kaden, 7, and Tessa, 4, are “very, very excited,” mom Sara said. “They’ve been fighting over who gets to be by her and who gets to hold her.”

“I was afraid they were going to kiss her to death,” dad Paul chimed in. “There is lots of love there.”

Both originally from Kasson, Sara and Paul are off work while they focus on getting Payton to eat and grow. She measured in at 19 inches and 5 pounds 11 ounces upon birth. “She’s sleeping a lot,” Sara said. “She’s kind of a peanut.”

Payton completes the Bailey family, with Sara saying “I don’t think I can talk Paul into another one.”

Sara and Paul learned they’d had the first New Year’s baby when a doctor told them the news after Payton’s delivery. “I figured she would come on the 31^st so I was kind of surprised,” Sara said.  “I didn’t realize what time it was until the doctor told me.”

Payton will head to day care in Byron in the fall. Until then, grandparents will take turns caring for the little one after Sara and Paul return to work.

Sara is a special education teacher at Kasson Elementary School and Paul is in IT at Mayo Clinic. He is working from home and able to help out with Payton’s care.

The couple so far has been interviewed by a variety of area news stations, including KTTC, KMIT, KAAL, Fox 47 and the Post-Bulletin. Paul said they aren’t normally people to revel in the spotlight so it’s “been an exciting start to the year.”

“It’s been kind of fun considering the year we’ve had,” he said. “It’s a different way to share the baby with people. With not being able to have anybody come up to the hospital to visit, this is a way to meet her and make the announcement.”

“I was kind of surprised that that many people wanted to talk to us,” Sara said. “I didn’t know it was that big of a deal.”