Virden Couple Celebrates Arrival of First Baby of 2026

A couple from Virden, Manitoba, welcomed the first baby of 2026 early on January 1. Brielle Eva Henry was born at the Brandon Regional Health Centre at 1:16 a.m., weighing nearly 8 pounds 13 ounces and measuring 21 and three-quarter inches long. Kendra Henry and Aaron Dayton are excited to expand their family with the arrival of their new daughter.

“This gives our two-year-old daughter, Chloe, someone to play with,” Kendra Henry said while holding her newborn. She noted that they had planned to leave their Virden home on New Year’s Eve around 9 a.m. to avoid treacherous road conditions later in the evening. “Everybody kept telling me to wait for midnight to have the first baby, but I don’t have control over that. It just happened to work out this way,” she added.

With the couple having considered various names for their new addition, they ultimately decided on Brielle. “We picked a bunch of names we liked and narrowed it down until we came to a couple that made sense,” Dayton explained. “Chloe got the obligatory hand-me-down names. This one was clear.”

As they transition from a family of three to a family of four, Dayton humorously acknowledged that life will undoubtedly become “a lot more crazy in the house.”

The family received a gift basket from the health centre, which included stuffed animals, toys, a baby outfit, a book, picture frames, spoons, and a bouquet of flowers from Carolyn’s Floral Designs. Kendra and Aaron expressed their gratitude for the thoughtful welcome as they prepare for their new journey as parents of two.

Later in the day, the couple plans to introduce Chloe to her baby sister. The joy of welcoming a new child marks a hopeful start to the year for this Virden family, which now looks forward to the adventures that lie ahead.