AREA’S FIRST — Zaiden Alexander Thomas Wallace was the region’s first baby to be born in 2025. The son of Olivia Doyle and Derek Wallace of Follansbee entered the world at 2:28 a.m. Wednesday at WVU Medicine Weirton Medical Center. -- Joselyn King

WEIRTON — The beginning of 2025 saw the birth of two babies in the Ohio Valley before on New Year’s Day, and the first birth happened at WVU Medicine Weirton Medical Center.

Zaiden Alexander Thomas Wallace entered the world at 2:28 a.m. Wednesday, and he is the son of Olivia Doyle and Derek Wallace of Follansbee.

He weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce.

Zaiden has three older siblings – Damon, 6; Annika, who will be 3 in February; and Octavia, who turns 2 at the end of this month.

Mom Olivia now has four youngsters at home. She works weekends at the Carriage Inn of Steubenville.

Dad Derek, meanwhile, is employed at Mondi in Wellsburg and works weekdays. This assures a parent is home with the children each day.

“If there is a will, there is a way,” Olivia Doyle said.

The gift of a child she received on New Year’s Day actually was a deferred present from Christmas. Zaiden had been due on Christmas Eve.

“I guess he wanted to come in with a bang,” Doyle continued.

Zaiden was delivered by caesarian section which she said “went well.”

“This will be my final baby,” Doyle added.

Trinity Medical Center West in Steubenville reported a baby boy was born there at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday to Amanda Parks and Aaron Reed. The baby did not have a name yet before Wednesday evening, said Laurie Labishak, director of public relations, marketing, and communications for the hospital.

Just one other hospital in the area — WVU Medicine-Wheeling Hospital — handles births. The hospital reported no babies born at their facilities on Wednesday.