Welcome to Winnipeg: First baby of 2017 born just before 1 a.m.

The first Winnipeg baby born in 2017 was welcomed into the world just before 1 a.m. on Sunday.

The newborn girl was delivered at 12:57 a.m. at the Health Sciences Centre.

Baby Wakeman, whose family is still deciding on a first name, was 19 inches long and weighed just a bit more than five pounds. 

Mother Goldie Wakeman said the New Year's birth came as a welcome surprise.

"We were pretty surprised and pretty amazed at that," she said. "It makes us really happy."

"She just knew she was coming into the world at that time and she made us wait," Wakeman added, noting the baby was supposed to be born in December.