East Texas families welcome 2022 babies

Published 2:10 pm Wednesday, January 5, 2022

A Longview baby was a New Year’s wish come true for his mother.

Debanier Horton rubbed her stomach, nine months into her pregnancy and whispered to her baby, telling him she wished he’d arrive on New Year’s Day. Although it ended up being a “total surprise,” Michael Dion Horton Jr., who is named after his father and nicknamed “MJ,” must have heard his mother and did exactly what she requested. He came into the world at 2:24 a.m. Jan. 1 at Christus Good Shepherd Hospital in Longview.

Weighing 6 lbs and 10 oz, he arrived into the world at 2:24 a.m. at Christus Good Shepherd Hospital in Longview and was named after his father. Horton said she was not expecting to have her baby until Jan. 8 but had a gut feeling he would be born on New Year’s Day.

“I just had that feeling, and he came… He really surprised me and shocked me. He sure did listen,” Horton said.

MJ was such a surprise, that as soon as Horton arrived at the hospital, it was time to push. She said all five to six nurses in the room with her were so helpful.

Though Horton had gone through labor three times before baby MJ, she said this was the first time she gave birth completely naturally. Since MJ was such a surprise, by the time Horton arrived at the hospital, there was no time for numbing medicines. She depended on the staff and those around her for support.

“They were very good with me,” she said of the hospital staff.

Over at UT Health Jacksonville, another mother welcomed her baby to the world, this time a few days later than anticipated.

Due to COVID-19 spreading through the country and in the East Texas community, Jacksonville resident Paulina Arredondo knew she wanted to spend her pregnancy at home most of the time, while also taking care of her three little ones. Unfortunately, the virus still made its way into the lives of her family, and after Christmas Eve Arredondo began feeling sick.

After learning she had COVID, a scheduled C-section for Jan. 30 was no longer a possibility. Her doctor informed her it was too risky for her and the staff to go ahead with the procedure.

“With the symptoms I was having, I was feeling weak. The doctor said there was a possibility of complications, making it through childbirth,” Arredondo said.

The procedure was canceled and Arredondo’s family would have to await the arrival of the baby.

“It was a different experience than my other three pregnancies,” Arredondo said. “I was scared because they said I could get even more sick. I was afraid because the doctor said there were risks, and there was the possibility of the baby deciding to come during those days. I didn’t have any strength.”

During the time Arredondo was sick, she kept busy and decided she wasn’t going to stay in bed. She cleaned her home, disinfected everything, walked around inside, and pleaded to her baby not to arrive just yet.

“I asked her not to rush because I didn’t feel good. I would tell my husband, ‘I hope she doesn’t arrive, I feel too weak and to recover, I don’t have strength,’” Arredondo said.

Thankfully, her baby waited.

As one of the first babies born in 2022 in the East Texas area, Sophia Paulina Alvarez was born at 12:19 p.m. Monday. Sophia was born completely healthy, weighing 7 pounds and 12 ounces.

“When she was born, I was just hoping she was OK and didn’t have any COVID symptoms,” Arredondo said. “That was the first thing I thought about. After I heard her cry, the (hospital staff) said she was OK. We found she looked like my 4-year-old daughter.”

Baby girl Sophia has three siblings, one brother and two more sisters. Although Arredondo can see herself having one more child, she said the pandemic has changed some plans. She said she may wait four to five years to make that decision.

“I think everyone’s plans have changed. Right now I can say yes, but if COVID continues and we keep getting sick, I don’t think it will be easy,” she said.