SARANAC LAKE — The first baby of the New Year made a welcome debut at Adirondack Medical Center at 2:47 a.m. Thursday.

Samuel Ian Duprey was the first baby born in the North Country, weighing in at a sturdy 8 pounds, 1 ounce.

He is the first child of Ann Marie Nightingale-Duprey and Anthony Duprey of Vermontville.

"He is the first of firsts," the new mom said Friday morning from her room at Adirondack Medical Center.

"It's pretty cool," Ann Marie, 31, crooned of her son's New Year's distinction.

Samuel Ian squeaked a little.

"He's amazing," mom said.

He is named after his grandfather, Ann Marie's father, Ian.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Ann Marie has lived in the Saranac Lake area for more than a decade. Husband Anthony makes his living climbing trees for forestry purposes.

The couple knew they were having a boy and picked out his name last month. His crib is ready at home, and so is mom.

"He's great; he's precious," she said of her tiny son.

"I'm just so glad he's here!"

Ultrasound tests done early in Ann Marie's pregnancy first put Samuel's due date at Jan. 10.

"But then, at 20 weeks, my doctor said he looked bigger and thought he might be born January 1," Ann Marie said.

Mom and baby are in excellent health and looking forward to going home.

"We'll go home whenever they tell me I can," she said.

Baby Samuel has two older stepbrothers: Justin Duprey, 5, and John Duprey, 13.

"We're all ready for him," Ann Marie said, excited for such a big start to the New Year.

Two other New Year's babies premiered Thursday in the North Country: Marissa Lynn Hebert, at 2:50 a.m. at Alice Hyde Hospital in Malone; and Joshua Young Juneau, at 6:40 a.m. at CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh.

E-mail Kim Smith Dedam at: kdedam@pressrepublican.com