Welcome these newcomers to the Garden State.
Nearly 90 miles apart, two women labored to deliver the first babies of 2017 as the clock struck midnight.
The result was two babies born no more than a minute into New Year's Day:
- In Voorhees, Sawyer Nelson arrived in this world at 13 seconds past midnight, earning the First N.J. Baby of the Year appellation that will stick with him the rest of his life. Mom Chelsea and father Patrick are from Mullica Hill.
- An unknown number of seconds later - clocked officially at 12:01 a.m. - baby Nina was born at Clara Maas Medical Center in Belleville. Her mother is Jennifer Kisssi, and she's from Cliffwood in Monmouh County. Dad is Daniel Yeboah.
Sawyer weighs 8 pounds and is 19.75 inches long. Nina weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces.
Nina is Kissi's first child. She said she went into labor Friday night at about 9:45 p.m.When her water broke Saturday afternoon, she was confident the baby would be born that evening. However, several hours of pushing later, her doctor informed her that if she wasn't able to keep pushing, the baby would have to be delivered by C-section.
That was incentive enough for Kissi, who recalls telling the doctor, "I can push, I can push!"
Coming in third - while being completely unaware there was any kind of contest to speak of - was Milan Evee Belle Swensen, born at 12:04 a.m. at Hackensack University Medical Center.
The parents, Dana and Kyle Swensen, are from Midland Park. They already have two boys: Jalen - 6 years old and Kamden 18 months old. Milan is 6 lbs 0.7 oz and is 19 1/2 inches long.
Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.