Bucklee Armstrong-Stemp is Sault Ste. Marie’s first newborn baby of 2025.
He was born at Sault Area Hospital at 11:47 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1.
Bucklee is the first child for father Devon Stemp and mother Kaylyn Armstrong.
“We were supposed to do a regular birth but it wasn’t working out quite well and I was in labour for 29 hours. We had to go with a C-section. We’re just happy he’s healthy and that’s the most important thing,” Armstrong said in a phone interview with SooToday on Thursday.
Armstrong said Bucklee’s original estimated date of arrival was Jan. 3 but his birth through caesarean delivery was necessary for the health of mother and child due to his size.
Bucklee came into the world at eight pounds, 14 ounces, and 23 inches long.
“That’s a big baby,” Armstrong said with a laugh.
Mother and child are well.
“It’s amazing. I’m so excited to be a mom. It’s something I really wanted to be,” Armstrong said, adding that she thinks she and her son will be discharged from SAH on Friday.
“I’m beyond excited. I’m so happy he’s finally been born and he’s happy and healthy. It was such a tough pregnancy,” Stemp said.
How does it feel to be the parents of the Sault’s first newborn baby of 2025?
“It’s very exciting. It’s really fun knowing that. It’s going to be a fun story for Bucklee to tell,” Stemp said.
“I think it’s pretty cool," Armstrong said.
"Once he grows older and he can understand we’ll get to tell him he was the Sault’s first baby of the year. I think that’ll be exciting. We just want him to live a long, healthy life and we’re excited we’ll be experiencing all his ‘firsts’ with him,” she added.