A local family has a lot more to celebrate today then just the new year. Their little bundle of joy was the first baby born in Bay County in 2009.

Proud parents Amalia Hernandez-Vargas and Candido Hernandez named their newborn son Jovani. Jovani came into the world at 3:04 a.m. at Gulf Coast Medical Center. He's 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Jovani's in observation for reflux, but is expected to do just fine. He's the third child of the Hernandez family.

Family members say it's been an emotional and happy day for them.

"We've been close to her. We're the ones that help her while I translate and take her to the doctors every week. And he said he had a feeling it was going to be the 1st, inner feeling it could be on the 1st," said Baby Hernandez, Amalia's sister-in-law, translating for Amalia's brother, Ruperto.

More than 2100 babies were born at Gulf Coast Medical Center in 2008.