There was little wait for the first baby of 2012 to arrive in Onaway as Elizabeth Louise Butler “Betty Lou” entered the world Jan. 4 at 7:46 a.m. Elizabeth was born at Northern Michigan Regional Hospital in Petoskey to Dianna Green and Sam Butler.<

There was little wait for the first baby of 2012 to arrive in Onaway as Elizabeth Louise Butler “Betty Lou” entered the world Jan. 4 at 7:46 a.m. Elizabeth was born at Northern Michigan Regional Hospital in Petoskey to Dianna Green and Sam Butler.

Green and Butler moved to the area last summer from Cleveland, Ohio and reside behind the 211 Outpost near Onaway State Park. Sam’s mother, Donna Spencer, has been living in Onaway for about 10 years and Sam said every time he would come up here he found it hard to leave, so he moved up here to reside.

“We were tired of the city and every time I came up here during the summer it was hard to leave. Every time I left I kept saying I would be up here one of these days and this summer I made the move,” said Sam.

Dianna has two other children who live with their father while Sam has three living with their mother. Elizabeth was welcomed by Samantha, 13, Eddie, 9, and Maddisyn Butler, 8.

Elizabeth was delivered by Caesarean section and weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces and was 19 1/4 inches long. The original birth date for Elizabeth was to be Jan. 11 but the date was moved up some for a few reasons. Mom was beginning to get a bit uncomfortable and ready to deliver and Sam’s brother was going to become a father on Jan. 13 in Cleveland. Sam thought they would have theirs early and drive to Cleveland to be there for his brother, however, his brother’s date got pushed up too and the cousin ended up being born Jan.6, almost 72 hours apart with only a pound difference.

“We didn’t really know what was going on until everyone started talking about it. We are new here and there isn’t really anything like a New Year’s baby back home,” said Sam. However friends at the 211 Outpost informed them of the contest and even made phone calls while they were in the hospital to try to keep them in the running.

Grandparents of the new bundle of joy are Donna Spencer and Ronald Cyr of Onaway and Rosie and Sam Butler of Cleveland. Great-grandparents are Daisy Butler and Jack Johnson of Cleveland.

“Elizabeth is named after her two great-grandmothers and she already has a nickname “Betty Lou”. She has gained four or five ounces and sleeps for four to five hours at a time. She can’t not be held, she likes to be near a heartbeat and be warm like a typical baby but she is a very happy baby. She loves to talk to her siblings when they call. She looks around for the kids when they hear them talking,” said Sam.

Elizabeth is the first girl grandchild on Dianna’s side of the family. After 17 boy grandchildren were born she was lucky enough to be born as the first girl, and Dianna’s first girl, which leads Dianna to believe she may get a little spoiled as the only girl.

Baby and mom went home to Onaway Saturday, Jan. 7 and she has been settling in to her home and life with mom and dad. She has met grandma Donna’s black lab and the two seem to be getting along well with the dog laying in front of her everytime they are together, in protective mode.

The first place Elizabeth visited on her way home was Manzana’s Deli in Onaway, her parent’s favorite place to eat. Elizabeth, Dianna and Sam received gifts from many local businesses, including gifts from Manzana’s Deli, Baumgarten Forest Products, Citizens National Bank, Sally’s Hairstyling, Sunrise Cable Network, BLC Spa and Woodwinds. They also received gifts from Painter Petroleum and Onaway Auto and Finance Co., two packages of newborn diapers from Tom’s Family Market, a one-year subscription to the Onaway Outlook and a $25 savings account at Onaway Community Federal Credit Union.