WIIKWEMKOONG – Parents Rachel Trudeau and Michael Jr. (MJ) Eshkawkogan, along with older sister Victoria, were all smiles as they greeted the newest addition to their family and the first baby of the New Year, one Fredrick Idris Ryan Eshkawkogan weighing in at seven pounds, 10 ounces and 51 centimetres (just over 20 inches) tall. Fredrick joined the Eshkawkogan crew at 10:44 pm on Saturday, January 4.
Ms. Trudeau notes that three-year-old (this February) Victoria is very pleased with her new sibling. “She just loves him,” she said. “She was very ready for his arrival. Victoria loves to lie down beside him, I am really proud of her.”
Fredrick’s arrival was just about bang on target. “He was right on time—39 weeks,” said Ms. Trudeau. Labour was a relatively short and quick 17 hours, she confided, quite a change from sister Victoria’s arrival heralded by 30 hours of labour.
“I wasn’t sure if he was the first baby of the year,” admitted Ms. Trudeau with a laugh. “Nobody brought it up and I didn’t want to ask.”
“I’m so thankful for the all the wonderful care given at Manitoulin Health Centre,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it without them. While waiting for labour to start ‘we’ (my spouse) even made cookies for the staff.”
It turns out that Fredrick is Manitoulin’s first new baby of 2020 and a very welcome young addition to the Wiikwemkoong, and Island, community.
