Brittney Thibeault was given a due date of Jan. 1, so she was not too surprised when her son, Cassius-William Stryker Thibeault, was the first baby born at Bridgton Hospital in 2008.

She was, however, a little taken aback to see that she was the only patient in the hospital’s maternity ward on Jan. 3, the day Cassius-William was born.

Thibeault, of Oxford, said that her status as the lone mother-to-be that day made her realize that her son could be the hospital’s first baby of the year.

Along with bragging rights, Thibeault and her son were presented with many gifts from the hospital and area businesses as winners of the First Born 2008 contest.

The gifts included savings bonds for Cassius-William, beauty products from Hair Studio of Bridgton, a hospital gift basket, and gift certificates from Renys and Hannaford Brothers. Thibeault said she is most excited about a having one-hour massage donated by the Casco Wellness Center.

Cassius-William is her first child, and Thibeault said her labor was a difficult one.

“It was long, and very painful. I had an epidural, which didn’t take very well. It was a very long day,” said Thibeault, who was assisted by a certified nurse midwife.

But when her son arrived into the world at 3:28 p.m., Thibeault said she knew all the trouble was worth it.

“As soon as he was born, it was like the pain and everything went away. As soon as I had him in my arms, it was like I never had any pain at all. Everyone told me it was going to be like that,” said Thibeault.

Cassius-William weighed in at 8.5 lbs and measured 21 inches long. Thibeault said he currently has brown eyes, but they have been alternating from brown to blue. He also has a full head of dark hair.

“I was very excited because I had no hair until I was 4,” said Thibeault.

Thibeault was also glad to report that Cassius-William is a very serene baby.

“He is always happy, and just very content,” said Thibeault. “The pediatrician who saw him the day after he was born said she’d never seen a baby as strong as him,” said a proud Thibeault.

In addition to his mother, Cassius-William was welcomed by his maternal grandparents, Marcia Richardson, of Harrison, and Bill Thibeault, of Oxford. Great-grandparents are Barbara and Dale Ward, of Wateford, and Anna and Roy Thibeault, of Norway. Cassius-William has a great-great-grandfather, George Ward, of Harrison, and an aunt, Jaymi-Leigh Richardson, of Waterford.

Bragging rights and bounty from local businesses greet Cassius William Thibeault as the first baby born at Bridgton Hospital in 2008 on Jan. 3. His mother, Brittney Thibeault of Oxford