Features Editor

Jan. 4, 2000 10 PM

Cindy Starks was expecting her first baby Jan. 7. She never entertained thoughts of having a New Year’s baby. In fact, she thought the baby might even come later than expected.

But, even when the little miss decided to make an early arrival, Starks still didn’t have the first thought about her baby being Pike County’s New Year’s baby. After all, it was Jan. 2 and New Year’s babies come on Jan. 1.

That’s usually true, but when the stork didn’t make a delivery in the county on New Year’s Day, Jan. 2 automatically became the next qualifying date for the New Year’s baby 2001.

Starks didn’t know about that and she really would not have cared. All she had on her mind was bringing her baby into this world. She checked into Edge Regional Medical Center Tuesday morning, but little Christy Rumph didn’t arrive until 8:22 p.m.

Starks’ friend, Rachel Batie, later broke the news to Starks.

"You had the New Year’s baby!"

Starks had a baby girl and that was all that mattered to her at the time. However, the next day, she was excited that her little Christy will always have the distinction of being the first baby born in Pike County in 2001.

"I didn’t have any idea that my baby would be the New Year’s baby, but I’m happy that she is," Starks said. "And, I’m thrilled to death with her. We all are."

As the county’s first baby of 2001, Christy received gifts from local merchants and she will also be enrolled in ERMC VIP program and receive all the perks that go with it.

Baby Christy went home to Louisville yesterday with her parents, Cindy Starks and Christopher Rumph.

She was welcomed home by her grandparents, Rosella Shaw, John Shaw, Lily

Rumph and Eddie C. Rumph.