Marksville couple has first Cenla baby of 2018

It took a couple of hours before this area’s first baby of 2018 arrived on the scene. When she did, she no doubt cried with an Avoyelles accent.

Arya Grace Dupuy -- first daughter for Tristien and Logan Dupuy of Marksville -- entered the world at 2:19 a.m., two hours after the start of 2018 and about two weeks earlier than expected. She weighed only 4 pounds and 9 ounces spread out over an 18-inch body.

“She’s perfect,” Tristien said Jan. 2 from her hospital bed at Rapides Women’s & Children’s Hospital in Alexandria. Logan, by her bedside, agreed.

New Year’s Eve was supposed to be a quiet night with family members enjoying fireworks and gumbo.

Tristien had no trouble during her pregnancy, balancing her job at Pork Belly’s Restaurant with being a full-time LPN student at Central La. Technical Community College in Cottonport.

Logan had surgery a few days earlier and was expecting to recuperate for a few weeks before welcoming the newest Dupuy into the household. Now he’ll have a little bundle to help his recovery.

He hoped to be back at his job as a biology technician at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries’ Richard Yancey Wildlife Management Area in neighboring Concordia Parish about the time Arya was expected to be born.

The hospital gave the couple a basket of diapers, supplies and a shirt for Arya with the message, “It’s my first New Year’s.”

‘FEELING BAD’

Tristien said she was “feeling bad earlier in the week, so I took a few days off. Sunday (Dec. 31) I woke up and told Logan that something wasn’t right. We called the doctor and they said to come to the hospital.”

They arrived at the hospital at about 10 a.m. on New Year’s Eve.

“My blood pressure was through the roof,” Tristien continued. “I had no intention of delivering that day. I expected they would treat me and we would go home. Then they told me, ‘Nope. We’re having a baby today.’”

The Dupuys had not installed their carseat or made other preparations to bring home a baby.

Despite her tiny stature, Arya is healthy and ready for the outside world, her mother said.

“We have been able to spend time with her in the room,” Tristien said. “I had to stay in the hospital so they could monitor my blood pressure, but we all hope to be going home Wednesday (Jan. 3).”

Tristien said she wasn’t too concerned about Arya’s size “because our son, Abel, was also tiny.”

Abel is 2-years-old. Tristien said her parents have four grandsons -- Abel and three cousins -- so Arya will be the only girl.

“She’s definitely going to be spoiled,” she said with a laugh.

Logan said one thing about being born on New Year’s Day is “it will be easy to remember her birthday.”

Although it is still technically the Christmas season, Logan said Arya won’t miss out on her birthday just because it falls so close to Christmas.

“This will be her own special holiday,” he noted.