GREENFIELD — Bundled up with her cap and pale green onesie, the baby girl reached up with tiny gloved hands, trying to touch her mother’s smiling face.
Zoey Lynn Wroblewski, weighing 7 pounds, was born at 8:50 p.m. New Year’s Day at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, making her the first child born in 2020 in Franklin County. Her mother is Corrie Wroblewski, 27, and her father is Andrew Wroblewski, 29, both of Greenfield.
“I want her to have a life full of happiness and good health,” said Corrie, smiling down at Zoey, who still kept wiggling her little arms, reaching out into the world. “She’s a New Year’s baby, and we’re so excited.”
The hospital room was large, but about 20 hours after the birth, Corrie, Andrew and Zoey huddled together, Corrie holding Zoey close in her hospital bed, and Andrew seated next to them. They were relaxed and smiling, and Zoey didn’t make a sound.
As a first grade teacher at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School, Corrie has plenty of experience working with children, which she said will be helpful while raising Zoey, who is the couple’s first child.
Corrie underwent a week of induction leading up to Zoey’s birth, but ultimately went into labor on her own.
Zoey’s due date had been Jan. 1, so her parents anticipated her birth on the holiday.
The child is Corrie’s parents’ second grandchild — with Corrie’s niece having been born one year and one day prior to Zoey, on Dec. 31, 2018. For Andrew’s parents, Zoey is their first grandchild.
“They are very, very thrilled,” Andrew said.
Recognizing that Zoey’s first day was calm, Andrew said he anticipates it might not always be that way.
“She slept a lot the first day,” said Andrew, who works at the Erving Paper Mills. “I am really happy about that, but it’s going to be a lot more to come, I’m sure.”
Corrie said she can’t wait to bring the baby home to their Greenfield house.
“The first thing I’m going to do is go home and eat a home-cooked meal,” she said.
Andrew smiled at the thought of being with his wife and daughter at the house for the first time.
“We made big renovations to the house to start a family,” he said.
Corrie and Andrew both grew up in Greenfield, and met each other while attending Greenfield’s public schools.
The couple were married in July, and had a little surprise waiting for the friends and family who attended.
“We had a gender reveal,” Corrie said. “We had fireworks set off — pink fireworks — and it was so exciting.”
Corrie and Andrew said it will be special to raise a daughter in the same place where they both grew up.
“This is where we met,” said Corrie, Poet’s Seat Tower visible through the hospital window behind her. “It’s a great place.”
Corrie and Andrew chose “Zoey” as their daughter’s name simply because they loved the sound.
“It was just something we both liked,” Corrie said. “Something we could both settle on.”
As for the baby girl’s middle name, “Lynn,” it was chosen to continue a special tradition. Corrie’s middle name is “Lynn,” as is her mother’s. Now, there are three generations of women in the family sharing that middle name.
As Zoey’s small pink face stretched with a wide yawn, Corrie reflected on her first day with her newborn daughter.
“It’s been overwhelming,” she said. “Overwhelming, but joyous.”
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.