BOZEMAN — Meet Annie Lark Zurchin, the first baby born in the Gallatin Valley in 2026.
Zurchin was born at Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center at 11:07 am on New Year's Day.
Her parents, Dana Zurchin and Chance Collins, said they're happy they got to "ring in the New Year."
"She gets to put on a show for Bozeman," said Dana Zurchin. "It's exciting, she's the first baby of 2026 here."
Meet Annie: Bozeman's first baby of 2026 born on New Year's Day
Dana Zurchin's due date wasn't until January eight, and the couple said they didn't anticipate spending New Year's Eve at the hospital.
"We fell asleep at 10 p.m.," laughed Zurchin. "I heard all the nurses cheer at midnight."
Baby Annie was one of six babies born at the Bozeman hospital on New Year's Day.
Katy Osterloth, nursing program coordinator for women and children at Bozeman Health, said 2025 was a record-breaking year for births at the hospital.
According to Osterloth, 1,448 babies were delivered, which is a significant increase from previous years.
The growth in Bozeman comes as national birth rates decline, Osterloth added.
"We're continuing to see growth every year."
In 2025, 16 sets of twins and over 200 babies were cared for in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Bozeman Health Medical Center.
"That's 262 families that didn't have to leave Bozeman to get their baby the care they needed," said Osterloth.
Osterloth added that the 2025 most popular girl names for newborns in Bozeman were Lily, Evelyn, Lainey, and Lucy.
The most popular boy names were Jack, Leo, Miles, and Oliver.
Bozeman Health mother and baby nurse, Ginger Bokma, who spent 15 years working in labor and delivery, said last year felt busy yet rewarding.
"We feel blessed to see all these little new ones come into the world," said Bokma. " But there are times that it's a little wild."
Both Bokma and Osterloth said working on New Year's Day as a labor and delivery nurse carries a special feeling.
"It feels very hopeful," they said. "It's a really nice way to start the new year."
As for Annie, her parents joke that her arrival may say something about her personality.
"I wonder if she's going to be competitive now in everything she does and has to be number one," laughed Zurich.
