BCH In the News - Boulder County welcomes first babies of 2026

By Amy Bounds | abounds@prairiemountainmedia.com | Boulder Daily Camera 

PUBLISHED: January 1, 2026 at 4:42 PM MST | UPDATED: January 1, 2026 at 8:20 PM MST 

At 12:34 a.m. Thursday, Boulder County’s first baby of 2026 made her grand entrance, marking the start of a brand-new year. 

Baby girl Hendricks McCrea was born at Boulder’s Foothills Hospital to parents Jasmine Hendricks and Nick McCrea of Boulder, who were still deciding on a name for their first baby. Hendricks said 95% of the guesses were that she was having a boy, so they weren’t prepared with a final girl name. 

“We’re down to 40 names,” she said. “She was born with some personality and a very cute little face, so we’re going to spend some time whittling down the name list as we get to know her.” 

Hendricks said her daughter arrived with more hair than expected, plus a spunky but “super chill” personality. 

“She’s pretty precious,” she said. 

She also arrived a little earlier than expected. Her due date was Jan. 11, the same day as her great-grandmother’s birthday. Hendricks joked that her early, New Year’s Day arrival meant she and her husband could hit their maximum insurance deductible before starting over in January. On a more serious note, she added, “all signs point to her being super special.” 

An ultrasound photo shows her with “a freedom fighter fist,” she was born Jan. 1 and she was born at a time that reads 1, 2, 3, 4. 

“We can’t wait to help shape her and watch her decide who she wants to become,” Hendricks said. 

While the Hendricks McCrea baby nabbed the first-baby-of-the-year spot in Boulder, Vellah Johnson took the honor in Longmont. 

​Vellah made her debut at 1:18 a.m. at  UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital, weighing 6 pounds, 12.1 ounces and measuring 19 inches. She’s the third child for her parents,  Angelina Villarreal and Tyrone Johnson of Longmont. 

Villarreal and Johnson said they weren’t expecting to end up with a New Year’s Day baby, given that they arrived at the hospital early Wednesday morning at about 39 weeks into the pregnancy. But, Villarreal said, labor took longer than she expected, with Vellah not born until the early hours of the new year. 

“I really didn’t think I was going to have her on the first,” Villarreal said. “She ended up taking her time.” 

Villareal said she was thrilled to finally meet her new baby, adding she’s “ready to take on” motherhood for a third time. Vellah’s siblings, a 1-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy, also are “so excited” to meet their baby sister, she said. 

She said picking a name was a challenge, but Johnson came up with the “perfect name.” He said her name means beauty, elegance and maturity. He added he hopes she grows up to recognize the significance of her Jan. 1 birth. 

“We look at it as a whole new start to a life, not just her life, but ours,” he said. “We want her to look at it like a new beginning.” 

As an added bonus for being the first 2026 baby, Vellah received some swag: a red wagon filled with clothing, toys and baby supplies. The wagon was a gift from birth center medical director Dr. Amy Johnson, while hospital employees, volunteers and the family of one of last year’s New Year’s babies donated the contents, including custom onesies.