By DELANIA TRIGG, Register Staff Writer
Gainesville Daily Register
Gainesville —
The holidays can be a frantic time to welcome a newborn.
A North Texas Medical Center Auxiliary program is helping new mothers and fathers slow down and enjoy their Christmas arrivals. During December all babies born at NTMC will be presented to their mothers in soft knitted caps and — new this year — cozy, handmade stockings.
The holiday stocking project helps parents celebrate the December births of their babies, said NTMC Auxiliary president Norma Hay.
“I think it’s just a really neat thing,” Hay said. “We’ve done the Christmas hats in previous years but not the stockings.”
Auxiliary member Phyllis Delancy found out about the stocking project during an auxiliary event earlier this year.
“Phyllis was talking to some of the ladies who had done this project and they were able to send her the pattern,” Hay said.
Judy Hughes, Pat Frasher and other NTMC volunteers assembled the stockings. Shirley Dorsch embroidered “NTMC” on the cuffs.
Hay said auxiliary members assembled 28 stockings.
“Twenty-eight was the number of births that were predicted for December,” she said. Hospital staff have already presented the first newborn in a Christmas stocking.
“We gave out the first one to a baby girl born last Monday,” Hay said. “She was our first baby born in December.”
The stockings are popular both with parents and hospital staff members, Hay said.
“This is just something that we do for the parents,” she said. “This is a busy time but we also think having a Christmas baby is pretty special.”
