A north couple was expecting the arrival of their second child well in to January – but received an extra special Christmas gift with the birth of their new baby girl yesterday.
Baby Emma Patullo was born at 2.40am at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and weighed in at 6lb 8oz.
She was due to arrive on January 22 but mum Nicola and dad Brian Patullo, of Fearn, near Tain, were given a big surprise in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Emma’s arrival has also delighted two-year-old brother Andrew, who waited an extra few hours before opening his own Christmas presents yesterday.
Mrs Patullo, who works as a secretary at the hospital’s oncology ward, said she was “feeling great” and was “overjoyed” with her baby daughter’s arrival.
The 33-year-old said: “It’s come as a bit of a surprise that she arrived four weeks early but it’s the best Christmas present we could have hoped for.”
Mrs Patullo added that her daughter was healthy and doing well and that the pair would be staying in hospital for a few days for doctors to carry out some routine checks.
Husband Mr Patullo added: “We’re feeling overwhelmed. She arrived four weeks early and we were not expecting that at all.”
Mr Patullo said that he and his son would be nipping across to Drakies to his mother-in-law, Yvonne Davidson’s house for some Christmas lunch before returning to the hospital in the afternoon.
The 37-year-old, who works at a pig farm by Embo, Sutherland, said he would be back at work today before a two week festive break.
