Zhoda family welcomes 2026 New Year’s baby

Steinbach’s 2026 New Year’s baby arrived at Bethesda Regional Health Centre at 1:15 a.m. on Jan. 2.

Josiah Peter Froese was born nine days before his due date, a surprise for proud mother Darlene Froese. She said her water broke at 2:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

“He’s a little peanut. We were a little surprised on New Year’s Day that’s for sure,” she said.

Josiah weighed seven pounds, five ounces and was born with a head full of red hair, Froese said.

Froese and her husband Roman left their Zhoda home to make the roughly 40 minute drive to the hospital, with no complications on the way.

“We kinda thought he’d be born on the first, but he made us wait a little longer,” she said.

Josiah is the eighth child for the Froese family, making it an even four boys and four girls. Froese’s other children are between three and 16-years-old. Since returning home, she said all of the other children “adore him.”

“There’s always hands that are eager to hold him. There’s also moments when they don’t want to share,” Froese said, with a chuckle. “He will be well loved and taken care of.”

Froese said the name Josiah was chosen because it’s a “strong” biblical name and Peter was given because it’s his grandfather’s name.