Twins are first babies of 2024 at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center

It took nearly half the first day of the year for the first 2024 baby to arrive at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center. The wait for a second baby wasn’t nearly as long.

At 11:22 a.m. today, Elle Ustipak and Jason Traver of Duluth welcomed their daughter, Addison Evonne Traver. Addison was followed immediately by her twin sister, Brinley Eve Traver, who was officially born at 11:24. Addison weighed 5 pounds, 4.3 ounces, while Brinley weighed 4 pounds, 3.7 ounces.

Addison’s middle name is the same as her maternal grandmother’s; Brinley’s middle name represents a new year and new beginnings, according to mom and dad, who also said that twins do not run in their family.

Addison and Brinley become the first “first babies of the year” born at the new St. Mary’s Medical Center, which opened in July 2023. The hospital’s state-of-the-art birthing center features 13 private birth suites, all with floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing views of Lake Superior or Duluth’s Hillside.

About 1,500 births occurred at St. Mary’s in 2023.