Swedish/Ballard’s first baby of the new year – and the medical center’s centennial year – was born at 12:21 a.m. on Jan. 2.

Henry Alvin Ramirez – who weighed in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces and a little over 20 inches long – was welcomed by first-time parents Mary and Dan Ramirez of Crown Hill.

For having the first baby of Swedish’s centennial year, the Ramirez family received a newborn gift basket from the Swedish Auxiliary, a baby receiving blanket from Swaddle Designs and a manicure-pedicure set from ButterLondon.

In addition, Henry – and every baby born at the First Hill or Ballard campus throughout 2010 – will receive a souvenir ‘I’m a Swedish Baby’ one-piece.

“We knew we wanted a natural childbirth, but also wanted the security of being at a hospital," said Mary Ramirez. "After meeting with the Certified Nurse Midwives at Swedish/Ballard, we realized their philosophy on childbirth matched ours perfectly."

Recognizing the New Year’s baby is an annual tradition at Swedish, but it is even more special this year because 2010 represents the medical center’s 100th anniversary.

Swedish was founded in 1910 by Dr. Nils Johanson, a Swedish immigrant, surgeon and the father of Kitty Nordstrom.

In a memoir about her father, Nordstrom recalled the first baby born at Swedish in 1910. Being one of the few to have a car at the time, her father picked up a laboring mother on Queen Anne Hill and drove her to Swedish to deliver the baby.

Since then, more than 200,000 babies have been born at Swedish. More babies are born at Swedish each year than at any other medical center in Washington state. In 2009, 683 babies were born at Swedish's Ballard campus..

Swedish’s centennial celebration will officially launch in March 2010.

For a video on Ballard Swedish's first baby, click here.