DENVILLE – The first baby born on Christmas Day at Saint Clare’s Health received a surprise gift from a previous “Christmas baby.”

Daniel Patrick, born to Melissa and Ryan Stauss of Wantage at 1:53 a.m., at the Katena Center for Mother & Child was gifted a hand-crocheted blanket and hat by Susanne Lachenauer of Landing, who calls herself a “Christmas baby birthday buddy.”

Lachenauer said she was paying forward a good deed that was once bestowed on her.

“When I was born as a Christmas baby, someone gave me a very special handmade Christmas stocking, which I treasured for many years,” Lachenauer said. “This year, I decided that I would carry on the tradition. Since I like to crochet, I decided to craft my own special gifts for the first Christmas baby.”

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Lachenauer’s older sister also shares a birthday with the Stauss’ 2-year-old son.

“We congratulate the Stauss family on Daniel’s arrival,” said Saint Clare’s Health CEO Brian Finestein. “We were honored to have helped Ms. Lachenauer facilitate her special tradition.”

The Stauss family said Daniel seemed destined to be a Christmas baby.

“We and some of our other family members had dreams about Daniel arriving on Christmas,” Melissa Stauss said. “I went into labor around midnight. Everything happened fast.”

“We started off driving toward a different hospital but ended up calling and meeting Jefferson Township Rescue Squad on the way,” Ryan Stauss said. “We were grateful to arrive at Saint Clare’s Denville Hospital very quickly.”

“It was a huge transition for me and the emotional support meant a lot,” Melissa Stauss said. “I also appreciated that Dr. (Andrei) Buna stepped in. Even though I was not his regular patient he was very responsive and fulfilled our personal requests for the delivery.”

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com