As fireworks ushered in the new year for Salem, the city’s first baby of 2026 was already on her way. Born at 12:04 a.m. on Jan. 1 at Salem Hospital, baby Sarohee entered the world with a full head of black hair, weighing 6 pounds, 5 ounces. Sarohee came ahead of schedule, with her parents, Kir anpreet Kaur and Varinder Singh, not expecting her until Jan. 6.  The couple would typically be at church on the evening of New Year’s Eve, but the early birth landed them in the delivery room as the clocks neared midnight.  Kaur had been hoping for a 2026 birthdate.  “We wanted to start the new year with the new baby, rather than ending it with the baby,” Kaur said. “That was something that was special, because now we have this whole new year and we get to celebrate with her.” Later that evening, Singh brought their young son, Zorawar, to meet his new sister.  The 2-year-old brought flowers, but dropped them – and himself – on the floor when he got in the room and saw his mom with Sarohee in her arms, Kaur said. He was curious about who his mother was holding, and after some careful observation, he gave his new sister a couple of kisses.  Kiranpreet Kaur holds her daughter, Sarohee. (SALEM HEALTH photo) Kaur has lived in Salem since she was 10 years old, coming here with her family from Punjab, India. Kaur, a receptionist at Salem Clinic, and Singh, a truck driver, have been married for three years. The couple lived in California after they married, before returning to Salem.  Their son was born in a California hospital after a long labor that spanned a day and a half. Sarohee’s delivery was much easier for Kaur, lasting only a few hours.  The New Year’s Day delivery wasn’t Kaur’s first experience in the Family Birth Center  at Salem Hospital. Her sister was delivered three months premature at Salem Hospital in 2019. Kaur and her mother lived alongside her in the neonatal intensive care unit for a month, sleeping on makeshift beds. Today, her sister is a healthy 7-year-old. Kaur and Sarohee were discharged from the hospital on Friday. Sarohee has already begun putting on some weight since then, making her easier to hold, Kaur said. She has also shown a feisty side while feeding, though the family is still getting to know her. Zorawar is also adjusting to the new family dynamic. At first, he treated his sister more like a toy, curiously pulling on her hair and hands. But recently, he’s begun to be more gentle, even putting a pacifier in her mouth when she cries.  Both children’s names hold meaning in the Sikh religion, derived from the same section of scripture: Zorawar means warrior while Sarohee represents a sword of protection.  With children on different feeding and sleeping schedules, Kaur said the family is settling into a new rhythm.  “I have two people to take care of now, two babies. It’s going good so far, I’m just trying to adjust,” she said. Salem Hospital’s second baby of 2026 was born 40 minutes after Sarohee. Hospital staff delivered nine babies between 7 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 7 a.m. on Jan. 1, according to a news release. Have a news tip? Contact reporter Hailey Cook: [email protected] . LOCAL NEWS DELIVERED TO YOU: Subscribe to Salem Reporter and get all the fact-based Salem news that matters to you. Fair, accurate, trusted – SUBSCRIBE The post Salem couple welcomes first baby of 2026  appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less