Southwestern Pa. hospitals ring in 2019 with 3 newborns within an hour of the New Year

Southwestern Pennsylvania was blessed with three New’s Year’s babies within an hour of ringing in 2019.

The first baby, Miles Everett Bartko, arrived at 12:37 a.m. at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg. He is the son of Jaclyn and Christopher Bartko of North Irwin. He weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces is 18.5-inches long.

The second baby, a girl, Margaret Bates, was delivered at 12:54 a.m. at Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood. The daughter of Matthew and Katrina Bates of Point Breeze weighed 5 pounds 5 ounces and was 19 inches long.

The third baby, also a girl, Carsyn Salvati, was delivered at 12:55 a.m. at UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital in Oakland. Born weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and measuring 21 inches long, she is the daughter of Nikita Harbison and Daniel Salvati.

Miles Everett was asleep in his mother’s arms at Excela Westmoreland 12 hours after his birth, when a nurse handed Jaclyn, a math teacher, his birth certificate.

“Oh, his first report card,” Jaclyn said.

“Well, at least we know this one’s not forged,” his father, Christopher, quipped.

Jaclyn’s due date was Jan. 7, but the ultrasound tech told her she was going to deliver on New Year’s Day. Jaclyn thought Jan. 2, and her husband thought Jan. 10.

Christopher Bartko, who works for UPMC, was hoping that the baby would be delivered sometime in 2019 because a new paid paternity leave benefit became effective Jan. 1.

“We just made it…he held out,” Christopher said.

Jaclyn, who also is a soccer coach, said her husband first suggested the name Miles about five years ago when they were dating, and she eventually grew to like it. He is their first child.

Nikita Harbison said Carsyn’s parents were not the only people excited about her daughter’s arrival.

“I also have an 8-year-old daughter, Bailey, and she is just super excited about having a new sister,” Harbison said.

Harbison, who works as a stylist in a Cranberry hair salon, said she worked “right up until Christmas.”

“I was due on Dec. 31, but I was still surprised she came on New Year’s Day,” Harbison said.

As for the name Carsyn, “Dan said it as a joke, and then he said, ‘Oh no, she’s going to like it,’ and I did,” Harbison said.

Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.