Lee County family welcomes baby girl, first born at Kishwaukee Hospital in 2025

DeKALB – A Steward couple welcomed their second daughter to the world on New Year’s Day, and their baby was the first to be born at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in 2025.

Kendal Harvell, 30, now is a mother of two and spoke with Shaw Local while her husband, Ivan Harvell, 30, drove them home from Kishwaukee Hospital on Thursday.

Kendal said her due date was New Year’s Eve, but the idea of their child being a New Year’s Day baby wasn’t a thought they’d spent much time on.

“We were anticipating her to be pretty punctual like her big sister,” Kendal said. “We didn’t really expect that we really would be the first one to have a baby in 2025 in DeKalb County, but here we are. She will have a very fun birthday moving forward.”

Harper Marie Harvell was born at 11:55 a.m. Jan. 1. She was 20 inches and weighed 7 pound and 6.3 ounces, according to a news release from Northwestern Medicine.

“We’ll be welcoming this one into the chaos and hoping for the best,” Kendal said.

Ivan said it’s exciting and cool to know his daughter was the first born at Kishwaukee Hospital in 2025, but he wasn’t expecting that accolade.

“She was born at 11:55 [a.m.], so going into it, I didn’t think she’d be the first baby of the new year because you always think the first baby of the new year would be at 12:01 [a.m.],” Ivan said.

He said he had a “really good feeling” while driving his wife and newborn daughter home on New Year’s Day knowing everyone was healthy.

This wasn’t their first rodeo, however. More than two years ago, the married couple, who began their romance as Indian Creek High School sweethearts, brought their first daughter home from Kishwaukee Hospital.

After two stints in the maternity ward in the DeKalb-based hospital, Kendal said she had no complaints.

“The nursing staff is excellent every time we’re there, and they really do go above and beyond to make sure we feel comfortable,” Kendal said.

Kinsley Harvell, 2, did not meet her little sister until her parents brought her home, but her mother said they’d been speaking with her about the family developments.

“We’ve been talking to her a lot about her little sister, and I think she’ll be excited, although a little disappointed,” Kendal said, “because while we really liked the name Harper, she really wanted us to name her Fruit Snacks.”