And he made his arrival almost three weeks early. Valentina and Benjiman Busbani of Powers welcomed their son, Emmett Benjiman, at 7:58 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 5.

His due date was Jan. 25; however, mom and dad were prepared for the early arrival as it was a planned induction.

“I had blood pressure issues, so a date had been set,” said mother Valentina, noting Dr. Adam Ryan was her physician for the birth.

The couple was surprised to learn he was the first baby to make an appearance in Dickinson County this year. “We had no idea until the nurses told us after he was born — we are so excited,” she said.

EMMETT BENJIMAN BUSBANI weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces and was 20 inches long. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

The couple also was surprised to find out the gender of their newborn. “Because we had both boys and a girl, we wanted it to be surprised,” Valentina said.

Emmett joins his siblings, Anthony, 9; Blake, 7; Maverick, 5; and Evelyn, who turns 3 on Jan. 14. He also had a brother, Lincoln, who passed away in December 2018.

Emmett weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces and was 20 inches long.

Valentina noted, as far as his size, Emmett comes in the middle of his siblings.

Overall the couple said they had a great birth experience. “It went very fast,” Benjamin said.

“This isn’t our first rodeo,” Valentina added with a laugh.

When it came to naming their new son, his middle name is his father’s, but Emmett was chosen because “they just liked the name.”

“We are so glad to have him,” she said.

The Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson Birth Center had a baby born in late evening on Dec. 31 that they thought was going to be the first in 2023.

Emmett’s grandparents are Ruth and Scot Menke of Stephenson, Mich.; James Malone Jr. and Kathy Allen of Hermansville; and Len and Sue Busbani of Escanaba. Great-grandparents include James Malone Sr. and Myrna Malone of Hermansville; Richard and Rhea Nimmer of Spread Eagle, Wis.; Lucianne Bourdeau of Escanaba; and Albert and Barb Busbani of Cornell, Mich.

UP Health System-Marquette had the first baby born in the Upper Peninsula this year. Luzianna Guadalupe, daughter of Gina and Luis, was born at 1:10 a.m. Jan. 1.