TAKING in the Christmas sunrise over the Cleveland hills, from the top floor of Darlington Memorial Hospital, Rebecca Hayman had every reason to feel proud.

The 31-year-old teacher, from Shildon, County Durham, gave birth to a healthy baby girl at one minute to 1am on Christmas Day.

Weighing in at 7lb 2oz and right on time, give or take a few days, the little bundle of joy is a second child for Mrs Hayman and her husband Chris, 39.

Their three-year-old son is named Joseph, but Mrs Hayman laughed off the suggestion that they could name the latest addition to the family Mary.

The idea of having her two children named after the guardians of the baby Jesus was a step too far for Mrs Hayman, who teaches religious education at Park View School, in Chester-le-Street.

Mrs Hayman said she and her husband were still to decide between two names – Grace or Connie – for their newborn.

The infant slept peacefully throughout the Christmas morning visit from The Northern Echo, waking right on cue to have her photograph taken.

Mrs Hayman, who enjoyed Christmas a day early, was preparing to leave hospital later on Christmas Day, to spend time with her newly-enlarged family.

She said: “We came in at 7pm on Christmas Eve, just to get checked, and there was no real action, so we went home.

“Then we came back in shortly before midnight and she was here not long before 1am.”

Mrs Hayman said her 11-year-old nephew guessed that his new cousin would be born at 1am.

She joked: “I texted his Mam to say he was only one minute out!"