Is this Rockford New Year’s baby the Baby of the Year? Online voting begins now

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The wide blue eyes and sweet smile of 9-month-old Sadie are enough to make the burliest men melt, her parents say.

But the New Year’s Day baby has a tough side of her own: She’s actually a skilled practitioner of mixed martial arts and a giant fan of ’90s British Rock.

That’s according to her parents, Peter and Audrey Mera. Sadie isn’t commenting much for herself these days.

The Meras, though admittedly biased, think Sadie might be the cutest baby born this year. Now, she’s part of an online competition that could give her the title of Baby of the Year.

Online voting opens today for Colossal’s Baby of the Year competition. It raises money for the nonprofit Baby 2 Baby, which provides necessities for children living in poverty. The competition had an open call for registrations; it’s unclear how many babies from the Rockford area may be included.

The contest is run by professional fundraising group Colossal, and the winner will appear in an ad in the pages of Good Housekeeping.

Peter and Audrey Mera said they entered Sadie in hopes of sharing some of the joy she brings them with the rest of the world. They said she already has an effect on people who see her around town.

“They all melt. It’s always the toughest dudes that are like, ‘hi little baby,'” Audrey Mera said. “They turn into just these super soft guys.”

Peter, a multimedia artist, and Audrey, a musician and homeless outreach specialist for Madison-based Tellurian, have often joked their baby is a mixed martial artist because of her active hands and feet and a heel kick compared to a “Hulk Hogan double leg drop.”

“Defensively she’s pretty solid. She doesn’t have many gaps,” Peter Mera joked. “She’s actually very accurate, she gets you right in the chin, right in the eye with both feet and hands.”

The quip about Sadie being a fan of ’90s British rock, with Radiohead being her favorite, is no joke. She listens to Radiohead for Babies by Sweet Little Band.

“Ever since she was fresh out of the womb, her dad’s been rocking her to sleep listening to those Radiohead lullabyes,” Audrey Mera said. “You put it on and two or three songs in she’s out like a light.”

Sadie was born at 5:08 a.m. on New Year’s Day, and TV news crews interviewed the family as the first baby born in Rockford in 2024. Sadie was, however, the second baby born in the city this year. The first was born a few hours earlier at UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital, hospital officials confirmed.

Whether born first or not, her parents hope voters will rank her first in the Baby of the Year competition.

“Everybody is always smiling at her. Every time we go out anywhere: Oh, her eyes are so blue, oh those dimples, oh that little butt chin, she’s just adorable,” Audrey Mera said. “I’ve always thought she’s the cutest baby ever, but I’m a little bit biased.”

Vote | Baby of the Year

Voting opens Monday, Sept. 16 for the “Baby of the Year” competition for $25,000 and a feature in Good Houskeeping. Here’s how Audrey and Peter Mera described Sadie for the competition and where you can vote.

About Sadie’s personality: Sadie is the best baby you will ever meet. She is curious, sweet, and just an all around funny little girl.

What are Sadie’s favorite activities? Sadie loves the beach, splashing in the water, bouncing up and down, playing with her dad and her big brother, Henry, and shrieking like a velociraptor. She enjoys ’90s British rock, her favorite being Radiohead. Sadie is an avid reader and a practitioner of mixed martial arts. Her favorite animal is a kitty.

How would $25,000 impact your family? It would go into a trust fund to secure Sadie and her brother’s financial future.

Where to vote: To vote, go HERE

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas