First Crow Wing County Baby Of The New Year Born at St. Joseph’s Medical Center In Brainerd

The first Crow Wing County baby of the New Year was born yesterday in Brainerd at St. Joseph’s Medical Center at approximately 4:24 am. Parents say they traveled to the Grand View Lodge Resort to ring in the New Year, but they were not expecting their baby’s early arrival.

“We spent New Years Eve with some friends of ours and their kids, and then we got in the pickup to go to Grand View in the morning and that’s how we thought we were going to spend New Years, and obviously Grace had different plans,” said new father Derek Goebel.

“We like Grace, and Elizabeth is my middle name and we didn’t know whether we were having a boy or a girl, and we actually finalized the name picks on the drive up here, so I guess that’s good we did that,” said new mother Rachel Goebel.

“When we realized baby was coming, I said,’ I’m not ready, we don’t have things ready, this is not going to be okay,’ but he did good, he actually ran out and got all our things from the resort and they were great with us about that yesterday and actually made a quick run to Walmart, and we now have two car seats, but that’s okay but he has been very supportive, he has been here the whole time,” said Rachel Goebel.

Although the happy couple is ready to get back home to visit with their families, they discovered the nurse attending to their daughter is a distant relative, realizing they had family with them the whole time.