Area hospital announces first baby of the year
By Heather Ruenz
SLN staff
Though Libby Walbrandt and her fiancé, Klint Grover, liked the name Aurora several years ago, they were able to make it official early in the morning Jan. 1 when their daughter was born at Aurora Lakeland Medical Center in Elkhorn.
Aurora Kate Grover was the first baby of 2018 born at Aurora Lakeland. She weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces and was 19 inches long.
Walbrandt is from Elkhorn, where the couple lived but just a week or so prior to giving birth, they had moved to Oregon (Wi.), where Klint is from.
Her due date was Dec. 29 but Aurora wasn’t ready to make her grand entrance yet, according to her mom.
“I started contractions about 9 a.m. the morning before and went into labor that night. I had Lakeland picked out as the hospital we wanted to have the baby at because my whole family is in Elkhorn. We drove back from Oregon around 7 p.m. and it only took five hours from the time I went into labor and she was out,” Walbrandt said.
Aurora is the first child for both parents and all are doing well, Walbrandt said.
“She’s great. She barely cries and is always sleeping. She’s a very good baby,” she said.
Walbrandt said despite naming their baby Aurora, the couple had chosen the name years ago.
“We picked it out about five years ago, shortly after we first met. We both liked the name and then ended up having her at an Aurora hospital,” she said.
The couple is engaged and plans to be married next year, she said.
For her parents, Greg and Annette Walbrandt, Aurora Kate is their sixth grandchild and fifth granddaughter.
“They’re old pros at this,” Walbrandt said.
For Klint’s parents, Eric and Martha Grover, however, Aurora is their first grandchild.
“They were pretty happy,” Walbrandt said.
She said Aurora has had no shortage of visitors, from the Grover family as well as the Walbrandt family, many of whom have been making the trek to Oregon, which is just over an hour away from Elkhorn.
Dr. Scott Beatse delivered Aurora and Walbrandt said she was in the hospital for just over 24 hours.
She said she and Klint are surprised at how well it’s been going with Aurora.
“Maybe I’m saying that too soon and it’ll get challenging, but so far it’s been great,” she said.
Walbrandt, though a new mom herself, has a bit of advice for others on the verge of becoming parents.
“It’s all worth it. Being pregnant isn’t too fun but as soon as I had her, all of that was forgotten. She’s perfect,” she said.
