By DAN HEATH
PLATTSBURGH — A baby girl born to a Willsboro couple was the first 2010 baby in the North Country.
Bridget and Shane Brown welcomed Kierstin Lynn Brown to the world at 5 a.m. New Year's Day. Their first child weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces and was 20 inches tall.
"She's perfect. She doesn't cry hardly at all," Bridget said of Kierstin, who was wearing a red and white hat with 2010 on the front.
"Not yet," Shayne replied.
Bridget said she had a long labor, about 30 hours of contractions. The actual delivery was quick, only about 20 minutes of pushing.
"I never expected she would be the first baby of the New Year," Bridget said. "I knew we were close. My due date was the 3rd (of January)."
Larry and Linda Brown, Shane's parents, were visiting the family's newest addition Friday afternoon.
"We won't spoil her too much," Larry said with a chuckle.
Linda said the family had a baby pool, with guesses on the date, weight and height of the baby. One of her granddaughters got the weight and height right, she said, and Shane got the date correct.
Linda said she feels lucky to have been able to visit Friday. She had a case of shingles about 6 weeks before that would've forced her to stay away.
Larry said his newest grandchild is already active.
"She was wiggling around some in the nursery this morning," he said. "Her feet and hands were going, and her tongue was going steady."
Shane said there is no feeling like seeing your first child born. Linda said Shane told her he cried like a baby.
Dr. Jeffrey Dodge and the nursing staff at CVPH were excellent, Bridget said.
Shane is a farm laborer at Adirondack Farms in Peru, and Bridget works at Champlain National Bank in Willsboro.
Bridget's parents, Bradley and Holly French, of Essex, were expected to visit later in the day.
As of Friday evening, there had been no babies born at Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone or Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake.
E-mail Dan Heath at: dheath@pressrepublican.com
