In his own time

By Staff
First New Year's baby arrives
Jonathan Willis
Sometimes the best holiday plans are the ones you can't keep.
That's what happened for one local woman and her family this New Year's Day.
April Bryant, of Mount Hope, gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Noah Miguel Gutierrez at 6:50 a.m. Thursday at Russellville Hospital.
Gutierrez was the first baby born in 2009 in the three-county area consisting of Franklin, Colbert and Lauderdale counties.
"We beat Helen Keller Hospital by four hours," Bryant said laughing. "But, I wasn't in a race that's for sure."
Little Noah wasn't expected to arrive until Jan. 15, but late Wednesday, Bryant knew that he wasn't going to wait.
Her third child was delivered by Caesarian section and weighed 7 pounds and six ounces and was 19.5 inches long.
In an ironic twist, Bryant's other two children, 5-year-old Salena and three year-old Marcos, weighed seven pounds four ounces and seven pounds six ounces respectively.
"They have been going off the wall, fighting over who gets to hold (Noah)," Bryant said.
Though he wasn't believed to be arriving on Jan. 1, Bryant said it will always be special knowing that her son was the first baby born in 2009.
"It's exciting having him here," she said.