WINONA, Minn. – The first baby of the new year at Winona Health arrived at 10:40 a.m. His name is Harlan Brooks, He weighed 8 pounds and 8 ounces. Stretched out he was 20-1/4 inches. His parents: Ali and Matt Stowell of Winona. When he’s a little older, he’ll be told this story:
After Mom’s December 29 due date passed with no new baby, family and friends started to speculate about whether they might have a New Year’s baby. Ali and Matt spent New Year’s Eve having dinner and playing board games at her parents’ house. They returned home around 11 p.m. As they got ready for bed, Ali commented to Matt that things were starting to feel a little different. She woke around 5 a.m. on New Year’s Day. A little before 7 a.m., she knew it was time to head to Winona Health. Ali and Matt had just gotten comfortably settled into their Family Birth Center when their midwife, Katie Duerr, came in to check on them. This was the Stowells third child, so they both pretty much knew what to expect, but they didn’t expect it to happen quite so quickly. By 10:40 a.m. Harlan Brooks had arrived. Matt got to glove up and help deliver his son. “Pretty awesome.” he said.
First 2025 Winona baby. Harlan Brooks is a combination of Matt’s grandparents’ names. “I spent a lot of time with them as a child. They were wonderful people and very influential in my life.”