Mork and Vasquez-Kool welcome Wrangell's first baby of the year

Rebecca Mork and Kristofer Vasquez-Kool are the proud parents of our newest community member, Alice Lynn Mork. She was the first baby to join a Wrangell family in 2023.

Alice was born at 2:38 p.m. Jan. 19 in Juneau's Bartlett Regional Hospital. She was 7 pounds and 15 ounces.

"It was a pretty fast delivery," said Rebecca Mork. "She took about 10 to 20 minutes."

Mork hadn't realized how far along she was until she arrived at the hospital, where the nurses informed her that she would likely have her baby within the next hour. If she and her mother, Marilyn Mork, had left for the hospital a few hours later, they might have had to deliver Alice in the car. "I didn't realize I was having real contractions through the night," Rebecca Mork said.

Vasquez-Kool and Rebecca, Alice and Marilyn Mork returned to Wrangell on Jan. 21, where Alice was introduced to her older brother, Tobias. He's only 15 months older than his sister, and Mork hopes the two will be close. "I'm feeling tired but happy to be home with her," Mork said.

She encourages other Wrangell mothers giving birth to rely on their families, friends and loved ones for support. "If your family offers help, don't hesitate," she said. "Don't be ashamed to call anyone."

She named Alice after the titular character in Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland," who is one of her favorite literary heroines.