Her name means nourishment and her mother thinks the New Year's Day baby's birthday might offer meaning as Alma ages.
"I think it's neat. It's the start of a new season, a new year. I think that could be important for her and significant, just new life," said Stephanie Baerg.
Alma Elvira Baerg was born at 1:55 a.m. at University Hospital of Northern B.C., making her Prince George's first baby, and the first infant born in the north.
Stephanie and husband Joel Baerg first learned of the name Alma from friends and thought "the one who brings nourishment" could be a way of life for their daughter.
"She could hopefully be someone who brings life to those around her and hope and encouragement. That's why we chose it," said Stephanie, adding her middle name Elvira is in honour of Joel's grandmother.
Though she's a big 10 lbs, 8 ounces, mother Stephanie Baerg said the waterbirth was a good experience. She'd tried to do it with her first daughter, but when the baby's heart rate started dropping they couldn't continue.
"I think it was good for my body and being able to relax. It felt a little bit different but I think it was easier on my body. I think because it was more relaxed," said Stephanie, who remembered being in the bathtub, telling the midwife she felt like pushing, and it all flowing fairly easily from that moment.
"I couldn't have hoped for a better experience..."
Stephanie was induced New Years Eve morning so she wasn't sure Alma would be in the running for the first Prince George baby - let alone the northern title.
"I was happy because I didn't want to have a Christmas baby," said Stephanie with a laugh.
Already the two-day-old baby's earned more attention than the family has been used to.
But it's been nice to see the interest from the community and complete strangers over her birth - more so than the typical excitement new parents receive over the wrinkled newcomers.
"It's neat that people are excited for us. I felt really, really special."
In February, the couple will head back to Chengdu in central south west China.
The Baergs have made their home in China for the last three years. They've both been studying Mandarin - Joel going to school and she with a tutor - and also building relationships with locals she said. But it felt right to come back home to Prince George for Alma's birth where both their families still live.
Though UHNBC was under an advisory because of a gastrointestinal illness outbreak, it didn't affect the family because they'd already had the illness and recovered from it a few weeks before.
"We were all healthy," she says.
It's still too early to pick out much personality, but Stephanie said Alma is settling in with the family and her four-year-old brother and two-year-old sister.
"She's great. She's big so she's a good eater," she said. "It seems like she'll be a very content baby as long her belly's full."
Alma was almost two hours behind the first baby born in B.C., delivered at BC Women's Hospital at exactly 12 a.m.
Other New Year's babies from across northern B.C. include:
Dawson Creek
Name: Jianne Grace Jibin.
Date: Jan. 1 at 4:00 p.m.
Weight: 9 pounds, four ounces.
The baby girl is the first child for Anumol Aloysius and Jibin Chako.
Quesnel
Name: Ava Bethany Boyd.
Time: Jan. 1 at 11:40 p.m.
Weight: 8 pounds, three ounces.
Baby girl Ava makes eight kids for parents Michelle and Jonathan Boyd.
Vanderhoof
Name: (Unnamed baby boy) Weber
Date: Jan. 1 at 7:23 p.m.
Weight: 6 pounds, 15 ounces.
The baby boy, who has yet to be named, was welcomed by big sister Emma and parents Kayla and Jordaine Weber of Fraser Lake.
Smithers
Name: William Norman Anthony Maier.
Time: Jan. 1 at 7:15 a.m.
Weight: 7 pounds, 13 ounces.
Smithers parents Genevieve Michiel and Kris Maier welcomed their first child early New Years Day morning.
Prince Rupert
Name: Dallin (last name not released).
Date: Jan. 1 at 11:06 a.m.
Weight: 7 pounds, 11 ounces.
The baby boy is the second child for parents Shayne Ward and Tyler Morrison.
