Thursday, March 28, 2024
39.0°F

First girl born in Underdahl family in 101 years

by Brian Walker
| April 22, 2016 9:00 PM

photo

<p>Archer Underdahl smiles as he is pushed on his family's swingset by his father Scott on Tuesday in the backyard of the Underdahl's Post Falls home.</p>

photo

<p>Aurelia Underdahl sleeps on Tuesday in her mother Ashton's arms. When Aurelia was born last week, she broke the Underdahl family's 101-year streak of no girls being born into the family.</p>

POST FALLS — With the arrival of Aurelia Marie Ann, the Underdahl family streak is over.

The baby girl, born April 12 to Scott and Ashton Underdahl, broke a 101-year string of boy births.

"Everyone has been hoping for a girl," said Scott, adding the girl-less streak has been a longstanding conversation piece in the family. "I didn't know what an Underdahl girl looked like."

Seven boys over four generations of Underdahls were born before Aurelia weighed in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces. The last girl born in the family was Scott's great aunt Bernice — in 1914.

Aurelia has carried on the strong Underdahl trait of blonde hair.

"And she has that nose, Conrad's nose," Ashton said, referring to Aurelia's grandfather and Lakeland High School

principal Conrad Underdahl.

Aurelia is relaxed, has given out smiles and lifted up her head already.

"She's pretty quiet, so apparently girls are different than boys in our line," Scott said.

Conrad said after his first two boys, Ryan and Scott, were born, he rooted for a girl, but two more boys, twins Jason and Joel, were born.

"So I badger the older two that they were supposed to be a girl anyway," Conrad said.

Scott and Ashton had a boy, 22-month-old Archer, before Aurelia was born.

"Maybe it took more than 100 years to create perfection," Conrad said. "She's a cutie. We've been spoiling her a bit because it's just different finally holding a baby girl."

Conrad said the boys in the family grew up accustomed to hand-me down clothes from brothers. It remains to be seen if Aurelia will finally start such a trend on the girls' side.

Scott works at Custom Building and Supply while Ashton is employed at a health care technology firm called Mist Corp. The two have known each other since grade school and dated in high school while attending Lakeland.

Ashton said she and Scott found 16 weeks into the pregnancy whether a boy or girl was on the way because they couldn't stand the suspense.

"I remember when we found out that it took a mental adjustment," Ashton said. "We had prepared for boys, so it was shocking when we found it was a girl."

There have been other adjustments along the way.

"When you walk into the girls' clothing department it's more overwhelming than the boys," Ashton said.

Sounds like this special girl who finally broke the boy streak is well on her way to being taken care of.

"She'll just be our little princess, our cream of the crop," Ashton said while holding Aurelia.