Hugs, kisses, and hangovers were how many people rang in the New Year on Thursday.
But new parents Jessica and Laurence were at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital when the clock struck midnight. And at 4:41 a.m., they welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Isla, into the world.
Weighing 8 pounds and 16 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches, Isla marked Cottage Hospital’s first baby of 2026.
“As the family begins this new chapter, a sentiment they shared felt especially fitting: ‘A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care,’” a quote from Dune author Frank Herbert, the hospital shared in a news release.
“The family is doing well and enjoying time together following the baby’s arrival,” it said.
Two hours prior, the Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria welcomed their first baby of the New Year. At 2:35 a.m., Jorge Damian Toribio Santos, a baby boy, entered the world weighing 6 pounds and 2 ounces. Jorge’s parents requested not to be named but were happy to share the joy around their new baby.
The Labor and Delivery team at Marian Regional Medical Center were excited to help welcome Jorge into the world early Thursday morning, January 1, 2026. | Credit: Courtesy
“Nurses at Marian Regional Medical Center’s Family Birthing Center presented the family with a beautiful gift basket filled with goodies and essentials for the sweet newborn and couldn’t wait to take a photo with the little bundle of joy,” said hospital spokesperson Lori Parker. “Both mom and baby are healthy and doing well.”
So while they may have had to skip the usual festivities, for these new parents and hospital staff, it was still quite an exciting start to the new year.
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