ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For many, ringing in the new year is an opportunity for a new beginning.
For others, the new year is the beginning.
On Sunday, Tampa Bay area hospitals shared the stories of babies brought into the world during the first moments of 2023.
AdventHealth of Florida welcomed Luna Rose Babington at 1:54 a.m. on Jan. 1, its first delivery of the new year. Little Luna weighed in at 6 pounds, 5.9 ounces and measured 19 inches long.
Nine minutes later, at 2:03 a.m., Tampa General Hospital welcomed its first New Year's Day baby. This time, it was a baby boy named Widkerry Paul. He was born at 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was 20 inches long, the hospital said.
A newborn at Sarasota Memorial Health had them both beat, though, entering the world at 12:29 a.m. The hospital said mom named her newborn Kaiden, who was born at 6 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 20 inches long.
Not to be outdone was an eager baby boy born at BayCare Health's Mease Countryside Hospital in Safety Harbor, born at 12:01 a.m. Just one minute into the new year, Jaylen Nunez-Perez was born, weighing 8 pounds, 5 ounces and measuring 20.75 inches long.
And, six minutes later, BayCare welcomed their second baby of the year, this time a girl: Raegan Kellenberger was born at Morton Plant Hospital at 12:07 a.m. She weighed 6 pounts, 4 ounces and measured 19-inches long.
According to reporter and data journalist Matt Stiles, who compiles data stories for his blog, the Daily Viz, Jan. 1 is among the most rare birthdays for people, coming in at 365th out of 366 days, accounting for the occasional leap year.
Christmas day is the least common birthday, according to Stiles' data.