Some New Jersey families celebrated more than just the arrival of the new year as the first babies of 2026 arrived shortly after midnight. Across the state, hospitals reported the joyous deliveries of several newborns, marking the beginning of a new generation dubbed Generation Beta.
Virtua Voorhees Hospital was the first to announce a delivery, with a baby boy arriving at 12:29 a.m.. The child, named Landon, weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces. The family chose not to disclose their last name. Shortly after, at 12:37 a.m., Bella Rose Santos was born at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces, Bella is the first child of parents Lesly Leonetti and Elvis Santos, who expressed their excitement, stating, “We’ve been waiting a long time for this bundle of joy.”
At 1:05 a.m., Nova Nicole Norton was welcomed into the world at Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Hospital in Montclair. Her parents, Naomi and Ezra Norton, were overjoyed with her arrival. Hackensack Meridian CEO Robert C. Garrett congratulated the new parents and staff, saying, “The arrival of the first babies of 2026 is a joyous and exciting moment for all of us at Hackensack Meridian Health.”
Another notable delivery occurred at 1:16 a.m. when Xolani Faith Camilo was born at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck. This was followed by Cole Andrew Allaman’s arrival at 1:25 a.m. at Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center, marking a fresh start for parents Danee and Steven Allaman from Lake Hopatcong.
At 3:27 a.m., Rhiannon and Jorden Kook-Miller welcomed their baby boy, Derek, at Capital Health Medical Center-Hopewell. Derek holds special significance for the couple as he is considered a “rainbow baby,” born healthy after they experienced the loss of their infant daughter, Mia Madison, at birth. In a heartwarming gesture, the couple donated 300 baby books and crocheted blankets to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit following their loss.
The first baby of the day at St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick arrived at 12:06 p.m.. Gabrielle Faye is the second child of Michelle Baldric and Michael Campellone from Edison.
These newborns represent the start of Generation Beta, succeeding Generation Alpha. This new cohort is expected to grow up in an even more digital world than their predecessors, who were the first to navigate life without knowing a time before smartphones and social media.
As New Jersey embraces these new lives, the arrival of these babies serves as a reminder of hope and new beginnings for families and communities alike.
