ATLANTA -- In the Northside Hospital Women's Center, every new birthday is a cause for celebration.
But for Joe Feinberg, the lucky dad is smiling a little brighter.
"It's a wonderful way to bring in the new year," he beamed.
It's a January 1st birthday that almost didn't come to pass. The
Feinberg's were actually shooting for a December 31st birthdate, they
said, to take advantage of the tax break.
"That didn't quite work out the way we planned," Feinberg said. "My
wife Barbara had gone into labor almost the whole day and around 10:30,
things weren't going the way we needed them to go."
Doctors were concerned. Baby Eva's heart rate was low. They recommended a C-section. The time: midnight.
The new baby was delivered without a hitch. Both mom and daughter are
healthy and the Feinbergs' four-year-old daughter Leah is excited to
finally become a big sister.
As little Eva enjoyed the last few hours of her first birthday, she
settled into a nap, distracted only briefly by the media coverage she
attracted.
Believe it or not, her dad knows the feeling. He happens to share his new daughter's birthday: January 1st. New Year's Day.
"I was born in Asheville, North Carolina. When I was born, we were on
the front page, my mother and I," Feinberg said. "We also had a ten
year follow up in 1979; the newspaper did a 'babies of the new year,
where are they now' story."
The proud dad said sharing a birthday with his daughter is the best birthday gift he could receive.
"It's pretty wild," he said. "It's gonna change the way we celebrate new year's forever. And I hope she enjoys it."
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