First Baby of the Year in Pacific Palisades Arrives

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Parents Matthew and Danielle Ricard welcomed the first baby born to a Palisadian family in 2021 on January 4 at 11:56 p.m. at St. John’s—a tradition started in the paper in 1954 and published since.

Sophia Taylor Ricard, a fourth-generation Palisadian, is the couple’s first child.

“My grandparents lived in the Palisades,” Matthew explained. “My parents both went to Corpus Christi, and then my brother and I went to Corpus Christi as well.”

Danielle grew up in Danville, located in Northern California. The two met in 2007 while attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. They were married in 2018 in Park City, Utah.

Danielle shared that because she was pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic, she felt that there “was a lot more to be nervous about.”

“There was a lot more to be worried about and we are so grateful for the people who have sacrificed so much on the front lines,” Danielle said, “but at the same time, we feel very lucky that our jobs enabled us to work remotely so we could stay both safe and enjoy the pregnancy from the comfort of home.”

One silver lining, Matthew added, was that because she was able to work from home, Danielle never had to deal with morning sickness while being at work in an office.

As Sophia reached about three weeks old, Danielle offered advice for other first-time parents: “Enjoy every minute, it goes so fast.”

She said that Sophia has already grown so much in her first month, and that she has found “all of the clichés” about how quickly time moves are true. She added that her and Matthew have been “really lucky to be on leave for this time,” so the two are able to savor “all of the little moments and milestones.”

The two plan to continue to reside in the Palisades and are looking forward to things like having her attend the same schools as Matthew.

“We are so lucky to live in a community where the mountains and the beach are easily accessible,” Matthew shared. “I look forward to showing her my favorite spots in both.”

The Ricards received a basket of prizes from local businesses and organizations, including Caffe Delfini, The Pump Station & Nurtury, Collar & Leash Palisades, The ABCs of Yoga for Kids and Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club, which provided a handmade quilt.