The Post Celebrates the First Palisadian Baby Born in 2023

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Honoring a tradition started in the paper in 1954, the Palisadian-Post has found the first baby born to a local family in 2023.

El Medio Bluffs residents Aly and Sean Uytengsu welcomed their first baby, Ford, on January 3 at 4:43 p.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Baby Ford was 20 inches long, and he weighed six pounds, 15 and a half ounces.

The Uytengsu family has lived in the Palisades for about two and a half years, Aly explained to the Post on Friday, January 20.

“We wanted somewhere that we could raise our family,” she shared of what drew them to the area. “We looked at Santa Monica and Brentwood, and we just fell in love with the area.”

They also wanted a “good, tight-knit community and upbringing” for their kids: “So that’s why we chose here,” Aly said.

When raising Ford in the Palisades, Aly shared that they look forward to giving him the opportunity to do “whatever he wants to do.”

“We can go to the beach one day, we can go to the park, he can have lifelong friends here,” she continued. “We went on a walk yesterday and met two babies that are two and a half months old, so I feel like he already has friends, even though he doesn’t know it yet.”

Since the Uytengsu family is fairly new to the community and they arrived at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are hoping to meet more and more people around their age with kids that are around Ford’s age.

When it comes to advice for other new parents, Aly said she has found it important to accept help when it’s offered.

“I think it’s a little hard for me as a new mom to accept the help because I feel like I should be able to do it all,” she said. “But, you know, just being able to accept the help from those who are willing to offer. When they say it takes a village, it really does.”

The family won prizes from local businesses, including a 10-week Mommy & Me course and gift package from The Pump Station & Nurtury in Santa Monica, a one-hour consultation from professional organizer and Palisadian Meryl Starr of Let’s Get Organized, and a handmade quilt from Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club. They will also dine at The Draycott and Pearl Dragon, which provided gift certificates, and received products from Ladson’s and Kendi Lux.