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The Kenai Peninsula did not have to wait too long for its first new resident of 2009.

Daunte Gabrael Latimer was born at 2:02 a.m., Thursday at Woman's Way Midwifery in Soldotna to Stephanie and Stephen Latimer of Seward.

All are doing wonderfully, according to the new father.

For the 21-year-old parents, this is their firstborn.

"(Stephanie) was hoping for a boy. I was hoping for a girl," Stephen said Thursday afternoon.

He described having the first child born in the new year as "exhilarating."

"A lot of people hope for it," he said. "We were not really expecting anything."

Although the baby was due Dec. 27, his mother was only in labor for two hours early Thursday morning.

Stephen said the couple came to the Soldotna midwifery at the last moment, driving "rather slowly" from Seward.

"It was really icy and cold," Stephen said. "I just wanted to be careful."

Though he did not see any moose cross the road in front of him, Stephen said he saw some on the side of the road and actually phoned in one road kill moose they passed at Mile 75 of the Sterling Highway that apparently had not been reported.

Stephen, who describes himself as a "sandwich artist for Subway," was born in Glenwood Springs, Colo., and has lived in Seward off and on for the past nine years. Stephanie, who is soon to be re-employed by the U.S. Forest Service in the Seward district office, has spent most of her life in Moose Pass, Stephen said.

According to midwife Kelly de Sieyes, this is the first time the Soldotna midwifery center has had the firstborn of the year.

"Everything was perfect," she said.

De Sieyes said Daunte weighed 9 pounds at birth and was 22 1/2 inches long.

She said, as is the midwifery custom, a basket of comfort items for mom and baby was given to the Latimers, including a homemade baby blanket and baby hat.

Phil Hermanek can be reached at phillip.hermanek@peninsulaclarion.com.