Carson City baby is Northern Nevada’s first for 2020

Royce Ponton of Carson City gave birth to Northern Nevada’s first baby of 2020, Leviathan Wayne Ponton, at 12:53 a.m. Jan. 1 at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center.

The first-time mother was in labor for about 20 hours starting at about 3 a.m. New Year’s Eve, and she delivered the boy just after midnight on New Year’s Day. Leviathan, whose name is inspired by the Book of Job, weighed 7 pounds and 1 ounce and was in healthy condition, Ponton happily reported.

Ponton also received a surprise on behalf of her newborn son. Western Nevada College for the first time bestowed on the area’s first baby of the year with a full academic scholarship thanks to its foundation.

“We are so excited to receive such a significant, meaningful gift for our little boy from WNC and Carson Tahoe,” Ponton said. “I would have loved a scholarship, so I’m grateful he will have the opportunity. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”

He’ll also be able to choose between WNC’s three campuses in Carson City, Douglas County or Fallon.

“I am going to show him how grateful he needs to be and how important it is that he uses that,” she said.

Carson Tahoe Health also provided its traditional basket for the first baby of the year to Ponton as well as one for the last baby of the year, which went to Cidney Puff. The last baby born was a boy arriving at 11:30 p.m. Dec. 31, and the Western Nevada Cattlewomen donated a $200 gift certificate for Butler’s Meat to Puff’s family as well.

Carson Tahoe Health delivered 1,250 babies in 2019.