Note from the Publisher: Welcome Katharine Patricia Chung Wilkins!

Jen Chung would be putting up this post, but she's been away from her keyboard today having a baby! Katharine Patricia Chung Wilkins was born at 2:38 pm on January 3, 2010— stats so far: 7 pounds, 1.2 ounces. Surprisingly, the baby does not resemble the projection that the Gothamist graphics staff created earlier this month. Jen writes: "Fun facts: Exactly two weeks early; had umbilical cord wrapped around her body twice; Chung is her second middle name; seems to endure my off-key singing."

In related news, Jake will be taking over as Executive Editor of Gothamist for the next few months while Jen takes some much-deserved maternity leave.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jake Dobkin in Miscellaneous on January 3, 2010 8:13 PM

Comments [rss]

LaLuneEstMorte

Congratulations Jen!!

Antonio

Congratulations!

wow 14th street

Great news!

I would say to enjoy your maternity leave( away

from work),however there is never any maternity leave.

Our kids are always on our mind.

What a decade to be born in an almost guarantee of

living 100+ years.

potsmoker

squeezing an orange through my peehole.

that sounds more appealing that letting some woman and kid own me and my money for the next 20 years.

Tricksta

LOL then I'll be the first to congratulate you when you do.

Tricksta

Oh, and Gong Xi! :)

Tricksta

...May she live to bless the world with her love and talent! Mine just turned one a few weeks ago!

It's really hard in the beginning, but as time goes on, it gets to be a lot of fun! Try to get some sleep!

potsmoker

from my favorite site, the voluntary huma extinction movement.

1. Personal pressure. Cultural conditioning to procreate begins early and continues insidiously into adulthood. It’s so strong that most of us have never considered not breeding. It’s so pervasive that we don’t realize we’ve been indoctrinated by society to act against our own best interests. An instilled desire to create children feels natural, almost biological. A choice isn’t much good if you don’t know you have it.

2. Positive social pressure. There’s only one socially acceptable response to news of pregnancy or birth: “Congratulations.” Despite a lack of social benefit, society gushes mindlessly about joys of adding more people.

3. Positive economic pressure. Economic incentives to breed come from those who control enough money to provide them. Corporate-controlled governments all over the world are paying baby bounties with the hope of future economic benefit. People higher up in the pyramid scheme know they need a large base to support their privileged position.

4. Negative social pressure. Childfree couples endure society’s disapproval for shirking their duty to provide fodder for factory and cannon. Accusations of decadence, immaturity, and selfishness pressure couples to conform and procreate.

5. Negative economic pressure. Those who choose to eschew breeding aren’t directly fined, but they subsidize others’ choice to breed. It takes a village to raise a child—pay up or else.

6. Pure pressure. Mandatory breeding rarely reaches the horrific level of Romania’s under Ceausesu, but wherever contraceptive services and reproductive freedoms are restricted, pure pressure to breed is automatically exerted. Hundreds of millions of couples are denied their basic human right to stop creating more children than they want or can care for.

The most important decision a couple will face is whether or not to bring another of us into the world. Pressure to make either choice disrespects autonomy. Any level of pressure to take on the life-altering, all-consuming task of child-rearing is unconscionable. Reproductive freedom and responsibility are based on respecting personal choices of those considering co-creating a new human being.

Tricksta

There’s only one socially acceptable response to news of pregnancy or birth: “Congratulations.”

Try pushing something the size of an orange through your pee-hole and tell me what the appropriate response should be.

theevilone

Congratulations!

Mr. Shankly

The peanut gallery approves.

maryba

Congrats!!

BklynsFinest

awww so cute! Congrats to the whole fam!

Dead Himmler

Congrats Jen on a beautiful addition to the family!

Spirit of 76

祝贺您的新宝宝

or

귀하의 새 아기 축하합니다

Whichever is the correct ethnicity.

slny

She's Mexican of Mongolian decent raised in Russia.

barryap

Congrats Jen! Don't let your baby grow up to be a Gothamist commenter!

PTG in nyc

Woohoo congrats Jen!

Clarice City

Jen can now finally enjoy that much deserved glass of New Year's champagne. Cheers to cute babies!

slny

What! I thought she was attached to the other gweilo Dobkins?

Congratulations!

Katharine Patricia Chung Wilkins is beautiful.

DarkGemini

Congrats Jen! She's beautiful!

Jen S

Congrats, she's a beauty! I hope we are treated with many baby + cat photos.

jibbly

Congrats Jen!

JacqueMehoff

I forgot to say,

Yay! more mixed babies!

for they grow up to be pretty good looking.

seven

Very cute picture, cuter than a panda even. Congratulations!

Think2wice

Congratulations!

"I name the child, Eurydice Colette Clytemnestra Dido Bathsheba Rabelais Patricia Cocteau...STONE!"

- Patsy's mum from AbFab

NannyState

"Take her away...and bring me another lover!"

Thespis

How about Epponnee-Raelene Kathleen Darlene Charlene Craig? That's Epponnee, spelled E, double-p, o, double-n, double-e. We'll call her Epponnee-Rae for short.

(Oh, yeah, it's noice, it's different, it's unuuusual.)

Think2wice

I also suggest "Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca the Third"

farleft

Cute baby. Congrats.

Polite New Yorker

Congratulations!

djwerdna

Congrats to you and your husband, Jen!

Will there be panda baby outfits?

Tamar Weinberg

Congrats to all! :)

hotstepper

pffft...breeders! i keed, i keed. congrats!

invisibleman

see you at the park soon!!!! what a treasure! kpcw!

valeriob

Yay!!

BDS=(Boycott.Divest.Sanction)

congrats on another accomplishment. she looks perfect.

zodak

congratulations! looking forward to more baby-related nyc stories, lol.

Clarice City

I wonder if Jen's cat stories will begin to take second place to baby stories.

Dirk

Great news! I'm glad mom and baby are healthy and happy.

lucyvanpelt

Congratulations, Jen!!!

Rob T Firefly

Congrats!

thefacts

All the best to you and your family, Jen.

whitecastlerock

Congratulations! Get back to work soon!

eyekantspel

Congratulations Jen & family.

mdow

Congrats, Jen. Congrats.

s0me_g0d

That means she had sex. Dirty sex.

istolethetv

Yay! Mazel tov!

MrManhattan

Congratulations and good luck to mom & little Katharine !!!

saratoga mind

Fantastic; congratulations to mom + baby!

Over the River

Congratulations Jen.

Trilby16

Congrats! Babies are the best thing in life without question. Enjoy!

Over the River

Oh they will have questions later in life.

r1b2

Heartfelt congratulations. Nothing but happy and healthy for you in the new year.

skipgates

Congratulations. Beautiful baby.

sowhtifithppnsitwll

Picture perfect. A bright future, healthy life and lots of love for you and family.

tingo

Congratulations! In the day to day of commenting on gothamist, so many times people can lose focus on what's important.

Steven

Congrats Jen!

Gothamist is going to miss you!

Murgus

Congratulations.

sluggo

She's just gorgeous! Congratulations and Happy New Year!

Kojak

Congrats!

ping

Mazel tov Jen & family!! What a sweet little lamb you have!

longacre

Yayyy!

babyhitler

Mazel Tov! It's a tough world out here, especially on the boards of gothamist but I think this kids got the stuff

mellow_fellow

You named her after Katharine McPhee?!?!

Kevin Walsh

Congratulations and the very best

www.forgotten-ny.com

DannyL

Congrats to the Gothamist and Chung/Wilkins family! Mazel Tov!

spnder

Great news! Congrats!

burgeon

Welcome to NY Katharine!

RevWaldo

Congratulations! Sláinte Mhaith!!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4242867477_522a7626c1_o.png

KellyBradley73

Congratulations!She is such a cutie.. mine will turn 2 yr old this coming 8th of January.

ed_Extinct

MAZEL TOV, JEN!!!!

moonbeam

congratulations!

jaycjay

Great way to start the year... congratulations!

CR

Mazel tov to you and the whole Chung/Wilkins clan!

russ

Yay! What a cute baby.

just saying

Congratulations on the addition to your family!

btw - I see that you posted a story to Gothamist just this morning. Geez, did you head to the hospital afterwards? Now that's dedication.

Gina Gemini

What a beautiful, adorable baby girl! Congratulations, Jen!

osmium

wow, congrats!

Global Wombat

Awesome! Just hope that the kid doesn't turn out like one of us. Best wishes, lil one and mom!

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Beautiful girl. Congrats!

ANGRYGOD11

Congratulations!

Ixtayul

Congratulations Jen. She's beatiful.

kazubes

Congrats, say goodbye to a good nights sleep for a long time

Rocknrope

Congrats Jen!

drewo

Mazel Tov!

Kreo

Congrats!

DollinNYC

cute!!!!

grandzu

Way to reproduce!

moocowtoo

Baby FTW!

Dude69

Congrats, Jen, I am sure Gothamist could use another proofreader..I kid, I kid.

Snoopy

What's with the regulars here. Ain't they got no respect? Where's Felix, Nannystate, Dead Himler, Spiritof76?

Mr Mel

Just a moment here! Babies born on New Year weekends have to wait for Monday to be welcomed. My best wishes to to Baby Katherine and Jen. As the father of three daughters I can tell you that this family is blessed. Happy New Year, as well, to all of Gothamdom.