Aww...

[allisnow]

Houston, We Have a Baby: Astronaut's Wife Gives Birth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —
Talk about one proud papa. Astronaut Randy Bresnik is beaming with joy at the arrival of his new baby daughter, who was born late Saturday while he circled the Earth.

The astronaut announced the birth of his baby girl Abigail Sunday morning after two days of waiting for news aboard the linked shuttle Atlantis and International Space Station. His wife Rebecca had the baby in Houston Saturday night at 11:04 p.m. local time on a day that also included Bresnik's first-ever spacewalk outside the station.

"Momma and baby are doing very well," Bresnik radioed Mission Control. He thanked the flight controllers there and all of NASA for their support.

"On behalf of the planet Earth ground team, please accept our heartfelt congratulations," Mission Control said.

Bresnik and his wife had expected their daughter to be born on Friday to avoid a potential conflict with the astronaut's two spacewalks for this mission. He's due to venture back outside the station on Monday. Bresnik is just hoping for pictures soon, and lots of them.

"Hopefully, I'll be able to hear and see the pictures and be able to talk to her maybe on the [Internet Protocol] phone and see some video shortly thereafter and be home, hopefully, only a few days afterwards," Bresnik said in a NASA interview before the mission. Mission Control planned to set up a space-to-ground communications link between Bresnik and his wife so he wouldn't miss the baby's arrival.