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‘He’s beautiful’ — Parents welcome first Kent County baby born in 2018

Posted at 9:37 PM, Jan 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-01 21:37:11-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Kent County family is celebrating their newborn baby, the first child born in the county in the New Year.

Leyton James Reed came into the world at 1:10 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2018. He weighs 6 pounds and 12 ounces and his parents love every bit of him.

“He’s really a content baby, he’s beautiful,” says Leyton’s mom Erica Thrasher.

Doctors induced Erica around 5 a.m. Sunday, and she was in labor for about 20 hours. And another family came close to beating them to having the first birth.

“There was another lady who had twins and she had them 5 minutes after ours… So I guess I beat her to the punch.”

And during labor, they were greeted to a colorful explosion outside the hospital window.

“I had the window open and there were fireworks going off while she was in labor,” said Jimmy Reed, Leyton’s father. ​

The proud family hopes to bring Leyton home this week, where his 8-year-old brother is patiently waiting.