Erica Thrasher had been in labor all day, but she was no in hurry to give birth as the last minutes of 2017 ticked away.

Delivering her baby on New Year’s Day sounded just right to her.

“I said, ‘I don’t care about a tax credit,’” she said. “I’d rather have him be the first baby born for the year.”

Little Leyton James Reed must have been listening.

He arrived at 1:10 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2018, at the Family Birthplace at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital―and claimed the honor of being the first baby of the year born at a Grand Rapids, Michigan, hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces, measured 19.5 inches long and had a full head of jet-black hair.

He wasted no time charming his parents.

“I’m ecstatic,” said his father, Jimmy Reed.

“He’s a keeper,” said his mother.

Thrasher said she arrived at the hospital at 5 a.m. on New Year’s Eve for a scheduled induction. Leyton made his entrance into the world 20 hours later.

As Thrasher cradled Leyton in her arms, the baby boy slept peacefully. Occasionally, he made little squeaky noises.

“He’s a content baby,” Thrasher said.

His parents, who live in Grand Rapids, said they look forward to doing “everything” with their little boy, especially outdoor activities like hunting, fishing and riding snowmobiles and dirt bikes.

Leyton’s 8-year-old brother, Cameron, came for a visit. When Leyton was placed in his arms, Cameron gently cradled the swaddled baby.

What did he think of his little brother?

“Good,” Cameron said, looking up with a smile.