Plans to spend the holidays on the East Coast with family were curtailed by the arrival of David Frances Blay, the first baby born on Whidbey Island in 2025.

Mother Lachlan Blay, who delivered her new bundle of joy at the WhidbeyHealth Family Birthplace at 12:56 p.m. on Jan. 2, was astonished to learn her son claimed the honor.

Little David had a unique entrance into the world because of his en caul birth; Lachlan’s water never broke, and the baby was born in the amniotic sac.

“They say that’s very good luck for both of us and I thought that was really cool, and I got to help catch him,” Lachlan said.

Weighing six pounds, 13 ounces and measuring 19 and a half inches long, David is her second child. Her older son, who is across the country, was excited to hear about his new sibling.

The Navy brought Lachlan and her husband, David Blay, to Oak Harbor, which happened to be the last place he was stationed in before leaving the military. The couple met in Navy A School in Florida, where they learned the technical skills to become an aviation electronics technician and an aviation machinist. Lachlan left service this past June.

Now, the family has plans to move to Vermont. Instead of going there, however, Lachlan was set on delivering at WhidbeyHealth, even if it meant being apart from her husband and son during the holidays. She really liked her midwives and the care she received at the hospital.

“I wanted to finish my journey here,” she said.

Born at 39 weeks, David is sleeping and feeding well.

“He came with a lot of hair, dark hair,” Lachlan said. “He’s just got a lot of hair overall. Cute little guy.”

(Photo provided) Lachlan Blay with new son David Frances Blay.