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Welcome to the world, Rocky-Ray Shane and Janelle Hutchinson hold their son Rocky-Ray on Sunday at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. Rocky-Ray was the first baby born in Jackson County in 2017. (Photo by Larry Stauth Jr) Sunday Jan 1, 2017 at 3:58 PM Jan 1, 2017 at 3:58 PM Greg Stiles Mail Tribune @GregMTBusiness It was no surprise to Rocky-Ray Allen Hutchinson's mom that he was Jackson County's first baby of 2017. Janelle Hutchinson has been telling her husband, Shane, her parents, and anyone else who would listen to disregard the Jan. 17 due date. "For days I was telling people I'm going to have a New Year's baby," said the 29-year-old Eagle Point resident. Her prediction came to pass when Rocky-Ray opened his eyes for the first time at 12:55 a.m. Sunday at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, even as New Year's revelers were still finding their way home. Janelle spent early Saturday afternoon walking five laps with a friend through the Rogue Valley Mall, and by 4 o'clock she began having contractions. "I started into labor a couple of times so I was kicking my feet up to stop the contractions," she said. The couple retired early Saturday night, falling asleep by 6:30. But around 10, her water broke, setting a well-rehearsed plan into motion. "We were ready," said Shane, a 30-year-old International Commodity Carrier Inc. sales and logistics manager. The first call was to the grandparents, with Charla Tauriainen picking up Rocky-Ray's soon-to-be siblings, Lovea, 11, Thomas, 8, Roger, 7, and Justice-Jane, 2. The Hutchinsons grabbed their bags, jumped into their 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan and headed to the hospital, carefully negotiating Foothill Road. The trip to the maternity ward seemed like an eternity, said Janelle, who told her husband: "We're going to have the baby in the van, we're going to have the baby in the van." "It was icy and we had to drive slow to make sure we made it safe," Shane said. By the time the Hutchinsons arrived at the hospital, Janelle's contractions were rolling through a minute apart. Not only did Janelle nail the date, but she was right on the money predicting her third son's birth weight. "We've been putting in our bets and I had 7 pounds, 2 ounces," she said from her birth center room overlooking a courtyard fountain. "For some reason, all of my boys have come in the 37th week." In addition to four siblings, the blue-eyed, brown-haired Rocky-Ray has eight cousins, with a ninth due later this month. All but two of them live in the Rogue Valley. Although Christmas was spent with the immediate family, there were at least 20 on hand for Thanksgiving, Shane said. Rocky-Ray's name was picked out as soon as Shane and Janelle found out they were having another boy. Rocky is Shane's father's name and Ray is Janelle's maternal grandmother's middle name.  "We figured we'd do another hyphen since we already had Justice-Jane," Janelle said. The newborn had a photo-op time with his siblings late Sunday morning, then he and his parents had a meet-and-greet time with a parade of local television reporters. "We had lots of adventures this last year," Janelle said. "But this is, definitely, the cream and sugar in our coffee, that's for sure." — Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31.