Abby and Kevin Kretz of Kingsford welcomed their second son at the Family Birth Center at 9:51 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2.

“Being a couple days in, I was kind of surprised he was the first baby of the New Year,” Abby Kretz said.

Peter James weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces, and was 19 inches in length. He was delivered by Dr. Adam Ryan, assisted by registered nurses Tillie Rossato and Daniele Ruble.

The birth was a planned induction, as Peter was due on Jan. 7.

PETER JAMES KRETZ was the first baby born in 2024 at Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson, arriving Tuesday. He weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

“It went very fast,” she said. “We got here at 5 a.m., I was hooked up a little after 6 a.m. and baby was out before 10 a.m.”

She added that she had a good experience with her first induction and knew that was the route she was going.

The couple said the whole experience was great — and quiet, being the only delivery for the day. The first time around was a little different. “We arrived at the hospital to find out they were so busy that they asked us to come back later,” Abby Kretz said. “So this time I kept watching my phone wondering if they were going to call to reschedule.”

He joins his 14-month-old brother George, who was born on Nov. 1, 2022. “Although I felt way bigger this time, they were close in size overall,” she said, noting his brother was 7 pounds, 2 ounces, and 20 inches long.

They also kept the baby’s gender a surprise.

PARENTS ABBY AND KEVIN KRETZ of Kingsford with their son, Peter James, Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson’s first baby of 2024. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

With their first pregnancy, each parent had different opinions regarding the reveal of the baby’s sex.

“I didn’t want to know. Eventually she came around and liked the idea of keeping it a secret,” Kevin Kretz said.

This pregnancy, there was no discussion, as the couple knew they weren’t going to find out.

“You go through all this pain and emotion and when they hold the baby up and say ‘boy or girl’ it makes it all worth it,” Abby Kretz said.

She also admitted she thought she was having a girl. “I also thought George was a girl — I should have known it was a boy,” she said.

Grandparents are Patt and Mary Burgess of Iron Mountain and James and Theresa Kretz of Saginaw, Mich. Great-grandparents are James H. Kretz of Saginaw, Mich., and the late Mickey and George Schultz of Iron Mountain.

The couple named Peter James after his grandfather and great-grandfather.

His brother, George, was also named after a great-grandfather. “We kept the name a secret, so it was a surprised to everyone,” she said.