FORT SILL, Okla. Jan. 15, 2016 -- Babies have their own way of surprising their parents, such as being conceived unexpectedly. But little Everett Thomas Fouts managed to not only be the first child of Staff Sgt. Ian Fouts and his wife, Carole, who wasn't conceived in a petri dish, he was also the largest at birth, and has the most propitious birthday.
Everett was born at 1:01 p.m. on Jan.1 at Reynolds Army Community Hospital, Fort Sill's first baby of 2016.
"I was due on December 28," said Carole. But their 8-pound, 13-ounce bundle of joy had other ideas. Even though she planned for a natural childbirth, her previous cesarean section with her now 3-year-old twins Remy and Hattie made that unlikely. Especially since Everett didn't seem to want to leave the comfort of the womb for the light of day. Sure enough, mom went under the knife.
"My friends said 'at least he didn't have a cone head,'" she joked. "He had a nice round head."
But not having her baby adjust its skull to fit through the birth canal meant that she didn't see the moment of birth, since there was a drape between her and the surgical team. However, Ian received the baby soon enough, and Everett stayed with his mom the whole time.
The twins and their 5-year-old sister Arizona are in love with their newest brother.
"Hattie loves to cuddle her dolls, and she told us, 'You have to share the baby,'" said Carole. "They all love to hug and kiss him. Nobody seems jealous yet, and Remy is excited to have a little brother."
She said the baby is unfazed by the noise of his siblings playing in the spacious family room. Perhaps he heard them while in the womb.
"We Skyped with the kids while I was in the hospital," Carole said. "When the baby heard the kids, his eyes opened. You could tell he knew who they were."
As with their other children, they are "going natural" with cloth diapers instead of disposables, which she said smell worse due to the chemicals used in them. Plus they are bad for the environment. Mainly, though, it's cheaper, she said.
Everett was conceived three months after they moved to Oklahoma, so the old adage that if you're having trouble getting pregnant, avoid stress didn't seem to apply.
"With my other kids, we had in vitro fertilization. It's funny that my babies lived outside my body for the first five days of their lives."
Ian, a Multiple Launch Rocket Systems crewmember, is on a three-year temporary assignment at the 428th Field Artillery Brigade's Advanced Individual Training Schoolhouse as a battery training room noncommissioned officer. He took 10 days of family leave to be with Carole and the newborn.
Carole has what she calls "an unused psychology degree" which she said actually helps her as a stay-at-home mother. "I guess I do use it every day," she said, smiling.
Ian's hometown is Veradale, near Spokane, Wash., and Carole is from Tucson, Ariz. But they loved the wet side of the Evergreen State when he was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Wash., and hope to return when this tour is over. If not, retirement is 5-1/2 years away and that's where they plan to make their permanent home.
For now, they live in a quiet subdivision in Fletcher where they do story time at the local library and play time at their church.
Their family room is a child's paradise, with toys galore, a spacious plastic playhouse and a train set. It's a great setup for a new addition to the family, a little boy born at 1:01 on 1-01.
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