Welcome, Maranda!

Maranda Jean is the youngest O'Neal on the island! At just six days old, she slept through her first photo op for the Ocracoke Current.

Her parents are Fletcher and Heather O'Neal, and she has four (!) older brothers: Hunter (13), Ethan (9), Brandt (7) and Will (almost 6). Hunter and Will admit she's a nice baby, but her brothers Ethan and Brandt really dote on her.

"We came home from Nag's Head Saturday," Heather said. "And they stayed home from church the next day and held her all morning. When other people have her, Ethan asks, 'Can I hold her? Can I hold her?'"

Maranda's grandparents, David and Kathy O'Neal, live on the island, as do two great-grandmothers, Mickey Hoggard and Peggy O'Neal. She has another set of grandparents, Donald and Sharon Mooney, in Columbia, NC. Her Aunt Rachel lives on Ocracoke and her Uncle Jeremy works on the Swan Quarter ferry.

Her name comes from both sides of the family; Maranda was Heather's great-grandmother's name and Jean is for Fletcher's aunt.

Maranda weighed 6 lbs, 2 oz. on birthday (April 12), but she's already gained 10 ounces. How do we know? Heather and Fletcher weighed her yesterday on their fish scale. 

Having a girl this time is "exciting and different," Heather said. 

"Fletcher likes to dress her up. Kathy made her a smocked baby bonnet, and has already planned for the kids' Christmas outfits this year."