NATCHEZ — Phoenix Raine Morace and Dayton Davis Jr. didn’t know it, but Thursday morning they were in a race.

That race ended at 11:16 a.m. Thursday, when Morace was born at Natchez Community Hospital, the first baby of the New Year in the Miss-Lou. Davis followed literally a minute later at 11:17 a.m. at Natchez Regional Medical Center.

Phoenix’s parents — Dexter Morace and April Walker of Doloroso — said she arrived right on time, and actually a day ahead of her estimated due date, but not without having two false starts.

“We have been anxious for the past few weeks,” Dexter said. “It has been any day now.”

But when Phoenix arrived at 8 pounds, 6 ounces and 20 inches long, she wasn’t agitated, and she spent the afternoon taking in the world with wide eyes.

“She is very calm,” April said. “I don’t think I heard her cry, only fussed a little when she was hungry. She is just trying to get a feel for everything. She’s a laid back baby.”

Phoenix joins four siblings, Jessica, 8; Arianna, 5; Nathan, 4; and Isabella, 18 months. Her parents said the rest of the family will be introduced to their new sibling today.

Across the highway at NRMC, Dayton Jr. had already been joined by his sisters, Day’lah, 6, and D’Kiyah, 5, in the hospital room.

His parents, Dayton Davis Jr. and Raquel Davis of Ferriday, said their 7-pound, 9-ounce and 21.5-inch boy came a couple of days after his expected due date of Dec. 31.

“It was scary not knowing when he would come,” Raquel said. “I was staying at home, making sure I was never by myself, but at the same time I was impatient.”

But after the impatient days that followed, the birth of the newest member of their family made the waiting worth it.

“I feel great,” Dayton Sr. said. “The only time I’ve ever felt like this was when my daughters were born — I’ve never felt better (than today and those days).”

Dayton Jr. was mostly content to sleep through the afternoon, but he started to stir and gave a little smile as his father stood over him, speaking of plans to one day take his son hunting and fishing.

But even that was short lived, and Dayton Jr. settled back down, ready to nap again after a hard day’s work of being born. He’d already been in one race in his short life, and there were more for which to prepare.