"Ehrlichs back home after birth of son." The Baltimore Sun, 8 March 2004.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-ehrlichs0308,0,1761391.story

Ehrlichs back home after birth of son
Governor's wife 'settling Joshua into his nursery'

By Bill McCauley and Athima Chansanchai
Sun Staff

March 8, 2004, 2:45 PM EST

The Ehrlichs -- all four of them -- are home.

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s wife, Kendel, accompanied by her husband, son Drew, 4, and the latest addition to the family -- Joshua Taylor Ehrlich, who was born Saturday at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson -- arrived home at the Government House today about 1 p.m.

Kendel Ehrlich is "settling Joshua into his nursery," said spokeswoman Shareese N. DeLeaver.

Joshua, 2 days old, was born at 6:22 p.m. Saturday. The governor waited at GBMC 10 hours for the newest member of his family to arrive, but missed the birth of his second son when he went downtown to check on the boat accident at the Inner Harbor.

"We're obviously extremely happy," Ehrlich said yesterday. "This is one of the greatest days of my life."

It was unfortunate, he said, that the birth of his son coincided with the "horrific incident" that unfolded Saturday afternoon. A water taxi capsized not far from Fort McHenry in the frigid waters of the Patapsco River, resulting in one death and sending 21 passengers and crew to local hospitals. Three people are still missing.

The governor celebrated new life even as he mourned the loss of those in the water taxi accident.

Joshua Taylor -- weighing in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces -- was one of six babies delivered Saturday at the hospital. Ehrlich said Joshua was named after one of Drew's best friends.

Ehrlich, 46, said that he and his wife, Kendel, 42, arrived at the hospital at 8 a.m. Saturday, expecting the birth to happen soon, but the wait was much longer.

"As all fathers know, I basically hung out," he said.

Ehrlich said he watched television as his wife slept most of the afternoon. He was informed of the boat accident about 4 p.m., and monitored the situation closely. At 6 p.m., physicians told him that the birth probably would occur closer to 8 p.m. or 9 p.m., so he drove downtown to assess the situation.

But as soon as he arrived at the Inner Harbor, he got the phone call: Baby makes four. Escorted by Maryland State Police, he quickly returned to the hospital. He left at 9:30 p.m. to rejoin his son at home in Annapolis.

"We started late and there was a little trepidation ... but Drew has been a joy," Ehrlich said Saturday. "This makes our life even more complete."

Kendel Ehrlich will be scaling back her schedule for a few months, said her spokeswoman, Meghann Siwinski.