Zack Fortin of Advocates for Children hands Alex Ray of Minot a hand-knitted purple hat for her newborn, Hudson, at the St. Mary’s Family Birthing Unit in Lewiston on Wednesday. Fortin dropped off volunteer-made hats to the maternity wards at St. Mary’s and Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston to raise awareness for The Period of PURPLE Crying. From the age of two weeks to four or five months, parents can expect babies to cry for up to five hours a day, Fortin said. “It’s perfectly normal,” he said. Volunteers knit the hats all year and Advocates for Children hands them out every November. Ray and her husband, Nate, welcomed Hudson at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday. Advocates for Children will host the 32nd annual Holiday Festival at St. Dominic Academy in Auburn on Saturday. The child-friendly event raises money for the community-based organization that is dedicated to helping children and their families. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

Alex and Nate Ray of Minot gave birth to their second son, Hudson, at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Hudson has a 3-year-old brother, Declan. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

Community volunteers knit hats for newborns and Advocates for Children gives the hats to  maternity wards at St. Mary’s and Central Maine Medical Center to raise awareness for The Period of PURPLE Crying. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal)

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