It's a boy ! Sarah Palin's a grandma

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The teenage daughter of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has given birth to a son.

People magazine reported that 18-year-old Bristol Palin gave birth to Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston on Saturday. He weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces.

The governor's office said it would not release information because it considers the baby's birth a private family matter.

The father is Levi Johnston, a former hockey player at Alaska's Wasilla High School, who attended the convention in St. Paul, Minn. when Palin accepted the nomination as John McCain's running mate.

The announcement that Bristol, 17 at the time, was pregnant immediately drew concerns that it could damage Palin's credibility as a religious conservative. It also foreshadowed a troubled campaign for Palin, who drew large crowds at rallies but was criticized for her composure in news interviews and for her experience level.

Sherry Johnston, Levi's mother, said in October that Bristol and her son were considering a summer wedding.

Sherry Johnston was arrested on felony drug charges this month after state troopers served a search warrant at her Wasilla home.

According to authorities, she sent text messages to two police informants in which she discusses making drug transactions involving OxyContin, a strong prescription painkiller.

Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, have five children ranging in age from Trig, 7 months, to Track, 19. In between are Willow, 14; Piper, 7; and Bristol. *