Eleven days old today! Eleven is his number, after all.

Today we took a trip to Elliott Bay Books to get him some extra books to read. We went there because it’s the awesomest book store, not because of the name… We have been reading lots of books to him, favoring some with a few extra words since he doesn’t really understand them anyway. (They say you could read The Economist to a newborn and he would love it, right?) So far we have enjoyed reading Goodnight Moon, Eli, No, Haiku Baby, Winnie the Pooh, The Giant Jam Sandwich (a book Mike used to like), Ten Little Fingers, Ten Little Toes, and today we picked up a copy of Corduroy (one of my old faves), and T’Was the Night Before Christmas. Mike is looking forward to reading that last one to him (just like they do in Christmas Vacation…).

He is enjoying some extra snuggles from Nana and Gampy. My parents will be here until Saturday night. They’ve been a big help with the doggies and house stuff, although most importantly we want all our visitors to get plenty of cuddle time with Elliott.

Mike and I continue to enjoy lots of bonding time with him home from work, and sleep has not been that unattainable so we’re grateful. So far, so awesome!

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Week One has been awesome. Mike, Elliott and I have gotten into a groove — at least for now, until he changes. (Which he will do every day, of course.) We’ve both been sleeping and eating and getting out, all while enjoying every minute with our Mr. Baby.

He’s usually interested in eating about every two hours during the day, and at night we swaddle him up tight and he’ll go for about three or four hours — ah, sleep! He screams and cries very little, just in little bursts. He calms easily these days and goes between super alert and super zonked. You know, like a newborn.

Today he had his photos taken by a professional photographer. He could not have been cuter. She sees a lot of babies and insisted that he was super awesome. We had no choice but to politely agree. I’m not going to argue with a professional. I can’t wait to see his pictures, I think there will be a million, it’s going to be hard to pick! I guess we shouldn’t have had such a cute baby. Oops.

His Nana and Gampy come tomorrow! Elliott’s thrilled to meet his family over the next couple weeks. We weren’t prepared for him to come so early, but it has been a blessing in disguise to have this week to figure him (and us) out. Turns out so far we’re pretty calm. It will be fun to see what he’s like next week, and the week after that… We don’t expect any one phase to last too long, so we’re enjoying each minute as it comes.

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It doesn’t come as much of a surprise to me: my husband is awesome.

I’m pretty much head-over-heels for the guy anyway, and one of the things I had so been looking forward to was seeing him with his baby. And, yeah, that’s pretty amazing to watch. [see photographic proof below]

Thanks to my surgery, he has to do everything around the house: dishes, laundry, cooking, errands — he did all of those things just today. And still takes half of the baby shifts. It’s going to be so hard to watch him go back to work in a few weeks just because he’s so incredible to watch in high gear, doing so much for us.

Thanks, Mikey. You’re the best hubby who is turning into an amazing dad! I can’t wait to see which of your qualities Elliott is going to get.

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Introducing

ELLIOTT CHARLES HELMICK

• Born 11-4-11
• 8:12 p.m.
• 6lbs, 14oz
• 17.5 inches

He was supposed to arrive today via scheduled C-section: no surprises, no drama (outside of the expected.) As often with babies, it didn’t quite go that way!

We went for our appointment Friday morning. We were going to learn all about the C-section, which we did, and just get one last check up. Then we would enjoy a last childless weekend. Today I was going to have a sensible breakfast before I was cut off from food AND water until a 4pm surgery.

Well, an impromptu check of fluid revealed that it might be a little low. We had to go to the other building to get a better check, and they sent us back to the office to meet with the doctor and talk about delivering that day. It was a little overwhelming, a little scary and disappointing and exciting all at the same time. I had eaten two Chips Ahoy and had a glass of water, and no chance for anything else! Surgery was going to be at 5:30.

We went home, got packed, dropped off the dogs, then headed to the hospital. We were kind of somewhere between a scheduled C and an unscheduled C, so we weren’t in the same area we would have gone to today, but we also weren’t urgent patients. (The low fluid is a concern but was not a big emergency.) We went to the labor & delivery area instead, and we were put into a labor room to get a baby monitor, get IV fluids, answer health questions for paperwork, etc.

Just as it was about time to go, two emergency C-sections had to be done. We were pushed back and pushed back again. We found out that my doctor had to go as our surgery time was becoming more indefinite and she was not on call. So I got a little disappointed and also started to hit whiney mode. (SO HUNGRY!) But finally, my nurse came in and said LET’S GO — they wanted to get me in before someone else needed to get in the O.R. before us.

Walking into your own operating room is strange! You just walk over and sit down on an operating table and get ready for the shot. (No epidural, but instead a spinal block which lasts a certain amount of time. I was only numb from chest down or so. Doctor thing was no big deal at the time — too much adrenaline to care, and there’s a curtain up anyway… everyone else was a stranger, too. Mike could be there the whole time, and played the special role of being there for the baby as soon as he comes out. He held him for most of the surgery, once they got all his checks performed. Right before I got moved off the table, they handed the baby to me to meet and hold. Then we both got rolled back to the room.

Afterward we went back to the labor room for a bit of bonding time and once he and I were deemed stable, we got moved to our post-partum room where we would stay. The hospital stay was pretty easy, although I was pretty uncomfortable for most of it. The morphine (or something) made me itchy for almost two days, and I just felt kind of gross. The nurses we had were great (one day, one night) but they were also pretty hands off at our hospital. When mine and the baby’s doctors told us we could go home Sunday night, we started to think it sounded pretty nice.

Elliott’s checks were all GREAT, he’s a very healthy baby! We’re thrilled and feel so lucky that he’s so great — especially being taken a little bit early. Everyone in the O.R. said “He’s a really cute baby!” Even though I’m sure they say that to everyone, we think it’s true.

Even though we were supposed to meet today, he’s already here — sitting with me while I write about his arrival. Four days old already. Yep, it’s going pretty fast!

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I’m supposed to be nesting right now… But all the baby stuff is pretty much done!  His room is ready to go. I mostly wander around the house wondering what to do. And then I just take a nap.

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