Introducing Henry Adam Ellis

Pictures first, then some text, and after I get this posted I may add more pictures, as these first three are the same ones I am e-mailing to people who, well, get e-mailed in this case.  Remember that clicking each of the pictures will open a larger version in a new window, which is often better for detailed viewing.

He was born yesterday, August 20, 2007, at 7:57 AM, right on schedule.  The “factory closing” addendum to the surgery took a lot of time due to accumulated scar tissue, but the eviction was quick enough.  He weighed in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces, right where Deb had predicted.  He was either mismeasured, or was shorter than the girls, at 18 inches.

On top of the extra surgery time, and it taking extra time to warm him, there were equipment gremlins in the recovery room.  Both monitors there acted up, requiring the GE technician.  They finally managed to get the CYA strip from the electrodes on Deb, required before we could go to our room, and we were on our way, more than five hours after arriving, and more than three hours after delivery.

He’s mellow.  Valerie was angry at being evicted.  He was puzzled, and made only modest, almost cat-like noises.  He’s so cute!  I’m not sure the pictures do justice.  He has a lot of very dark hair, but his eyebrows look fairly light.  It’s impossible to truly tell, but his eyes seem to be the generic dark grey-blue that Sadie’s were.  That could change to anything, but it makes me suspect he’ll have blue eyes like Sadie’s.  He’s almost as hairy as she was.  No birthmarks to speak of.

Overall, he seems to be the in-between baby and the in-between experience compared to the other two.  Right down to things like Sadie involved one side of the recovery room, Valerie the other, and Henry involved the Val side for prep and the Sadie side for recovery.  He had closer to the ease of nursing off the bat that Valerie had, rather than the struggle Sadie had, but his nursing and sleeping habits are closer to Sadie’s.  He wants to nurse for comfort even if he’s not getting anything.  He wants to be on (or presumably snuggled next to) someone, preferably mom, to sleep.  Valerie was business-like about eating and being done with it, but can’t abide being held or touched while she sleeps, which she loves to do as much as possible.  He’s also rather thoroughly switched around, so he’s more inclined to be awake and active at night.  Which is appropriate to his seeming to be the most light-sensitive of the three.  He was slow to open his eyes, even a little.  He’s taken to looking around curiously, but shies away from anything particularly bright.

He’s doing well, and Deb is recovering nicely.  It’s rougher than with Valerie.  Possibly it could be called rougher than with Sadie, but that was rough in other ways.

I expect we’ll bring him home late Thursday.  It’ll be Friday at the latest, barring anything crazy happening.  I have multiple options for borrowing cars or getting rides.

Okay, let’s see if I can add more pictures.  I have some of the girls, visiting, with and without him in them.  Besides having more of him, naturally.

Update:

Two more.  If I add more, I’ll put them in another post.  I’ve been home the entire afternoon and it’ll still be a while before I can get back to the hospital.  Good thing Deb can move around now…

Those are from the grandmothers bringing Sadie and Valerie up Monday afternoon.

Posted by on 08/21 at 01:44 PM

  1. Congratulations to all of you, Jay.
    He does look a lot like Sadie did.
    He’s precious!
    Welcome, Baby Henry! There was an entire blogosphere waiting to meet you! grin

    Posted by Amanda  on  08/21  at  02:47 PM  from  Miami

  2. He is BEAUTIFUL! Oops I mean very handsome.

    Congratulations.  And thank you for sharing with us....

    Posted by Tammi  on  08/21  at  03:17 PM  from 

  3. Congratulations!  He’s adorable!

    Posted by Sharon  on  08/21  at  03:18 PM  from 

  4. He is beautiful.  And he does look an awful lot like Sadie.  He looks very nonchalant in all of his pictures, like getting born is no big deal.

    Congratulations!

    Posted by caltechgirl  on  08/21  at  03:42 PM  from 

  5. How WONDERFUL!! Congratulations!!!

    Posted by Kate  on  08/21  at  03:45 PM  from  NJ

  6. Woo! Great looking boy you’ve got there.

    I think boys tend to like cuddling more than girls from what I’ve been told by other moms of both sexes. I know that Jesse loves a cuddle.

    Congrats!

    Oh, and I love his name, too.

    Posted by jen  on  08/21  at  03:55 PM  from  Northern Virginia

  7. Very presidential name.  hehe
    He’s very cute.. I can’t wait to see him next week.

    Posted by Wayne  on  08/21  at  04:46 PM  from  ohio

  8. He looks exactly like you and Sadie!

    He’s precious, and Deb looks beautiful.

    Posted by sarahk  on  08/21  at  05:14 PM  from  south of hell

  9. OMG you guys just make the most adorable babies. He’s simply GORGEOUS!!!!!!

    Congrats, cant wait to see him.

    Glad all are well.

    Tracey Sean and the girls
    aka Mrsdew

    Posted by  on  08/21  at  05:18 PM  from  Mass

  10. He is beautiful.  Congratulations to you all on the completion of your family!

    Posted by  on  08/21  at  06:00 PM  from 

  11. Congratulations!! He looks just like you Jay… (sans le moustache, of course) LOL
    Love the name. He’s very cute.

    Posted by  on  08/21  at  06:37 PM  from 

  12. Congrats Jay and Deb!

    Posted by Rob  on  08/21  at  07:31 PM  from 

  13. His expression in that first pic is absolutely priceless.

    Congratulations to you both.

    Posted by CGHill  on  08/21  at  07:48 PM  from  Deepest Oklahoma

  14. Congrats!!  I didn’t know they could look so good so soon grin

    Posted by beth  on  08/21  at  08:04 PM  from 

  15. Oh wow, he is so cute!

    Congratulations!

    Posted by Paul Burgess  on  08/22  at  06:41 AM  from  Iowa

  16. Congrats!!!  You officially have the cutest kids on the planet!

    Posted by  on  08/22  at  07:46 AM  from 

  17. What a placid, beautiful boy, and what wonderful big sisters he has!

    Posted by Omnibus Driver  on  08/22  at  08:54 AM  from 

  18. Mazel tov.  He’s cute.  Looks a bit like you.

    Posted by Josh  on  08/22  at  09:59 AM  from  Georgia

  19. Congratulations!  His first blog, of course, should be called “The Education of Henry Adam”.  smile

    Posted by Ian  on  08/23  at  11:55 AM  from 

  20. Congrats on your latest bundle of joy!

    Posted by bogie  on  08/24  at  06:04 AM  from 

  21. Congratulations!

    The world is a better place…

    Jack and Charmaine

    Posted by Jack Yoest  on  08/24  at  10:05 PM  from  Management Training of DC

  22. Congratulations Jay. Henry is so cute.

    Wish you all the very best.

    Savitha

    Posted by Savitha  on  09/04  at  08:34 AM  from  Halifax
    23. Page 1 of 1 pages

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