Home again...

Yeah, so liveblogging the birth...not my first priority. But all went well. I've added a postdated post from the day of birth, the note I sent to friends and family is replicated here and I plan to record my recollections of the 8 days in the hospital little by little as time allows.

Ruth, Theodore and I arrived home last Friday. Since then we've been trying to keep up with the boy's stomach while still getting some sleep. Little guy lost more weight than the docs were comfortable with when he was in the hospital and had a touch of jaundice, but never required any interventions more severe than extra food, which Mommy and the formula can have been able to provide. He's filling out nicely and we hope the pediatrician won't be calling DCFS on us after tomorrow's visit. :) Every day he seems to be more aware of what's going on around him.

Ruth was ecstatic to be back in the outside world after 8 nights in the hospital. Her blood pressure, after dropping initially, rose again before we left the hospital, so doc has put her on blood pressure medication and is keeping an eye on her. Otherwise she is feeling better and getting around better every day, and already thinking about schoolwork again.

Grandma and Grandpa Avelis arrived Sunday afternoon for a 2-week stay and have been absolute lifesavers for our sleep and sanity. Mom, Dad and the two of us are getting everything done I'd planned for before the baby was born, and they're getting to know their grandson.

I'm doing...OK. I've been taking on much of the late night duties (and doodies), which has been much harder than any book or well-meaning advisor could ever get across. The last week and a half have passed in a flash, but I'm trying to savor every minute, even when those minutes are very loud, messy and seem to last forever.

To answer everyone's first question: Ruth is calling our boy Theo or Teddy; I'm calling him Theodore, Theo, or Ted depending on what feels right at the time. So just pick whichever one you like. We figured when we picked a name with a million diminutives we were giving up the right to insist on one over another.

Second most common question: His name isn't John because we liked this name better. :) Not to mention that having grown up "III", I think saddling a kid with a "IV" at the end of his name would just be cruel, unless perhaps his family summers in a yacht moored off St. Tropez.

And now that I've bored you all half to death, YES, there are photos. And if a proud papa can brag for a moment -- After his recovery from a bad case of conehead at birth, we have one seriously cute kid.

First is a slideshow of our hospital pics from the first few days. 2nd is the same pictures on Shutterfly (in case you can't view the slideshow, or wanted to order prints of a 5-minute old cheese-covered conehead). Link three and link four are pics my Dad has taken since he's arrived. I already have 50 more pictures on the camera to download...just something else to fall behind on during these early weeks.

Thanks to everyone for all your good wishes and love.