Jordan Carl Laidlaw entered the world at 2:23 a.m. this morning, the first baby of the new year born at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena.

After a topsy-turvy few weeks deciding if he wanted to enter the world head- or tail-first, Jordan arrived without a fuss, said his parents, Kristi Martin and Joe Laidlaw, of Lincoln.

The parents thought their youngest son might arrive in December, especially with their other sons — Jax, 8, and Jules, 6 — celebrating birthdays on Dec. 23 and 25.

A Tom Brady fan since he was little, Laidlaw readily linked his older sons’ births to Brady’s triumphs at each succeeding Super Bowl.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Parents Kristi Martin, left, and Joe Laidlaw pose with their son, Jordan Carl Laidlaw, the first baby of 2023 born at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena, at the hospital on Sunday.

With Sunday’s Detroit Lions game on a television in the background, Laidlaw said it’s only reasonable for fans of the team to expect a big win at the big game this year.

“I’m gonna rub his head when we’re done here,” laughed Lori Nuttall, one of two registered nurses the parents credited with keeping things positive while the couple waited long hours for Jordan to arrive.

“If they go to the super bowl, I’m looking up your phone number,” Nuttall told the couple. “And I’m coming over to watch the game.”

A doctor recommended a scheduled cesarean section when a scan showed several weeks ago that Jordan had turned topside-up in the womb and would probably be born breech.

Initially upset by the news, Martin quickly turned upbeat, reassuring the family all would turn out well, Laidlaw said.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Parents Kristi Martin, left, and Joe Laidlaw talk to their son, Jordan Carl Laidlaw, the first baby of 2023 born at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena, at the hospital on Sunday.

When a doctor later said the baby had turned again and called off the procedure, the family agreed to an induced labor for health reasons on Dec. 30.

The couple hoped for a December baby, but Jordan had other plans. Induction efforts didn’t speed things along on Friday, nor did further steps on Saturday.

Saturday evening, Martin agreed, a little nervously, that the obstetrician should break her water to move the process along.

As the hours grew long and the couple’s positive energy flagged, Nuttall and fellow registered nurse Janelle Jones and obstetrician Anna McKenney “were amazing” and kept the spirit of the room hopeful as they skillfully steered the labor, Laidlaw said.

Jordan was born just after 2:30 a.m., a healthy 8 pounds, 3.6 ounces and 21 inches long. Martin was cheerful and feeling good on Sunday afternoon.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Registered nurse Lori Nuttall, left, joins parents Kristi Martin and Joe Laidlaw in welcoming the first Northeast Michigan baby of the year, Jordan Carl Laidlaw, at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena on Sunday.

“She’s a rock star, man,” Laidlaw said, shaking his head at Martin. “She blows me away every time.”

The couple on Sunday afternoon eagerly awaited the arrival of their older sons, wanting to share the news themselves that the two had a little brother.

The older boys, immersed in basketball, hockey, outdoor sports, and “wrestling in the living room,” Martin said, are inseparable now and will serve as role models for their new brother, the couple predicted.

“That’ll be something to see,” Laidlaw said, envisioning the three together as his newest son slept in a nearby bassinet, occasionally clenching miniscule fingers or startling and then settling back into his blanket with a tiny sigh.

Nurses keep track of every birth at the hospital, but the number-one baby for the year is always special, Nuttall said.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Lori Nuttall, registered nurse at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena, photographs Kristi Martin and Joe Laidlaw and their son, Jordan Laidlaw, the first baby born at the hospital in 2023, next to a gift basket and diaper cake provided by department staff for the first new arrival of the year.

Maybe Jordan made them wait because he wanted first-baby honors, the parents said.

Or maybe, his dad surmised, the small person didn’t want to see the end of the University of Michigan defeat by Texas Christian University on Saturday night.

“He’s like, I’m staying here, man,” Laidlaw said. “I don’t want that to be the first thing I see.”

Today’s Lions game ended in a 41-10 victory over the Chicago Bears.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Parents Kristi Martin, left, and Joe Laidlaw gaze at their son, Jordan Carl Laidlaw, the first baby of 2023 born at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena, at the hospital on Sunday.