U.S. Army Private First Class Julio Canizales called his family in Wareham on Christmas with good news. He'd be arriving home for his two-week leave from Afghanistan on December 28 instead of January 1.

It was a difference of just a few days, but for Canizales and his wife, Falicia, it made all the difference in the world.

Canizales had scheduled his leave for the day before the due date of his first child -- January 2. But the baby didn't wait until then!

Dad arrived in Wareham on December 28. Elijah Julio Canizales was born at 11:05 on December 29.

"We were together maybe five hours before I went into labor," said Falicia.

It was close, though, Falicia said. Her high blood pressure had doctors considering whether they should induce labor on December 28. Falicia was sent home instead, and Canizales was able to be there for the birth.

Canizales will return to Afghanistan on January 13. Falicia said she's happy that baby Elijah chose to arrive sooner rather than later.

"It's better because [Canizales] gets to spend more time with the baby," Falicia said.

The young couple, high school sweethearts and graduates of Wareham High, were married in June before Canizales deployed. His troop is contributing to the effort to train the Afghan army.

"Every day is different," Canizales said. "We're trying to help the people of Afghanistan, help them help themselves."

Canizales was the first member of his family to enlist in the armed forces.

"We had no idea what to expect when he did that," said Kerry Giron, Canizales' mother. Elijah is her third grandchild.

Canizales' deployment will be finished in July.

The couple gets to talk through Skype and Facebook almost daily.

"The days I don't get to talk to him, I worry," Falicia said.

The couple has a big family, which is helping to put Falicia's mind at ease.

"I'm hoping [the help from family] will keep my mind off things" when her husband returns to duty, she said.

But for right now, the pair isn't worrying about that. They're enjoying being together and spending time with their new son.

"It takes a while to get into a routine," Falicia said. "We're getting the hang of things."

An earlier version of this story reported that Canizales was in Germany. His home base is in Germany, he is deployed to Afghanistan. Wareham Week apologizes for this error.