After reading Mary's post on Catie's birth story, I thought I would tell my version of story. My experience was a little less painful and with a little more humor.
As some of you may know, I am not a morning person. When Mary poked me at 4am, I was a little grouchy. Once Mary said she was having regular contractions, it was like she threw water on me. I began watching the clock to time them and take my pulse. Trying to relax me, Mary told me that first born babies take a while, so there is no rush. As true as this may be, it did nothing for my anxiety. I somehow felt she would be in better hands with a staff of medical professionals than a computer programmer trying to keep from peeing his pants.
By 5am, Mary agreed to call her doctor, Stacy. While Mary was talking to her, I could hear her doctor say, "you can hang out at home and then come up, or you can come up now and wait in the hospital." I gave Mary a look which made her response, "I think Jon will kill me if we don't come up now." Once off the phone, Mary tried again to explain that we will be waiting in the hospital for a while. Meanwhile, I was packing bags and feeding Riley.
On the way up to the hospital, I told Mary that I had reservations at a fancy restaurant for Valentine's Day and that unfortunately, we would have to cancel it. For some reason, Mary did not believe me. As my foot went heavier on the gas, Mary again reminded me that we have time.
Once at York hospital, the staff at labor and delivery asked if Dr. McCotter was coming in as a patient. Mary responded, "If not, this is a cruel joke!" to which they laughed. After an initial exam, they said Mary was more than half-way dilated. Hmm, I thought we had time?
Once in a room, the nurse said that because of how far along Mary was, she and the nursing student will be staying with her. I thought we had time? And as a byproduct, Mary was going to have become a hippie and deliver the baby the "all-natural" way. By 8am, Mary was fully dilated and could push. Stacy had not arrived yet (apparently, she too thought we had time) and the chief OB resident stopped in while waiting for her.
Around 8:30am, Stacy arrived and Mary started the 2 hour journey which made me realize that if men gave birth, the human race would of died out a long time ago. Although my medical training consists of band-aids and ice packs, the medical staff made me feel useful by having me keep Mary's rag cold and giving her oxygen between pushes.
Around 9am, I realized I had not called work yet. After a push, I made a quick call to my boss. I quickly explained the situation hoping that he would not want to chat as I was afraid Mary would break my droid.
At 9:52am, our 4 year journey of waiting came to an end as Catherine Elizabeth took her first breath. We were parents now. I have seen Mary graduate from college with honors, get into med school, graduate from med school, and at this moment, she amazed me once again.
As the staff looked over my crying daughter, I counted 10 fingers, 10 toes, and more hair than me. Her ears told me she was a Desi. And although Catie was early, this told me she was a McCotter where to be early, is to be on time.
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