In the beginning, there was mom...

For those who missed it, the following is basically how Nick's birth developed* ...

I was quietly sitting in bed playing a video game on my laptop. At 1:30 am, mom rolled over and sleepily asked 'What time is it? I think it's starting.' For the next 23 hours, mom experienced very irregular contractions occurring every 3 to 30 minutes.

If there's only one thing you're told prior to delivery, it's probably that the nurses in the hospital don't want to see your face until the contractions are consistently 3-5 minutes apart for at least an hour - and not a moment sooner. With this in mind, I tried everything I could to keep mom calm and as pain free as possible while we were still at home but by around 11pm, I was back on the phone with the hospital because the pain was too much to handle. Their comment - "we're happy to examine your wife but we'll very likely end up sending you home". With that we were off to the hospital.

Once we arrived, they had a monitor on her belly to monitor the baby's heart-rate for approx an hour. Following this and a quick exam, they asked us to simply walk around the ward for 30 minutes. While this may sound like a short period of time, I dare any man to attempt this with a woman on your arm in very active labour. After a second exam, the nurse had mom put on a hospital gown because she was already 10 centimeters dilated (i.e. it was showtime!). With about 40 minutes of painkiller-free pushing, Nicholas announced his presence with some very loud and lively crying.

For those that know mom well, I can tell you that up to the moment she saw Nick, she wanted nothing more than to forget the whole experience, go home and go to bed (she was tired!). Once Nick was placed on her chest, a switch was flicked and her natural motherly instincts kicked in. It really was the strangest but most beautiful thing.

If Nick's life will be anything like his birth, he'll arrive late to all events kicking and screaming. However, once there, he'll be the life of the party and deliver a bang!

-- Dad

* Note: this was all from dad's perspective. Maybe one day, mom or Nick will help fill in any gaps.