When Jennifer expressed concern over the bleeding she was having that morning, I was hopeful that the day had finally arrived. Gideon, just as Reagan was, was past due. I had the day off of work so this would be great timing for me to be able to be at the birth without adding to Jennifer's stress by having to call me and hope I could make it in time. Having a husband working hours away from home is not at all ideal for an expectant mother approaching, much less past, her due date.
I was very excited and relieved when Jennifer was admitted into the hospital after she was checked and found to be dilated. When we were moved to the delivery room and Jennifer was getting comfortable, I took the opportunity to go get something to eat. I also needed to have some alone time with my thoughts and anxieties. I'm not typically a nervous wreck, and I wouldn't really categorize myself that way on that day, but I was trying to come to grips with becoming a father of two now. It certainly wasn't an unwanted situation on my part, but I was comfortable with our routine as a family of three. I loved being able to focus my parental attention solely on Reagan, and that was about to change forever. There were also the worries about providing financially for another member of the family that every parent has. Anyway, knowing Jennifer and her mile-a-minute mind was definitely on overdrive with some of the same things, I didn't want to be around for her to discern my stress as well and compound her concern.
When I felt sufficiently at ease I returned to the room to be with Jennifer and get a status update. From this point until the labor began I don't really remember much of what happened. I do recall Jennifer calculating and recalculating when she should ask for her epidural. I also remember having the impression that the nurse wasn't very in tune with Jennifer.
When the labor began in earnest Nikki had just arrived and immediately tended to Jennifer's needs in a way that only a woman can and I relegated myself to the role of hand holder and soothe sayer. I knew that Jennifer was frustrated with the nurse, so I did my best to block her voice from Jennifer's hearing. At this point in the action came the highest degree of admiration and respect for Jennifer that I've ever felt. She was asking for her drugs and by the way the nurses were acting, I could tell she wasn't going to be getting any, but they didn't want to tell her that. Nikki, blessed soul, basically told them to be honest and spit it out so Jennifer could deal with her new reality. I was totally prepared for a meltdown from Jennifer, but she proved me completely wrong. After a very brief "Oh crap" moment, she seemed to make piece with it and bore down like the amazing pioneer woman that she is and pushed that baby out in a matter of minutes. I'd never been more proud of her.
My next really clear memory is of when Reagan came into the room to meet his brother. Jennifer was in the bathroom and I was holding Gideon. My dad came in holding Reagan and walked over to me. I remember the look on Reagan's face and his body language. I lost my composure a little when he was approaching because I was thinking about how great it was that they were reuniting. I think my demeanor kind of put Reagan ill-at-ease based on how he was responding to the situation. He didn't know what to think of this little bundle I was cradling, or of his papa sobbing like a fool. He is a very resilient boy though, so he overcame his qualms after several minutes.
I wish I had made the time to write about this much sooner so that it could have been a much better recollection of events, but I didn't so I hope this suffices.
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