Becoming daddy

Father's Day to me is one of those suspect holidays  created by Hallmark to sell more pithy cards at egregious prices. That cynicism beside, I have a few reflections on the blessed night and day that made me a father for the first time:

Kim told me her water broke around 9 p.m. I was always under the impression that water-breaking was a one-time event. It breaks and birth occurs soon after. What I found out (in our new car) is that water-breakage is a process that lasts for a while. Thanks to my intense abstinence curriculum at Catholic school from Sister kneestogether, I was completely ignorant of this.

When we got to the hospital, we were led back to the delivery area because Kim was smart and pre-registered. She was trussed up on the delivery bed, poked and prodded with various monitors and she declined pain meds for a while. This delivery process lasted until noon the next day. That's 15 hours of labor! I put in a lot of effort feeding Kim ice chips and had to stop and get chocolate goodies periodically. I also gorged myself on the free treats in the break room. There may have been a few t.v. breaks too (I can't miss my Maury!). What I remember most about that time, however, is my own extreme discomfort in that I was not given a bed to sleep on and had to snooze in an unforgiving chair with a miniscule hospital blankie. But hey, that's the kind of sacrifice I make for family.

Recuperation!

Exhilaration!