Birthday Boy
Nine years ago today, at exactly 4:56am, Scott and I became parents. And that’s no small life change people. We went on a pilgrimage to Rome and came back with an Italian souvenir. I hope that’s not a sharing violation…
My original due date was the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19, but Will decided to arrive eight days later. Stinker. I hadn’t felt super great all day on the 26th, and by the time evening rolled around, I was feeling downright junky. Contractions had started but I was too naive enough to realize that the pain was labor. At 11pm, I’d had enough and we called the on-call OB.
In between bits of pain, I did a quick jump for joy when the voice on the other end of the line was our favorite OB, Dr. Teter. Father of 5 and a really funny man. We arrived at the hospital around midnight, to have my water break in triage which earned me a first-class L&D room. After two hours of pain, I begged for an epidural and got it…at 2cm. An hour later, I got the go ahead to start pushing. I distinctly remember Dr. T sauntering in the room, with a cup of coffee in hand. He quipped, “You’re welcome for the epidural early.” I countered, “You’re welcome for progressing so quickly.” A resident came in to check my progression, but because he was an Aggie and yet another Texan in the room, Dr. T kicked him out. “Too many Texans in one room,” he said. Then, he shook his head in disbelief when we placed a cup of Texas soil beneath the bed. After all, Will had to be born on Texas soil even if we were living in Indiana.
Ok, that’s definitely a sharing violation.
At 4:56, we heard, “It’s a boy!” Then we cried. I could not believe I had just given birth. While Scott was snapping photos and documenting the event on the camcorder, Dr. T and I shared a sweet moment. One that I will never, ever forget. He got all serious on me (which he rarely did) and said how this moment in a delivery is why he loves being an OB. “This is what life is all about, Kathryn,” he said as he glanced over at Will and then back at me. I blubbered something like, “Thanks for what you do, Dr. Teter.” Grossly inadequate now that I think about it. I loved Dr. Teter – but that’s another post for another day.
Happy Birthday Will from a fellow Hoosier!
The dirt under the hospital bed is fantastic….just like this blog. Enjoy your celebration Whitaker family.
Precious details of his birth….I remember what the birth announcement looked like & yippie for TEXAS SOIL. Thanks,also, for the pic of Will & Jp & Granny & Poppy…..so precious….made me cry but I want that pic 🙂 Kiss all the kids for me & ask Scott if that does not sound like Ninnie 🙂
<3 ya