Since this is my first blog I should start at the begining- November 28th, 1975. No don’t worry I won’t put you through that. Put it this way, I came into this world bald and chubby and 37 years later…I’m bald and chubby. Considering this is a blog about being a dad, I should start with December 31st, 2008. New Years Eve – a night where most people are dressed nicely and preparing to sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’, I was putting on a unisex smock and preparing to be a father for the first time.
Here is how the night took place:
My wife, Charlene, and I were having dinner with her parents who were in town from Cape Breton. We didn’t plan a late night as we all knew at any moment parenthood was just around the corner. Not a second after saying goodnight, my wife turned to me and said “My water broke during dessert”. My first lesson about being a dad? When a women’s water breaks in the real world, it is nothing like the movies.
Regardless of the Hollywood exaggeration, the water thing freaked me out as it’s natures way of saying “it’s on”. My wife was calm, cool, and collected, so much so that she drove us to the hospital. (did I mention she was the one giving birth? Sorry ladies I’m taken..haha)
Since it was December 31st and the clock was ticking, we were wondering if the arrival of our little one was going to land us on the front page of the local paper. Turned out, the cover of the ‘Milton Champion’ was not meant to be, as our little 7 1/2 pound ball of love, Travis, was born just before 8pm.
The moment I remember so vividly was when the nurse turned to me, not two minutes after he was born as said, “Can daddy get a blanket for this little guy?” My response was, and I kid you not, “I’m sorry my dad is in the waiting room, I can go get him?” Then it hit me for the first time, she meant me…I’m a dad!
Leave a Reply