It's time
"Andrew" I practically yell into the phone. "He's coming. My son is coming" I say and run through the apartment looking for Tris's hospital bag. She had it packed several weeks ago so that we would be ready, but now I can't find it anywhere.
"Calm down, son" my father-in-law says, but I can hear that he is anxious too. "Are you home or at the hospital?"
"We are still at home. I can't find that damn bag" I say looking in the closet under the stairs.
"Honey" I hear Tris say and look up. She is at the top of the stairs, a hand on her swollen stomach and in the other one the bag I was looking for.
"Don't move" I say and realize how panicked I am. I never felt this scared and nervous in my life. What if something goes wrong? What if something is wrong with the baby? What if the baby doesn't like me? What if I'm a bad father? "Andrew, I have to go. Come to the hospital. Call my mom" I say and hang up.
"That was rude" Tris says chuckling, but then her face contorts from the pain. I rush upstairs and pick her up. I don't want her to fall over. "Honey, that isn't necessary, I can still walk" she says but I shake my head.
"No way. I'll carry you to the car" I say and walk toward the front door.
"Tobias, haven't you forgotten something?" she asks amused. I look at her with a probably dumbfounded look on my face and she giggles. "The bag, honey." I sit her down on the couch and rush upstairs to get it. I hear someone knock on our door and see how Tris tries to get up.
"Don't, I will get that" I say and she shakes her head no.
"Tobias, I'm not an invalid. I can still answer the front door. Besides, it's probably Dwayne and Tori. I called them" she says and starts walking, but I'm quicker and open the door. As she said, Tori and Dwayne are on the other side. Tori looks sleepy, but otherwise calm. Dwayne on the other hand is a nervous wreck just like me.
"Hey, Tris" Tori says and walks past me to hug my wife.
"Hey. You didn't have to come, I told you over the phone" Tris tells her.
"Don't be ridiculous. You guys are family. I know we agreed that Dwayne should drive, but…" she stops mid-sentence and looks toward her boyfriend "he looks like he is having the baby not you." Both women start laughing.
"How can you be so calm?" I ask incredulous.
"Someone has to" Tris says to me. "Come on, let's have a baby."
We walk downstairs to the garage and Tris and I get into the backseat of one of the SUV's. Dwayne drives us safely to the hospital and when we get there Addison, Tris's doctor, already waits for us. I look at her surprised. I didn't even call her. Tris looks at me and smiles, telling me she called her doctor while I was freaking out.
Addison sets Tris up in a private room and examines her. According to her Tris isn't ready yet. I help Tris settle and help her walk around. Apparently this helps with the entire process. When it becomes too much for her I help her into the hospital bed. She pulls me down to lie next to her. The bed isn't nearly big enough for the both of us, but I can't say no to her, especially when she needs me. I wrap my arms around her and place soft kisses on her head. Despite the pain she feels she tries to smile a lot, I think she puts on a brave face for me. I love her so much. One by one family members and friends come in and visit us.
When the time comes everyone is send out and Tris is prepped for delivery. The doctor asks me if I want to be present for the birth of my son and I nod eagerly. She sends me into the small bathroom and I put the scrubs on. I return to Tris's room where Addison already coordinates with the nurse. I take Tris's hand in mine and kiss her forehead. This is it. We are going to be parents.
Almost 45 minutes later the nurse hands me a surgical scissor to cut the umbilical cord. While Addison attends Tris the nurse walks over to the small desk where she measures and weighs my son. He is healthy. 6 lbs and 11 oz and is 19 inches long. The nurse cleans him up and places him in my arms. I look at the little miracle in my arms and I feel tear up. Addison walks over to me and tells me to place the baby on Tris's chest. It's important during the first moments for mother and child to bond outside of the womb. I turn around and look at my beautiful wife. She looks exhausted, but just as happy as I am. I place the little guy on her chest and he immediately stops fussing. The nurse and Addison leave us alone for a while to just enjoy this precious moment as a family.
"Hello Andrew Evan" Tris says. "I'm your mommy and I love you very much" she says and kisses his little head.
"Hello Andrew, I'm your daddy and I love you too. You and your mommy are the most important people in my life" I say.
I sit down next to Tris, making sure not to hurt her and watch as she nurses our son for the very first time. I let her finish and after she covers herself up I take out my phone and take a few pictures.
"You need to be in them too" she says smiling. Just then someone knocks on the door and I go open it. The nurse returns with a form for us to fill and I ask her to take a few pictures of us. She accepts smiling and I go sit with my family. After she took several pictures I thank her profusely and take the form from her. I fill everything out and hand it back to her.
"So, let's show daddy how to put on a diaper, shall we Andrew?" she asks and looks at my son. I take him from Tris and walk over to the table where the nurse shows me how to bathe and change my son's diaper. I'm a little apprehensive at first but she assures me I'm doing fine.
After she showed me everything and Andrew is all changed and dressed I put him back in his mother's arms and call my in-laws and my mother to meet the newest member of our family. Oh, this child will be spoiled rotten by them. I chuckle at that thought and walk into the waiting room.
