I don't care what it is just give it to me!

(Week 1, day 1 retro blog)
  June 10th, 2010. I went to work while my wife was in considerable pain. I know that sounds horrible and harsh, but the truth is we need to continue earning a living and my job is 2 miles away from the hospital. My mom was with her so I knew I'd get contacted if something was going on. I have little idea what the trainer was talking about in the first hour and ten minutes I was there, but at 9:10 a.m. when I got the first text from my mom, focus was all out the window. I jumped when I saw her name pop up, but it was just a text saying my wife was in pain but ok. We talked back and forth a few minutes and I was left with the thought that the doctors were giving Tanisha medicine to calm her uterus and stop the contractions. Then 31 minutes later at 9:41 a.m. I got another text from my mom. "She wants you here, the mag(nesium) hasn't started working yet." And it never did. I rushed to the hospital to be by my wife. Now I haven't written on this blog for a few days because it has been a whirlwind since Aiden was born. During that time I thought about what I would write and how much I would include. Then I remembered at the very beginning of this blog I promised I would tell the truth. Well, here it is. As soon as I left the building on my way to the car I started crying. Ok, not crying but bawling. Like a baby. I lost it. I hadn't really lost it since this whole situation started. Sure I cried a few times but never like this. I was crying and babbling something while pulling out of the parking lot, "Oh God please don't let anything happen to my wife or my baby!" At least I think that's what I said. Nobody was there so I could have actually said, "Oh God please give me a ham and cheese sandwich!" I just don't remember, but the first one sounds right so we'll go with that. I was half out of my mind but I had the presence to drive slowly, no time for car wrecks today.
  I let it all out because I knew when I walked in that door I had to look like the coolest man on the planet. The moment I panicked my wife would lose it. I got it together as I was walking through the hospital. I came in the room and immediately went to my wife. Her contractions had started coming closer and closer. Our baby coming was becoming a reality. I went to her bedside and held her hand. I gently stroked her cheek and looked at her, encouraging her how great she was and how everything would be fine.
  "DON'T TOUCH ME!" Was her response. I jumped back. Ok, I can be compliant. Whatever you want. She was in horrible pain so I just stood around waiting instead of trying to console her. Obviously now was not the time. She didn't want me, her mom, my mom or anything but to get rid of that pain. Finally the anesthesiologist came in. Now I need to digress a moment here. Throughout her entire stay at the hospital my wife had something strapped to her belly that was supposed to show if she was having contractions. It didn't work. It never worked the entire time, however the nurses didn't seem to believe these were contractions because the monitor wasn't picking them up. Finally the nurse on duty, Michelle (one of my wife's favorite nurses not only because she was good and kind, but because she was the ONLY nurse with warm hands) said that this wasn't like the usual Tanisha when she was in pain and called for the anesthesiologist, Julie. I know I don't usually use names but Julie is SO much easier to type than anesthesiologist. Anyway, Julie came in because it was time for the epidural. However the last piece of information Julie had was that Tanisha was 3 cm dilated (that was Monday). Since nobody really thought Aiden was coming, and they were scared to check because nobody wanted to break her water, we were still going by the 3 cm. Tanisha said several times, "He's coming! I feel him coming!" but as wonderful as our nurses and doctors were, they still fall prey to the attitude of "I'm the expert" so they didn't believe her. Well this is significant because when Julie put in the epidural, it was too late and nobody knew it. So guess what people? My wife had that boy without ANY pain meds. It's not like they didn't try. The nurse asked about another medication while we were waiting for the epidural that didn't work to kick in. The nurse explained what the new medication was because they have to do that before they put something into a pregnant woman. She needs the choice to say yes or no, you understand. My wife responded with, "I don't care what it is just give it to me!" They did, but that didn't work either.
  Finally our doctor, the geneticist we visited to make sure Aiden didn't have certain genetic issues, who is also a high risk pregnancy specialist came in. She checked for Tanisha's cervix to see how far along she was. She never made it because her fingers ran smack dab into my son's head. "I feel a head. This baby is coming" she said matter-of-factly. She calmly called for the delivery team, then started humming. I don't know what she was humming, but it brought a perfect calm into the room. Then my wife's water broke. She kept humming. I think without that Tanisha would not have been able to hang on long enough for the delivery team. But she did. In they rushed with all of the necessary equipment in tow. The doctor went over to Tanisha to give her instructions. She had to wait, the NICU team wasn't quite ready yet. My wife wanted to push so bad. "Not yet sweety, just a little more time," the doctor said calmly. Then not so calmly she yelled to the NICU team, "Are we ready?" Not yet. At this point I was already back at my wife's side at her request. We held hands. Now was the time to encourage. "Just a little bit longer. You're so wonderful baby. Just one more minute, don't push yet!" Then, finally it was time. The doctor told her to push. She did. 4 times. Four pushes to change our lives, and at 11:58 a.m. I saw this small, purple, perfect body slide out of my wife. There he was. Ready or not my son was here. My heart skipped a beat. The doctor cleared his mouth and throat. He cried. My son was crying. I was overjoyed. I have thought and dreamed about hearing my son cry for weeks. If he can cry, he has lungs. He can breath. He can live. The NICU team took him and immediately put him on oxygen. They had to get a tube down his through. The nurse-practitioner tried once, but it didn't go. Stubborn like his mom. I was so scared. I went over by them to watch the process and shout updates to Tanisha. I was so scared, but I kept a smile on my face. I kept looking at my wife smiling, giving her the thumbs up. I don't know if she saw the fear in my face, but I felt it. Please God, get that tube in there. Then one of the nurses told us he was taking breaths on his own. "My son is amazing," I thought. I could still hear him crying, ever so faintly. It was music. It was a melodious symphony in my ears. I could have listened to it all day. They tried 2 more times, and finally the tube went down. The NICU team transferred him to the incubator and whisked him away. They had to take him upstairs to stabilize him, but at that point I just knew he was going to live. The fear was gone, replaced by faith. My son was born, he was alive, he breathed, he cried, and he was going to be ok.