How Long Are We Gonna Be Here?

So what do you get someone who is picky & you think gift cards are impersonal? That’s right, you get him a baby. My day started at 3:30am on Monday December 5, 2016. Not only was it my 32^nd birthday, but I also would meet the little guy who has been moon walking on his mother’s bladder. The song of choice was “PSA” by Jay-Z (what else did you expect other than Michael Jackson) as we drove to Palos Community Hospital, mostly  in silence, trying to digest how our lives would never be the same. 

5:00 am – let the inducing begin! 

6:00 am - Monitors, epidurals, long needles, oxygen masks, visitors, broken sleep, pain (Can you please stop squeezing my hand so hard?!?)

1:30 pm – The hospital is no place to get well, get rest, or get quality food.  What exactly is an angus burger?

4:30pm – YOU ARE NOT THE FATHER! No, not me. We were watching Maury. Do you think you’d be reading this if I wasn’t the father?

7:15 pm – Doctor: “It’ll be any minute now”. Right, this kid gonna show up fashionably late. 

10:20 pm – “Ok, we’re gonna perform a C-section”. This is the moment of truth, the minute right before they announce the lottery numbers & you know you have the winning ticket. The nurse handed me scrubs and booties. I’ve seen enough episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, just hand me a 10 blade & some gauze and I’m going in. But no, I have to be properly dressed in the emergency room while surgery is performed.  Soooooooooo,  you’re telling me I can’t make an incision? Ok, fine. Have it your way. The curtain is up, shielding us from the surgery being performed. I’m responsible for everything from the waist up. My leg shakes nervously, my glasses get a little foggy, Tam & I are having random conversation trying to keep calm…..but then…..

10:48pm – Doctor: “Baby’s Out”

                 *silence, silence…..more silence*

                 *Baby Cries*

    Me (while crying): "that's right son, give em hell. let em know you're here"

                 Doctor: Time?

    Nurse: 10:49 pm

10:49pm – Cameron Jacob Hickey was born on December 5, 2016. 6 lbs 9oz. 20 inches long. He looked like an alien, with hair matted to his head, and very light skinned. The nurses ran him through the baby car wash, cleaned & warmed him up, handed him to me……and my son, only in this world for about 7 minutes, gave me the finger. Was it intentional? Probably. But those fingers and toes were wiggling, and he waved the middle finger flag. Well played son, welcome to Earth. And as I held him, examined him, thought about old baby pictures of me, there was only one thought that came to mind. Damn, he looks like me.

 So…..I’m a dad. A father. I have a fiduciary responsibility to the health & well-being of another individual, who for right now, can’t even tell me what he wants & sleeps 18-20 hours per day. When people say “oh, your son was born on your birthday!” I respond, “No, I became a father on his. “

Until next time……