Pink or Blue?

On the eve of my baby becoming a teenager, I find myself reflecting on our journey to meeting our little man and becoming parents.  My pregnancy was not a surprise as Charlie and I were ready to start a family.  The day I discovered I was pregnant was so exciting and yet also scary too.  But we had little time to digest because – true story, we were due at a happy hour with my college friends.  We still went, and Charlie snuck away and ordered me a non-alcoholic beer which I nursed the whole time so as not to give away our brand-new news.  The lies and shit you conjure up to keep your secret in early pregnancy are pretty funny. 

Charlie and I decided early on that we would not find out the sex of our baby. We wanted it to be a surprise.  We picked out names.  Molly for a girl and either Timothy or Charlie for a boy.  For a boy, we knew his middle name would be Philip after my brother. And we laughed because with Elizabeth, Charles and Philip we were seriously representing the British royal family.

Fast forward to my 40-week appointment.  No, no one told us the sex.  But it turned out the baby’s head size was off the charts large, and the baby was breach.  Because of that, I was scheduled for a c-section, on the baby’s actual due date which was April 8.  (why I am saying the “baby” – we all know it was a boy). 

I got up the morning of the scheduled c-section and had prepared two shirts to choose from – both that belonged to my brother Phil. So naturally, they were stylish Polo oxfords.  One in pink and one in blue.  I went for the blue oxford.  Crazy, right?  It was as if Phil were telling me that I was about to birth a boy.

Planned c-sections are supposed to be a pretty smooth and fast deal, or so we were told.  And our baby arrived within twenty minutes, and we cried our eyes out upon hearing “it’s a boy”!!!  Our perfect little boy had arrived.  Now, I won’t go into the gory details, but there were complications that kept me on the operating table for two more hours after his arrival. 

During this time, we decided he was definitely Timothy!  And finally at some point, I said – our family is outside waiting.  Someone needs to go tell them I’m ok.  It was nuts!  But at long last, they were able to hand me our sweet boy, and Charlie went out to tell our waiting parents and siblings that Timothy had arrived!  I wish I could have been a part of that announcement. 

It was a whirlwind after that trying to figure out how to feed him and having family come in to meet our new bundle of joy.  C-sections are no joke.  I felt awful and was chilled and shaking from the meds but was overcome with happiness and the adrenaline carried me through. 

After our family left, it was me, Charlie and my bestie, Sarah Scavone to tend to Timmy.  Now at this point, I’m totally bed ridden.  And the nurse came in and was like, he has a nasty diaper you need to change.  The hilarity that ensued will never be forgotten.  Watching Charlie and Sarah attempt to change Timmy’s diaper that was full of what they described as “tar” poop was a riot.  I am laughing as a type as I can so clearly see those two trying to change his diaper and having no clue how to deal with the poop.  It hurt to laugh but I couldn’t stop. 

Despite the complications and pain, bringing my baby into the world was the greatest day of my life. It feels like it was just yesterday.  And now here he is turning 13!  The saying really is true – time sure does fly.