Tuesday, March 21, 2006

It seems like only yesterday

   It was twelve years ago today. I was standing there in a surgical smock, mask and cap. I even had the little paper booties over my shoes. Then the nurse came out and told me that they were unable to give my wife an epidural, so she would have to go under a general anesthetic for her caesarian section. The offshoot: I would not be allowed into the operating room, but would be relegated to standing in the waiting area looking ridiculous.
   Our family doctor scurried in, and asked me where Pat was. We didn't know she had left standing orders at the hospital to be called, any time day or night, when Pat went into labour. I indicated that the patient had been moved to the operating theater, and she ran, she ran full speed down the hallway in the direction I had gestured. I still have the vision clearly in my mind of her going through the swinging doors, hopping on one foot, trying to slip a paper bootie over one of her shoes.
   I don't know how long it took. I'm sure it wasn't too long; these things are pretty routine these days. Seemed like a while, though, before they rolled a bed and a cart topped with a plexiglass hospital bassinette back into the recovery room. Pat was still asleep, and I stood beside her bed with my mother, and held my newborn son, and cried, and cried, and cried.

Matthew_newborn

   Happy twelfth Birthday, Matthew. You are the best thing in the whole wide world, and your mother and I love you with everything that we are.

Matthew_guitar

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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Matthew!!!! And Happy Birthday to Mom and Dad.
This was a wonderful entry Dad, that put a smile on my morning.
Rebecca

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Matthew!

Anonymous said...

Reminded me ever so much of a memorable sentence that'll be familiar to you:

"Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain."

And, well, your name IS Paul.

Simon

Anonymous said...

Wow.  They grow up fast, don't they?  

Happy Birthday to your son, and please save me some cake!  

--Dan

Anonymous said...

Wonderful story.  And how handsome young Mathew is. He takes after his Mom, right?  Happy Day!!!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Young Man!

Anonymous said...

Isn't it amazing??!!... (btw: cute son!)

Time goes by faster and faster as you get older.. next thing you know you will be taking a photo of Matthew's child!  Don't blink.. it'll be sooner then you think

Anonymous said...

    Beautiful, Paul !  I'll bet you are amazed at how the time has passed by so quickly, and that lovely baby is now a wonderful young man.  I could relate to this story .... the same thing happened to me.  And like you, my husband stood by my bed and cried his heart out.  How lucky I was, and am, to have somebody like him by my side.  Your Pat is a lucky woman, too.  Happy belated birthday wishes, Matthew !   Tina

Anonymous said...

Aww...he's cute.  that's such a nice story thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Congrats and happy birthday to your son.  Children .... an amazing gift of the cosmos...

be well,
Dawn