Few Pictures

It wasn't too long after I wrote that last post that Shelly was waking me up after 1:00 am saying she had to get to the hospital.  I dismissed her painful plea as indigestion.  By 3:00 she was telling me to get the hell moving, and call my mom to mind the house and Molly - we were on the go!

It was a quiet night at the hospital.  The nurses were more than happy, and extra, more than extra capable of dealing with this situation. 

Skipping 7hrs worth of craziness....

10:23 am - 8lbs 9oz and 21 inches long.  We didn't really have a name firmed up so we left him as the boy for a day.  Later that night we bounced around some family names and other options.  I had thought about Walter for a month or two.  Walter can be called Walt or Wally; 3 decent options.  I have been calling him Wally.  No papers have been officially signed, but it looks like Walter Johnston Macaulay with a few first name options depending on what people's pleasure is.  I like the ring of Wally Macaulay, and I like that it rhymes with Molly.  I think it is a decent name.  And later in life, or in elementary school, if he wants to go by Walt or Walter, that will be fine.

It was unbelievable.  There is so much more of a story because Shelly was supposed to get to London to deliver, but all the roads were closed and the ambulance wasn't going to get through.  Needless to say there was no trip to London.  He was born in Goderich.  He really looks a lot like Molly did, but he does look like a boy just as much too.

It is such a bounding experience with your partner to be there when something like this happens.  It opened my eyes to a whole new world.  I didn't know what to expect.  It did surprise me in some regards, but just the same I knew it wasn't going to be all roses.  The encouragement and teamwork involved was something that struck me.  Also noted was even though it is extremely physical, more importantly is the mental planning and conditioning, more so for Shelly, to push and persevere when you don't think you can take it or go further.  You really have to be in a (mental) place to accept what is coming and not giving in.  So that is the big part of advice that I would recommend.  Then again I wasn't pushing a 9lbs, 21 inch long mass out of a birth canal.