Birth Through My Husbands Eyes

I was working at the fire station around 10 a.m. on July 23 when I got a phone call from my wife, who was just finishing up her 39 week check-up. She told me that the doctor planned on inducing her the next day, the 24^th, and she needed to be at the hospital at 5 a.m. The doctor wanted to induce her due to her abnormally low blood pressure. Being as I’m a fire fighter and just got on my 48 hour shift I let my captain and chief know what was going on and they worked with me so I could get off at 4 a.m. the next morning. 

I went about my shift calling and checking with my wife. The day seemed to drag on forever and between running calls and being nervous for my wife and anxious to meet my son I didn't sleep at all. I was ready to go home at four on the dot. I met my wife aspen at the house helped her load some bags ( my wife had these bags packed a couple weeks in advance, she was on top of her mother duties). After we loaded up the bags we headed to the hospital and when we got to the hospital went up to the 5^th floor and got placed in to a room. 

Aspen changed in to a gown and we met our nurse who we really didn’t care for but there was a  shift change at seven so we got lucky. The second nurse we got we really liked she had a country twang about her and said things like “Oh that little toot is going up today” in a country accent. She was real
funny and cool. 

They started the Pitocin around 7 a.m. or so (I’m sorry if my times and order of events don’t run along with my wives. But she is right and I’m wrong end of story) so I sat beside her holding her hand and rubbing her back every once in a while. My wives vital signs were good so I wasn’t as worried about her as I was nervous about meeting my son. I WAS ON EDGE!!! But I was so lucky to have my wife, she had already given birth before and was a champion. We sat as they kicked the dose of Pitocin up 2 every half hour. 

Aspen got hungry and she was forbidden to eat so she snuck a couple handfuls of trail mix, one time she grabbed a handful and the nurse was coming in she had to go through a whole assessment with a handful of trail mix behind her pillow. We both thought we were going to get in trouble. We started to get a little bored in our room so I ran home to get a dvd series we watch at our house to help the time go by. For anyone who doesn’t know this, time before your baby comes doesn’t exactly fly by, it drags. So I went home to get the walking dead season 1(we are real classy). When I got back my mother in-law was there she was saying how she wanted the baby to look like aspen and girl stuff like that. I put in the dvd and me aspen got some rest for about two hours. 

Then contractions started coming on. Oh, by the way I didn't keep track of how dilated my wife was I was too busy trying to support her and being stressed out. So contractions started and this is where everything begins to get blurry to me. It was about 12 p.m. now and Aspen would go back and forth between the bathroom the birthing ball and the bed. And I would trail behind her with her iv like a worried old man. I would like to say I have never been so proud of anyone in my entire life my wife was amazing this day, I say how I’m my kids biggest fans but honestly my wife is a super hero and I am her biggest fan! 

As time went on contractions would get worse and worse then Aspens water broke and I think at this time so did the only other persons water on the 5^th floor. Our Doctor had seen us twice now. And was back and forth between his building he practices out of and the hospital, which worried me even though it was only a block away. The contractions really started to kick up now and Aspen would sit on the birthing ball and on the bed. 

Then Aspen was laying on the bed and she said she felt like she needed to push witch no one seemed to listen so she said it again and no one seemed to hear so she went on to say “I’M GOING TO S**T MY PANTS!!”. This is where I lost it and started giggling and looked at my mother in-law and the doctor got in to gear they started pulling out tables with medical utensils and supplies. It was go time, my little guy was coming! My wife didn’t take any medication at all. Labored for 6 hours. Yea, she’s a badass. So I held her legs up and we all tried to tell her what to do but I really think my wife was listening to my voice and that I helped her a little bit here. That for just a little bit it was me and her getting through it together. 

I know I didn’t go through the pain but there is something to be said when you witness someone you love so much go through that much pain. I remember wishing that I would take all of it away If I could wishing that my amazing wife doesn’t deserve this pain almost like I could take it away by squeezing her hand but I probably just made the problem worse. I looked down I could see his head and I told Aspen, "One more good push baby" she pushed hard I could see his face my heart dropped and everything changed. I saw my baby’s face I told Aspen, "I can see him honey he looks just like me!" She pushed the rest of him out and smiled.

I didn’t bother with the umbilical cord I wanted my son I wanted to meet the little guy me and Logan and Aspen have been talking to. It was the greatest moment of my life, that and the day I married Aspen, are the two greatest moments I have had on this earth. I started rubbing foster with a towel and placed him on Aspens chest and then I kissed my wife and I told her how proud I was of her and how much I loved her.

 Foster Brady Ballard - July 24th, 2013 at 1:13 p.m. 20 inches long and 6 lbs 11 oz