Are you in Labor yet?

It was a dark and stormy day, rain clouds drifted overhead, the time 1:00pm Friday, October 9th, 2009. Traffic clogs the expressway on my way home from work. My mission: to get Emma to the hospital, she has a doctor's appointment at 2:30pm. Rain drizzles down my windshield, cars merge into my lane on the exit ramp as my wiperblades give me guidance.

Splashing through the parking lot of our apartment, my foot glides through a valley of a puddle. Fumbling up the stairs sifting through my keys hanging onto the side rail, the time is 1:30pm. We have an hour to get her to the hospital. The clock is ticking past due, her due date October 5, Monday 2009; I find Emma asleep in a cocoon of blankets.

Lucy our lovable puppy stands guard at the foot of the bed.

"Emma, Are you in Labor yet? You know we got a doctor's appointment at 2:30pm. Are you feeling ok?"

"errrrr" as she rolls out of bed and into the bathroom. "What time is it?"

"It's past baby time. Are you hungry?"

"errrrr" as she tunnels back into her cocoon of blankets.

2:00pm, Time to go...."Feelin' ok?"

"Yeah, just tired"

"Alright, be careful on the stairs its slippery....watch the puddles."

On our way we hit the traffic and rain, and all. "Man, I'm Hungry" "After the appointment we can get something to eat"

Upon arrival to the doctor's office, there are a few people in the waiting room. Yeah, shouldn't take long. Every appointment before today has been pretty quick and easy, we'll get some food afterwards. And so we waited in the waiting room, read a magazine, Time, Baby talk or something called Baby something, about babies.

"Emma Bamba?" ..."Right this way"

Routinely, She heads right to the bathroom for the very basic sample, while I wait in the expectant dad chair in the hallway. Next is to the exam room like always, and wait for the doctor. In the Exam room, same one we've been into many times before; Emma noticed the baby pictures on the wall.

"Those are cute." I've never really noticed those pictures on the wall from anytime before, I don't think she has either, except today.
"Yeah those are nice." as I check my email on my phone.
Then she picked up a magazine from the holder on the wall. The front cover has a picture of two pregnant former Playboy Models on it.
"Hey, isn't that so and so. Did she leave that show because she was pregnant?"
Now being a guy, How should I know? "I guess yeah how long ago was that?"
"That was like 10 months ago..."
"Yeah probably" maybe you'll have baby today too.

Knock, Knock...
It's the random doctor at the door.
It's the random doctor at the door who?
It's the random doctor at the door who does the routine checkup and says not dialated we'll have to schedule an appointment next week, maybe we'll have a higher chance for baby then.

So we listen for the heartbeat....yup still in there...yup not dialated...nope not feeling any contractions...

then the random doctor says...

"How bout we take you across the hall for an ultrasound and see how our lil guy is doing? I'll call over there and see if they can fit you in."....."No answer, ok so go checkout schedule an appointment for early next week and have them call across the hall to see if they can get you in today."

Easy enough, we schedule our appointment for next week, 2:3opm and the receptionist calls across the hall..."Yeah...Uhuh...are you with a patient right now?....hmmm...uh huh...yeah...ok...ok...no, it was monday...yeah earlier...uh huh...ok..."

So we go across the hall and check in with the ultrasound receptionist.

"I'm so hungry, right now..." Emma says as she sends texts on her phone and checks facebook.
"I'm sleepy, think its gonna be awhile, I'm gonna take a nap..." as I dose off with my hand pressed into my cheek.

Waiting....inbetween snoozing:
doors open and shut,
people walkthrough the waiting room,
patients sign in and their names called, and then they leave,
new patients come in and sign in and leave,
a guy plays with his iphone and tells his mom to be that a new beer pong app is available,
she says you're dumb,
doors open and shut,
Emma reads a magazine,
my cheek feels all numb, my hand is asleep it tingles,
people walk through the waiting room,
a lady sitting to to my right taps away at her phone texting,
my phone dies...

"Emma Bamba?"....
"Right this way..."
"Do you have a bathroom?"
"To your left"

Ultrasound, ultra awesome, we are ready to see this lil guy who has been taking his time. Upon first glance at the monitor, "Yup he's still in there" His head measures over 7cm, and his weight roughly around 7 pounds more or less.
"Wait...let me check something" the ultra-awesome ultrasound specialist says in bewilderment...
I look at the monitor and there is a new and very colorfully psychadelic extra box on the floating around clicking and snapping pictures in variations of red and blue.
"Yeah...He may weigh a little more or a little less around 7 pounds. It's hard to tell...It looks like your fluid is low."
"......."
"Awesome...." I wonder....
"I was waiting for an answer, and you will be a mom really soon, let's get you down stairs and ready to go."
"But I don't even feel any contractions, and the doctor said I wasn't even dialated....I new I should have eaten something earlier."
"Congratulations and Happy early birthday!"

And we're off to get admitted, to the wonderful labor and delivery triage with the most awesome mom to be!!!

-Rudy