6

I didn't exactly have my 'A' game when Susanne started going into labor at about 11 pm.

"Carey! My water just broke! Call the hospital, pack your bags!," she urged from the bathroom.

"Wuh? OK," I told her slumberly as if I had been drugged, and then crashed right back to sleep.

[5 minutes later]

"Carey! Let's go. Did you call the hospital? Are you packed?"

"Wuh?"

"Carey! MY WATER BROKE!"

"Are you sure?"

"Carey!"

As the contractions got closer together in the 21st (yes, 21st) hour of labor, we watched TV as Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) went to the hospital for false labor on the show Friends. That was odd.

It was a really busy night in the hospital. Babies were popping out like crazy. Which could explain why, right in the middle of very intense pushing, the doctor and nurse simply dropped Susanne's legs and walked out of the room. Astonished, Susanne and I looked at each other like WTF? Was it something we said? When the next contraction came and the doctor and nurse still hadn't returned, I took matters into my own hands. I lifted Susanne's leg and did as the doctor was doing.

"OK Susanne. Push and hold it. Oneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, twoooooooooooooooooo, threeeeeeeeeeee."

We never got to four. We burst into laughter and Susanne told me to please stop.

After 22 hours of labor, I had me a baby boy. We had us a Charlie.

Happy 6th Birthday, Charlie!