Sometimes it is when you experience something for the second time that you really get to enjoy it fully. That is the case with fatherhood as well. The first time (at least in my case) was a flurry of activity for the first few days. Also, since I was posted quite a distance away from my hometown, weekend visits were impossible.
This time around, I am just a couple of hundred kilometers away (though interestingly due to the ‘express’ nature of this delivery I could not make it on time – will touch upon this later). Also, since one has ‘been through this, seen that’ one gets more time to enjoy the moment.
I suspect the reverse is the case for mothers. Since they have no idea of what they have to endure, the first time they are rather like innocent lambs being led to the sacrificial altar. The second time around since they know of the pain, they dread it in the weeks preceding the event.
Coming to this specific delivery, as indicated earlier, it was an ‘express’ one. My wife had gone for a regular visit to the doctor. As per the doc, the baby was in the correct position and was ready. She suggested going to the labour room right away. (I suspect the fact that the doc was on leave for the next couple of days had something to do with the decision. The doc mentioned that she would have to leave by 6 PM to break her fast and then someone else would take over. My wife decided to try to meet the 6 PM deadline and pushed harder! At 5:11 PM on 29/08/11 (within 4 hours of the visit and less than an hour of getting admitted), our second daughter was born.
Meanwhile I had been informed and had started from Trivandrum. However due to the condition of the roads and the nature of the traffic, I could make it only by 8 PM just in time to see my wife being wheeled into the room.
The final word has to be my first born Nandana’s. The big sister was seated next the baby and looking at her in wonderment. On seeing me, she clasped my hand and led me to the new born and exclaimed to her ‘look vava, look at him, this is our father!’
Thank you Nandu for the introduction
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