Meeting Rooster Jack

It's hard to express how I felt inside when I first met Jack, but I can tell you what I saw and felt on the outside.

For starters, my forearm muscles were pretty dang sore. I had been squeezing the stuffing out of Jenn's hand during contractions (and it was never hard enough). That being said, Jenn was an absolute champ through the whole labor process. She made it a personal goal to make friends with anyone and everyone she came into contact with. And there were numerous times she was just cracking jokes even when the contractions were peaking.

Right when it felt like this little baby was going stay in, the doctor told us that she could see a big mat of dark hair. Jenn, being a goal oriented individual, heard about the progress and was ready to have him out all the way. 

It happened fast and before you could say pigs in a blanket there was a pasty white little creature that popped right out with a little bungee cord. Well I helped cut that cord and started cleaning lil Jack quick so we could get him to mom for that skin to skin contact. 

I guess there has been loads of research on how much skin to skin contact does for the baby and mother as well. I was planning on doing it either way cuze Jenn would have probably thrown a conniption fit (and rightly so) if we never let her hold the baby she worked so hard to bring into this world.

Should have seen his face when they tried to pull him away...

It was really an amazing moment to see Jack curl up and instantly fall asleep against his mom's soft skin. He had been crying before, but as soon as he touched down he knew where he belonged. He loves his mom so much and there isn't a day that goes by that she doesn't tell me how much she loves him. That little bond had been growing for 9 months and as soon as he came out and was able to touch and see his mom, they have been inseparable.  

I couldn't help but be jealous. I wanted a father/son moment! I had just as many weird dreams during Jenn's pregnancy as she had. I gained weight. There were times that I thought I had lost my mind. There was more than once that the cruel eye of pregnancy cast itself down upon me with a vengeance. I had made it out ALIVE though, and that is what mattered right? I had been one of the proud survivors of pregnancy and having my sanity was much more than a consolation prize to me.

Had to put the walls up to keep him from rolling off

I was told I would have a little father/son time when they took Jack to the nursery. I was excited to give him his first bath but in the end, the nurses had misled me. I sat there watching as they bathed my boy and his real skin appeared. I had a proud smile on my face as I saw his mother's beautiful olive skin and gorgeous dark curly hair. We strolled him back to our little maternity room where Jenn was.

Once there, we realized we were a family. We were all tired, but a family nonetheless, and that was all that mattered.  I sat there cuddling with Jenn as she held our boy tight to herself. 

Then Jenn looked at me and said, "You should take your shirt off"

I laughed, "Jenn what are you talking about! A hospital is no place to get wild like that!"

"I mean you should put Jack up against your skin, so he knows what his Dad feels like"

Me-"....umm I can just see the nurses busting through those curtains and thinking I'm out of my gourd. No thank you!"

Jenn-"Why do you care what they think?"

Me-"Jenn, it's just not the best place or time"

Jenn-[pause with a "whatever" stare]

Me-"Fine Jenn! Ill do it but I'm only going to button my shirt down a little bit"

And I did. Low and behold, right when I start to put him up against my chest, the curtains start opening. "Judas! Doesn't anyone knock these days!" I thought to myself as the nurse came in to check on Jack. I had magically done two of my buttons before she saw me...The problem was they weren't in the right button holes so I looked like a regular Gomer Pyle. Jenn was laughing and I was red as a beet. There are few times I get so red that you can't see my freckles and I'm sure that was one of them.

After that was over I vowed to never do that again. I think Jenn got such a kick out of it that she wanted me to try again. And inside I really wanted that rare bonding moment that Jenn had right when he came out. 

2 days of coaxing and I decided to try again. This time I went all in. I took my shirt off and took my little buddy and held him close. He had been crying and as soon as he felt the warmth coming from my chest, he was out like a light. He was calm and I felt like we were gonna be buddies forever... and then it happened.

What started out as a yawn, became much more determined and precise; the way a piranha opens its mouth when it sights prey or a cobra opens its mouth right when it is about to strike. In my naive fatherly moment, I wasn't seeing the imminent danger that was approaching as my son started bobbing his head like a chicken. I laughed to myself thinking it was just a cute little gesture of love for his Daddy.

The bobbing became more violent and the mouth gaped menacingly wider...I looked up as Jenn called me and it was all over. What started as a pinch on my privacy became a determined biting and sucking on my teet. The INFAMOUS LATCH was in full force!

I hollered out to Jenn and wedged my finger in there to release the suction. This was against the very laws of nature and Jenn was laughing her head off. "see it hurts doesn't it!"

Looking ever so innocent as he sleeps

Needless to say, I have had much less skin to skin time with my son and have given him the nickname of "Rooster" for his menacing head-bob and natural mohawk. While it is advisable for new mothers to apply this bonding technique, I would never suggest it to a father unless he is ready for the full consequences of his actions.

Lil Rooster