Happy birthday, son!

 

47 years ago this afternoon (even though it seems like yesterday) I was at work at Pike Lumber Company when my (then) wife Phyllis called me and said, “Now be calm. I’m not sure but I think I’m in labor.” I asked if she wanted me to come home, and she said, “No, not now, but if I need you, I’ll call.” I worked with her Dad so I crossed over to his workspace to let him know.

You have to know her Dad Abe, and also my boss Tony—both pranksters supreme. For the rest of the afternoon, every time the sawmill phone rang, I was sure it was Phyllis. Little did I know our plant manager was sitting in the bunkhouse calling and Tony would not answer the phone. He just let it ring and ring and… I was going crazy!

When I got home, Phyllis was pretty certain she was in labor but all we could do was wait. Late that night, around 3 am Phyllis was awake and had called the hospital to let them know her condition. Somehow I slept through all of this, but she awoke me, as I recall around 4:30 am. We arrived at Rochester’s old Woodlawn Hospital, a ten-mile drive from home, just after 5. She was wheeled into the delivery prep room where we waited for the doctor.

Just around 5:50 we were escorted to the delivery room… our bundle of joy, our baby boy Wesley Adam, was born at 6:16 am on February 1st, 1977.

During delivery, I almost got thrown out of the room. When the needles came out (for a local) I covered my eyes. The doc said, “If you’re going to get squeamish, you should leave.” I was fine, I said… once you put the needles away. So brave I was (haha).

The nurses told Phyllis afterward that that was one of the quickest deliveries they had ever seen, and if we planned on having any other kids we should camp out at the hospital.

Soon, all of our parents arrived (mine, that is). We lived with Phyllis’ parents at that time so they actually drove us to the hospital.

Anyhow, the most precious moment of our 19-year-old lives arrived that morning, and our lives were never the same after that.

These are, of course, my recollections. I’m sure Wes’ Mom Phyllis has even more stories to tell. This is my story of becoming a Daddy; it is Phyllis’ story of becoming a stupendous Mommy. A story about the happiest moment of our lives.

Happy birthday, Wes. Your parents love you!