• Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Services
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Meal Plan
  • Shop
    • Shop Now
    • Cart
    • Checkout
    • Return Policy
    • My Account
  • Food
  • Family
  • Finances
  • Fundamentals
You are here: Home / Family / Andrew’s Birth Story – A Daddy’s Perspective

by Barry  18 Comments

Andrew’s Birth Story – A Daddy’s Perspective

Andrew James

We had it all planned out.  We had prayed for God to allow us to make two important journeys before Andy’s arrival in the world.  First, we wanted to go to Lexington, Kentucky to see Stacy’s sister walk across the stage so we could officially refer to her as “Dr. Walker” with pride in our voices.  Second, we wanted to visit Virginia Tech to see Stacy’s sister walk down the aisle so we could officially refer to her as “Mrs. (Dr.) Heath” with pride in our voices.  Neither of these trips would be a problem under normal circumstances and we would have never thought to tackle these excursions, even with Annie in tow.  But having an extremely pregnant Stacy makes everything a little more adventurous.  Nonetheless, we were bound to try these adventures with glee in our hearts.

We left for Lexington on Friday, August 24th.  I got off work at 5:00 and we hit the road.  We arrived in Lexington about 10:15pm, fell into the bed around 11:00 and I went to sleep, excited that I could get 6 or 7 hours before we got up early to have breakfast the next morning with some friends we know from the blogging world. 

When Stacy woke me up at 3:46 am by poking me in the face (she said she used her special powers; I say she used her finger), I wasn’t a happy man.  I like my sleep.  But the wide-eyed look she gave me, quickly followed by the statement, “my water broke,” quickly changed my thoughts from sleep to more important matters.  After some brief discussion, Stacy woke her mom, who woke her dad and we all chatted about options.  Stacy’s dad asked me how long we had before the baby came.  Yes, he was still pretty asleep at that point too, and just as clueless as I was about how long we’d have before we’d NEED to go to the hospital.  Ultimately, we decided we’d leave Stacy’s dad there to attend graduation and ride home with Jamey (Stacy’s sister) and all the rest of us would make the trek home.

Coaching Stacy through labor

At about 5:00 am we pulled out of the hotel parking lot and headed for home.  I set the cruise control on the fastest speed I could without risking a ticket and we headed south.  Asking Stacy if she was okay approximately 4.3 billion times along the way, we made it home in a bit over five hours with no major incidents and only slight labor pains.  Stacy and her mom said their brief goodbyes in the driveway and we kissed and hugged Annie and bid them well on their adventure at their house while we stayed at ours to wait for the inevitable labor to come.

For a while, nothing exciting happened. We cleaned a little, finished the décor in Andy’s room and piddled around the house to pass the time.  We watched part of a movie and ate a light lunch.  We tried to nap.  Around 2:00 pm, we decided it was time to kick things up a notch so at Brandy’s suggestion via text, we broke out the breast pump.  That worked!  Quickly, contractions were coming on strongly enough that I was reminded how awesome it is to be a man during the child-birthing process.  We went for a walk, and Brandy arrived to provide coaching and support.  I packed the car and we waited for Stacy to show it was time to go to the hospital.  By around 6:00 pm, she was at that point that it became clear we needed to go.  Another exciting drive with my wife in labor (thankfully a short one this time) ended without incident with us arriving at the hospital.  Checking in took FOREVER and this lady, who had a mild case of the plague and apologized for having a “frog in her throat” as she coughed up a lung, had me sign a million forms while Stacy labored without losing her religion.  Had it been me, I’d have cussed the lady and told her all the things she could do with her paperwork if she didn’t get me checked in NOW.  This is yet another reason why God allowed women to birth babies instead of men.

Seeing Andrew for the first time

Anyway, we got checked in and they ran a test to prove Stacy was in labor.  I truly thought that test was a joke, but apparently there is a scheme in which women come in the hospital with a basketball hidden under their shirt and act like they’re in labor so they can get admitted to the birthing ward, where spa treatments are available on demand and calm tranquility abounds.  Okay, that last part really was a joke!  But the hospital staff were insistent she take a test to prove she was in labor.  Surprise – she passed!

They gave us a room far away from anyone else’s because Stacy was committed to birthing Andy with no drugs.  Apparently they’ve dealt with that scenario before because a few hours later I was pretty excited to have that distance when Stacy started screaming.  Labor was lengthy, obviously painful and at times really hilarious.  My favorite one-liner was when Stacy screamed “Jesus, take this baby out NOW!”  Yes, my saintly wife was telling Jesus what to do.  All jokes aside, Stacy did amazingly well through all the pain and difficulty.  Exhausted though she was and claiming to “be done and ready to go home” toward the end, she did great.  Brandy’s coaching, my level-headedness, and the nurses’ and doctor’s expertise were all there to observe the beauty of God’s process to bring a new person into the world.  With one final push and scream, we saw Andrew James.  We were all worn out, but God had given us a beautiful, healthy baby boy.  I called Stacy’s mom and my mom and invited them to come see their new grandson the next morning.  No one was upset we woke them, and everyone gladly came the next day.  Through a process that lasted almost 24 hours, Stacy performed like a champ.  I was (am) so proud of her and have proudly told numerous people how great she did.  As for me, all I can say is that we sure made a beautiful baby.

Daddy’s boy

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Other Posts You Might Like

About Barry

Barry is the husband half of the Humorous Homemaking team. He speaks and writes mostly about personal development and personal finance issues. He is the author of From Debtor to Better: The Details of Debt and How to Get Out! and regularly speaks at conferences and other events.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the content above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I may receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Comment Policy: I love reading your thoughts and input on what you read here. I'm sure we'll disagree sometimes and that's okay! In those cases, do what's right for you and yours. As with any form of communication, only post comments that move the discussion in a positive direction.

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Comments

  1. Teri W says

    October 7, 2012 at 10:12 pm

    Awww, Andy is just gorgeous! I still can’t get over the look on Barry’s face as you are laboring right above him.. he’s all “ahhh..thank you Lord for allowing me to be a man”… you are a stronger woman that I ‘cuz I would have growled at him or worse?! LOL.. I’m just sayin… you two do have beautiful babies!! Can’t wait for the next one =) *bwahahaha, now I’m cracking up*
    Teri

    Reply
    • Stacy says

      October 8, 2012 at 6:25 am

      🙂 You’re silly! But yes, he said that to me several times…about being glad to be a man!

      Reply
  2. Dena Damron says

    October 6, 2012 at 6:42 pm

    Loved the story and always glad to see someone visited Lexington as I only live about 20 minutes away from there!

    Reply
    • Stacy says

      October 7, 2012 at 7:21 am

      It’s a great town. 🙂 Love the downtown part!

      Reply
  3. Cynthia Combest says

    October 6, 2012 at 11:16 am

    I agree, you two do make beautiful babies!!!

    Reply
    • Stacy says

      October 6, 2012 at 1:31 pm

      Thank you, Cynthia! 🙂 You’re very sweet!

      Reply
  4. Brandy says

    October 6, 2012 at 8:01 am

    Awww! How wonderful to read your perspective!

    Reply
    • Stacy says

      October 6, 2012 at 8:37 am

      🙂 I didn’t poke him, ya know.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        October 6, 2012 at 8:48 am

        I’m not sure who to believe. 😉

        Reply
        • Stacy says

          October 6, 2012 at 9:15 am

          Pick me! Pick me!

          Reply
  5. Deborah Williams says

    October 6, 2012 at 7:59 am

    Congrats guys he is beautiful!!

    Reply
    • Stacy says

      October 6, 2012 at 8:37 am

      Thank you!!! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Cindy says

    October 6, 2012 at 7:21 am

    He’s a cutie pie. Congratulations, Dad! You done good. You didn’t do *much* (sorry), but you done good. 😉

    Reply
    • Stacy says

      October 6, 2012 at 8:45 am

      LOL Cindy, I just love you.

      Reply
  7. Hallee the Homemaker says

    October 6, 2012 at 7:16 am

    LOVE LOVE LOVE this!
    I’m so happy you guys made it home without incident. You were certainly prayed through every mile. I hope one day we get to have that breakfast.

    Hallee

    Reply
    • Stacy says

      October 6, 2012 at 9:07 am

      🙂 Thank you for being so understanding!!! I hate that we missed breakfast. 🙁 If you’re down this way, give me a holler!

      Reply
  8. Annie G says

    October 6, 2012 at 7:08 am

    Congratations! You sure do look like a proud Papa! Andy is beautiful!

    Reply
    • Stacy says

      October 6, 2012 at 8:19 am

      🙂 He’s a great daddy!

      Reply


Hello! I’m Stacy!

I believe God created you to be the hero of your home. You CAN manage your home instead of it managing you. That’s why I empower women with simple solutions for their homemaking needs – because if it’s not easy, you won’t do it. {Read More…}

As Featured on the Dave Ramsey Show

Stuff You Really Should Check Out

home management course

© 2025 Myers Family Brands LLC · All Rights Reserved. · Privacy Policy

 

Loading Comments...