Sitting down to write Delaney’s birth story has been a project I have been avoiding. As with most siblings, the experience of bringing our second-born into the world was completely different from the first time around. For starters, I knew a bit more about what to expect. I knew what to advocate for; I had a better understanding of the stages of labor. There was still fear, but it was not the same fear of my ability to be in charge of a tiny, as it was with Emerson. I, however, was living in a delusion that labor was predictable and would go as I envisioned, which ultimately was not the case and forced me to process my emotions to let go of my expectations.

My due date was October 10th, a date I quickly fell in love with. I had always loved the idea of an October baby and 10/10/24 just felt like the perfect birthday. Assuming she arrived on my due date or later, my maternity leave was lined up at work to go through the end of the year, allowing me to be off until early January. I had it all planned out: October would be the month of healing, November would be developing some sort of ‘two under three’ routines, and December would be filled with creating magical memories (and endless Hallmark movies!) with my girls. I would be fully refreshed to return to work in 2025.

A few days before Delaney’s arrival was one of my biggest work events of the year. Working in events and marketing required me to be present at the event and on my feet for most of the day. I took breaks when I was able but at almost 38 weeks, I definitely felt it the following day. On Friday morning, the soreness was still present and seemed to escalate into light cramping. Being two weeks out from my due date, I figured it was probably just my body preparing for labor, which is what my midwife told me at my weekly check later that afternoon. As the afternoon turned to evening, the cramping continued and slowly increased in their intensity. After putting Emerson to bed, Jody suggested we call my parents to come to wait at our house while Emerson was sleeping, noticing that these cramps had progressed into contractions. I was still in denial this was happening. Shortly after midnight, we decided to head to the hospital, knowing that second labor could go quicker. The last thing I wanted was to not get to the hospital in time to receive an epidural.

We were taken up to triage, where I was checked. Since I had been seen earlier in the day, we had a fairly good comparison to see how I had progressed. Unfortunately, despite the contractions, there was hardly any change from my appointment. I asked for a low dose of morphine to help my body relax and hopefully sleep, remembering how it had helped with the early stages of labor with Emerson. Much to my dismay, I would begin to drift to sleep, to be awoken by sharp contractions every four minutes.

This pattern repeated for the next few hours, with little progression. I kept begging my triage nurse not to send us home – the thirty-minute drive to and from the airport was brutal and I wanted to avoid it at all costs. Around 6:15am she checked me once again and I asked for a peanut ball to see if that would help. She stepped out of the room and suddenly I felt this pressure release and realized my water had broken! We were finally admitted and wheeled down the hall to our room.

I had specified that I wanted an epidural so our nurses started to prep for bloodwork to send down to the labs, so I could be cleared to receive one. While they were busy setting up the room, I looked at my triage nurse and told her I had the urge to push, and sure enough, it was go time. Suddenly the energy in the room exploded, with nurses and my midwife hectically prepping for this little one’s soon arrival. Perhaps this is just my memory, but it was like watching a video in fast-forward, while I was still in slow-motion. I’m not sure I’ll ever forget the feeling I had when I started to catch up: “Wait, I have to do this without an epidural?!”

The next few minutes were honestly a blur. I remember the flurry of nurses – warming the table, Gabrielle, my midwife, pulling her gown on, the faint murmur of “you’ve got this” and “Dad, I need you here”. I remember saying “But the playlist”, while the nurses looked at me, sympathetically. Jody quickly switched it on, but I couldn’t focus on it in the chaos. The only other thing I remember thinking during all of this was I had heard deliveries without drugs tended to go faster and I prayed this would be faster than active labor with Emerson.

Five minutes later, our sweet Delaney Margaret was laid on my chest. I whispered “Hi, baby”, still in complete disbelief that she was here. She was early. She came quickly. But, she was perfect.

Being several months removed from Delaney’s delivery, I can see it worked out just as it was meant to. After meeting her face-to-face, we (let’s be honest, I was the problem) finally committed to a name. We knew we wanted our daughter’s middle name to be Margaret, in homage to Jody’s grandmother and mother, who share the same name and passed away around the time Jody and I met. Delaney means “Angel from Heaven” and “From the alder grove”. We incorporated the Tree of Life into some of our wedding decor as it was another nod to his mom; her symbol throughout her fight against cancer.

On top of that, the September birthstone is a sapphire – the diamond in my engagement ring comes from his mom’s ring, which had two sapphire stones on either side. Two sapphire stones which Jody had turned into earrings. And now, two sapphire earrings that I’m going to pass down to my late mother-in-law’s second granddaughter, who I pray embodies the same strength that she had.

It wasn’t the birth I expected. It wasn’t the birth I had prepared for. But if anything, that sums up motherhood doesn’t it? It is hard. There are moments of fear. You are doing the things you never thought you could handle. But the second that baby is in your arms, you’re willing to do it all over again.

Delaney Margaret, you might have been ready before I thought I was ready for you, but even in your first moments of life, you reminded me that there is beauty in the unexpected. You may not be my first, but this time, I know how fast it will all go. I promise you all of the snuggles in the world. The love I have for you is endless, my girl.