| 6:30 pm |
Angie begins to experience some mild cramping. Unlike Braxton & Hicks she suggests to Derek that this has the feeling of the early stages of the real deal. They eat dinner with the kids and then make some plans for the evening which could may involve an addition to the family. |
| 8:00 pm |
Derek and Angela head off to Blockbuster to rent videos for what they think will be a long night of playing the waiting game. |
| 9:00 pm |
Derek & Angie return from Video store with 4 movies and collect the kids playing outside for the standard bedtime rituals. |
| 9:15 pm |
Derek thinks he is getting ready to watch a movie when Angieinforms him that they will be heading to the hospital shortly. The lackadaisical tone does not suggest any urgency, so Derek spends some time tutoring the baby sitter on how to switch from DVD back to TV. |
| 9:30 pm |
Angie begins to experience some strong contractions but again no urgency to her voice so Derek suggests that he would like to stop at Tim Hortons for a coffee enroute to the hospital. Angie informs Derek that the contractions are about 3 -5 minutes, enough time for coffee and still get there in time for an epidural. So far so good, everything is falling into place the way it should for 2 seasoned veterans. |
| 9:45 p.m |
Derek and Angela begin drive to the hospital. Things begin to change rapidly as Derek notices that Angie's contractions are not the 3-5 minutes she suggested but more like 20-30 seconds apart. In a strong calm tone Derek tells Angie not to worry, breath through the nose and that he will call upon his expert driving skills to deliver her to the hospital in short order. Of course the calm was the one you usually experience before the storm. While heading down Hawthorne Rd he realizes he is heading in the wrong direction to the wrong hospital. |
| 9:50 p.m. |
Another strong contraction makes Derek think twice about stopping for coffee. By the next traffic light at the corner of Hawthorne and Walkley rd Angie is into yet another contraction. Derek begins to test the merits of his german engineered vehicle by putting the pedal to the medal. |
| 9:51 pm |
Derek commits the first of a series of traffic code violations by driving through a red light at Walkley and Lancaster. At this point the only reason Derek slows the vehicle is to try and minimize the G-forces on Angie's contraction rippling body as the car weaves through traffic. |
| 9:55 pm |
Heading west on the 417 Hwy just east of the split the pair are now barreling towards the west end hospital at 165+ km an hour. |
| 10:00 pm |
West bound lane of the 417 near St. Laurent, Angie begins to squirm in her seat. |
| 10:01 pm |
"THE BABY IS COMING OUT, THE BABY IS COMING OUT" Angie shrieks as the car barrels down the Queensway at 160 km /hour. Derek reaches into his wealth of birthing experience and tells her that it just feels like the baby is coming out and to relax. |
| 10:02 pm |
417 near the Nicolas St. exit Angie rocks Derek's world by edging her back up the front passenger car seat and pushing her shorts down to her knees. "THE BABY IS COMING OUT" DEREK TEARS HIS EYES OFF THE ROAD TO SEE A SIGHT HE WILL NEVER FORGET. ANGIE IS CRADLING THE PROTRUDING HEAD OF HIS UNBORN SON BETWEEN HER LEGS. IT LOOKS LIKE SHE IS HOLDING A BOWLING BALL. |
| 10:03 pm |
In shock but not slowing down, Derek turns on the overhead maplights just in time to see and hear his son come rushing out like a springtime flash flood. Angie has managed to single-handedly deliver this slippery, glistening baby boy directly from her own womb into her own waiting hands. |
| 10:04 pm |
Instinctively Derek presses harder on the gas pedal, "IS HE ALRIGHT, IS HE BREATHING" it is hard to determine if these words were verbally communicated or just thoughts so strong they were deafening. |
| 10:05 pm |
"waaaaaaaah! He cried, he is breathing. Joy and relief sweep over Derek & Angela like a warm blanket. A warm blanket was also something in very short supply. Sweat beads glistening on her spent body, Angie's motherly instincts take over as she expertly holds the slippery baby to her body and reaches over and turns off the Air conditioner. With nothing to wrap the baby in, Angie then reaches down and completely removes her shorts then wraps the baby's tiny body in them. |
| 10:06 pm |
Angie takes control of the situation by commanding Derek to calm down, and get them to the hospital safely. |
|
THREE LANES TO ONE, BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC! WHAT DO WE DO NOW? It is currently 5:23 am Check in tomorrow for details of the 911 call, the construction detour and the happy conclusion to this wild adventure that just keeps on picking up momentum. |
