Fast moment, long Father’s Day

People were telling me for months how special it is to have your first child. Everyone who made that comment had the same facial expression and the same celebratory tone in their voice. Not going to lie, I was waiting for one person to be counter and say “Well Nathan, the birth of your first child will open up a sea of challenges for you. Good luck sport.”

That response would have been more believable. My first month or so as a dad seems to be more frustration than joy.

It’s not my kid’s fault, he has fought through more adversity than some of our local sports teams.

He spent the first week of his life in the NICU in Terre Haute. When he was in the NICU I did not feel like he belonged to us. Instead, it felt like he belonged to the hospital. The toll that took on my wife Emily and myself was steep.

The special moment of his birth everyone was telling me about was rushed. After 36 hours of frustrating attempts to induced, doctors finally called for a Caesarean Section. On May 9, near 8 p.m. I was dressed in operation gear and escorted to the room where Emily would be operated on. To my disappointment, none of the doctors and nurses recognized me as a top 50 sports media personality in West Central Indiana.

Music was playing overhead as the nurses and the doctors were very loose for this moment where my son was to be cut out of my wife’s body. When Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” was being played I thought to myself this is probably the worst song my song could be born during. When the song “Safety Dance” from Men Without Hats came on I knew this was the moment. Little Matthew was born as he acted like he came from out of this world and left the real one behind.

The joyous moment was replaced by the sight of him being taken to the NICU. To cope with the stress of the week, I took photos, updated family, wrote out a journal of events and recorded a video of Emily holding him for the first time. In other words, I covered the birth of my son like it was a Linton football game.

Several doctors saved the day. Dr. Sonya Williams at Greene County General Hospital is a star. If the GCGH has not renamed their maternity ward after her they should. Dr. Mary Abernathy at Union Hospital in Terre Haute would be in the AP Top 25 if there were such a thing for obstetrics.

Six weeks later, little Matthew is doing fine but he still has some minor issues doctors are keeping tabs on. Emily takes the day shift with him while I take the night shift. My average bed time is now almost 4 a.m. as I now operate on Hawaiian time despite residing in Indiana.

Father’s Day snuck up on me this year as it’s my first year being a dad. I am still struggling to bond with him. I’ve been told that just takes time. For men, we like things that are durable. Babies are fragile though and it takes us out of our element.

The moment with his birth was in a blink of eye. The path to Father’s Day felt took what felt like a year.

Nathan Pace is the Sports Editor of the Greene County Daily World and can be reached at npace@gcdailyworld.com.