Chapter 4: Jesse Stephen Block

February 22, 1986, Chicago, Illinois

"Steve! It's TIME!" Josie shouted from just inside the back door.

"The baby?" Penny squealed.

"Yes, Pretty Penny!" I said as I stood up. "I need to go!"

"This is so cool!" Penny gushed, quickly standing up to give me a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Good luck!" Charlie said.

I ran upstairs and grabbed the bag that I'd packed earlier in the week. I probably wouldn't need it because Josie would stay with Jennifer, but I wanted a change of clothes, just in case. I found Jessica and Kara, let them know I was leaving and why, and got quick kisses from each of them. I ran out the back door to where Josie and Jennifer were waiting in Josie's car and quickly got into the back seat. Josie backed the car out of the driveway and ten minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot at the hospital. I grabbed the three bags and Josie walked Jennifer into the hospital with me following right behind.

We made our way to maternity, where Jennifer was quickly ushered into a wheelchair. We followed her and the orderly to a room. A nurse came in to help Jennifer get into bed. The nurse handed Jennifer a hospital gown.

"I might as well go naked!" Jennifer giggled, taking the gown.

"Now there's an idea!" I said.

"Oh, please!" Josie giggled. "That's how you got her into this condition in the first place!"

The nurse, a cute young Hispanic girl, laughed hard.

"Do you mind if I ask about the relationship here?" the nurse said.

"Not at all!" Jennifer said. "This is my wife, and that's the father of our baby."

"Wife?! What?!" the nurse exclaimed.

"Jennifer and Josie are a couple," I said. "They had a private commitment ceremony without caring what the State of Illinois had to say. I lent some assistance to help them be here today."

"OK, then," the nurse said. "That's a bit different."

"Oh, just wait until Steve's wives show up!" Jennifer laughed.

"Wives?!" the nurse exclaimed.

"Oh yes," Josie smirked. "He has two. And they're quite happy that he helped us get pregnant."

"OK! OK!" the nurse laughed. "You got me. Now, tell the truth."

I stopped laughing and said quietly, "That is the truth, Nurse Ochoa. Everything we've said is absolutely true."

"Seriously?!" she asked, incredulous.

"Seriously," I nodded. "My wives will be here soon."

Nurse Ochoa just looked at me and shook her head and once she had Jennifer in bed, left the room.

"Does your OB know the story?" I asked.

"Of course!" Jennifer said. "I took Josie to my appointments, and she went to the birthing classes with me."

"I never understood that one," I said. "Women have been having babies, well, for as long as there have been women. You need a class?"

"Steve, how many babies has Jennifer had?" Josie asked.

"Zero."

"Exactly. So perhaps it's a good idea to get educated on the process and learn some tips about how to make it go easier?"

I laughed, "Uh, yeah. Never mind. I'll just sit in the corner and watch like a dumb boy!"

I went over to the couch and sat down. Jennifer's OB arrived about ten minutes later.

"I'm Doctor Robertson," she said. "You must be Steve, the father?"

I stood up and shook her hand.

"Yes, that's me, though I believe you're aware that Josie is going to be Jennifer's coach, or whatever they call it."

Doctor Robertson nodded, "I'm aware of your unique relationships. Usually we only allow one person in the room, but we made an exception for Jennifer because of the unique circumstances."

"Thanks," I said, sitting back down.

Doctor Robertson examined Jennifer and asked questions about when her water had broken and how close her contractions were. She said that Jennifer was in active labor, and about 7cm dilated. Jennifer's contractions were about four minutes apart, down from five, when we'd left the house. Based on the examination, Doctor Robertson estimated that Jennifer would be ready to deliver in two to three hours.

"Get up, take some short walks, drink some water, and do your best to relax by taking deep breaths. Josie, be sure you support her when she's walking because she could have a sharp contraction at any time. When the contractions are about two minutes apart, press the call button."

"Will do!" Josie smiled.

"Jennifer, do you still want to continue without any kind of medication?"

"Yes," Jennifer said firmly. "No drugs."

Doctor Robertson nodded and left. A moment later, Kara, Jessica, Stephanie, and Bethany all arrived. They crowded into the room around Jennifer and after quick hugs with my wives, I went to take a walk to get some coffee. Being in the room with six women, all talking babies and childbirth, just wasn't my idea of a fun morning!

About ten minutes later, I met Jennifer and Josie walking down the hall. I walked with them and asked what had happened to the other girls.

"The nurse chased them out. They're in the waiting room. Did I mention that we called our parents before we left for the hospital?"

"No, but I assumed that you would have done that. I guess Josie's parents are driving down?"

"Yes," Josie said. "They'll be here later today."

"And mine will be here tomorrow," Jennifer said. "We asked both sets of grandparents to not stay too long."

"OK. How are you feeling, Jen?" I asked.

"I'm ready for this to be over, and the hard part hasn't even started!"

Jennifer took two more short walks before the contractions intensified and were coming just under two minutes apart. Josie hit the call button and Nurse Ochoa came into the room. She handed Josie and me scrubs and asked us to change. She pointed to the small bathroom and said we could use that. We both smirked and simply stripped down to our underwear and put on the scrubs.

Nurse Ochoa smiled and shook her head, "You three are refreshingly different. A bit over the top, but in a fun way."

"Thanks," Josie said.

"Oomph!" Jennifer grunted. "That was a strong one."

Doctor Robertson arrived and performed a quick exam.

"You're 10 centimeters and 95% effaced. This baby is ready to be born! You're quick for a primipara."

"Quick?" Jennifer gasped. "It's been hours!"

"Jennifer," Doctor Robertson said with a smile, "this phase of labor can take eight to ten hours for most normal pregnancies. You're at just under six since you called about your first contraction early this morning. Remember, no pushing until I tell you to."

The nurse got Jennifer into proper position in the bed and adjusted her gown. Things moved quickly at that point. Another quick exam confirmed that Jennifer was 100% effaced and that the baby was in the correct position. Doctor Robertson put on a mask and positioned herself between Jennifer's legs, now supported by stirrups. Jennifer was panting now, clearly trying to resist the urge to push. I sat and watched, completely fascinated by what was happening.

"Ready to have this baby?" Doctor Robertson asked.

"Yes!" Jennifer growled. "I need to push!"

"Go ahead. Remember your breathing techniques. Josie, help her the way you were taught in class. Steve, you can come stand on the other side of the bed from Josie. You won't be in our way."

I got up and watched Jennifer as I moved to position. Her face scrunched up, and she pushed and groaned, as Josie encouraged her and reminded her to breathe.

"Good!" Doctor Robertson said. "Again!"

Jennifer tensed and pushed again.

"Excellent!" Doctor Robertson said.

Jennifer's breathing was ragged now, and she tried to catch her breath before the next push. She groaned and grabbed my arm and squeezed hard.

"I see the baby's head! One more good push, Jennifer!" Doctor Robertson said.

Jennifer took a deep, but ragged, breath and pushed again and I saw my baby's head emerge.

"Suction!" Doctor Robertson said.

Nurse Ochoa handed Doctor Robertson a tube, and she suctioned all kinds of gunk from our baby's mouth and nose. She had Jennifer push twice more, and I had my first full glimpse of Jesse Stephen Block! A second later, he gasped and then cried.

"You have a very healthy baby boy, Jennifer. I'd say Apgar 9, Sylvia."

The nurse removed Jennifer's gown completely, and they put Jesse on her chest, despite him being a complete mess from all the fluids. About a minute later, the doctor clamped Jesse's umbilical cord and offered a pair of surgical scissors to Josie, who smiled and, following instructions, cut the cord between the clamps. Jennifer was paying absolutely no attention to anything other than Jesse.

"He's beautiful!" she said, tears running down her cheeks. "Hi, Jesse! It's Mommy!"

"Jennifer, we still have to deliver your placenta, so I'm going to massage your uterus now to help that along."

Josie and I looked at each other and leaned down to kiss Jennifer's sweaty cheeks. She asked for some water, which I got from the table, and Josie helped her drink it. About ten minutes later, with only one push from Jennifer, the placenta was expelled from her body and placed in a tray. Doctor Robertson made a quick examination, then had Nurse Ochoa call for an orderly to take it to the lab for examination.

"Jennifer, we need to take the baby to weigh and measure him, and get him cleaned up. We'll give him right back!"

Jennifer nodded, and when the nurse took the baby to a cart with a scale and warming lights, she closed her eyes and sighed.

"You OK, Jen?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just can't believe that we have a baby!"

"Jennifer," Doctor Robertson said. "You're going to need two sutures. There was a very slight tearing of your perineum."

"7 pounds, 15 ounces, 21 inches long," Nurse Ochoa announced.

I watched as Doctor Robertson made two stitches and then let Jennifer relax her legs and remove them from the stirrups. A minute later, after she wiped the fluids from Jennifer's chest, Nurse Ochoa brought a much cleaner, but clearly annoyed, Jesse back to Jennifer. He was now swaddled in a blanket and Jennifer took him into her arms and cuddled him.

I leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"Hi, Jesse," I said. "Welcome to the family!"

"We'll leave you three alone for a bit," Doctor Robertson said. "If you have any concerns, hit the call button and someone will come right away. He's Apgar 9, so I don't expect any problems. A nurse will be along in about five minutes to help you start breast feeding. I assume no change there?"

"No," Jennifer said.

I chuckled, "You have to share her with a guy now, Josie!"

"Jerk!" she laughed. "This is different!"

Doctor Robertson smiled, "OK. Call if you need anything. And remember, the first time you urinate, use the basin that's in the toilet and then call the nurse to check. You can take a shower in a couple of hours if you feel up to it."

A few minutes later, a much older nurse came in.

"Hi! I'm Abigail, a neonatal nurse," she said with a vaguely English accent. "I'm here to teach you how to feed your son."

"He's a guy!" Josie giggled. "I think he'll figure out how to suck tit pretty quickly!"

"You're cheeky!" the nurse laughed. "And Jennifer, I see you aren't concerned about exposing yourself, so let me start by showing you how to hold your son."

I hadn't even noticed that Jennifer hadn't pulled the gown back on after it had been moved by Nurse Ochoa, and she hadn't pulled the sheets up to cover her exposed breasts, which I noticed were indeed bigger than they had been. I laughed to myself because Josie had never let me check!

"What's his name?" the nurse asked.

"Jesse Stephen," Jennifer said.

For the next ten minutes, I watched in fascination as the nurse taught Jennifer how to feed Jesse. I had never seen anything even remotely like it in my life, and I watched in awe as Jesse latched onto Jennifer's nipple and began to suck.

"Told ya'!" Josie laughed.

Once the nurse was satisfied that Jesse was feeding properly, she talked to Jennifer about how often she should expect Jesse to eat, and how long she should allow him to suckle on each breast. Then she got to the part I was dreading.

"Once he's sucked for about ten minutes on each side, we'll show you how to properly change a diaper. Do you plan to circumcise him?"

"No!" Josie said immediately.

"Why not?" I asked. "I am. I just kind of figured it was normal."

"Would you, if you knew what was happening, voluntarily let them cut off part of your dick?"

"Uh, no," I said, wincing at the thought.

"That's why," Josie said smugly.

"OK," Abigail said, "then we'll show you how to keep that clean as well."

After Jesse had nursed for twenty minutes, Abigail took him from Jennifer and showed us how to put on a diaper, how to keep him clean, and then swaddled him in the blanket again and gave him to Jennifer. I was surprised that he was quiet during the diaper change, but he seemed half asleep.

"You should probably go let the girls know she had the baby," Josie said. "It's been an hour, so they're probably going nuts by now!"

"Are you ready for visitors, Jen?" I asked.

"I'm tired, so only for a few minutes," she sighed.

I went out of the room and down the hall to the waiting room.

"Well?" my sister asked, her hands on her hips.

"He's fine! Just a tad under 8 pounds and 21 inches long. Jennifer is OK with you all coming in for a few minutes, but she's really tired."

I walked back down the hall with my wives, Stephanie, and Bethany, and we went into Jennifer's room. There were several partially suppressed squeals, and all four of them rushed over to the bed. I shook my head and went to sit on the couch and watched the girls all go crazy over the baby. They all wanted to hold him, but Jennifer refused to give him up and after about five minutes, Josie chased the other girls out. They all left reluctantly, and I stepped out into the hall with them.

"She'll be home late tomorrow, most likely. Just head home. I'll be home later; Josie is staying with Jennifer overnight."

"OK. See you at home, Tiger," Jessica said. "Congratulations on being a dad!"

"Thanks, Babe!" I said with a huge smile.

I got kisses from my wives and hugs from my sister and Bethany, then went back into the room to find Josie holding Jesse while Jennifer used the bathroom. She came out and pressed the call button, and when the nurse arrived, Jennifer pointed at the bathroom. The nurse took the urine sample that had been collected in the basin.

"Steve, do you want to hold him?" Jennifer asked.

I nodded, and Josie carefully put my son into my arms. I looked down at his face and saw that he looked very much like the baby pictures that my mom had given me at one point. He had bright blue eyes and wisps of light-colored hair. Even though I was holding him in my arms, I could hardly believe that he was mine, and that Jennifer and I had created this baby together.

I held him for a few minutes before he started to fuss, so I carefully handed him back to Jennifer. As soon as his cheek touched her bare skin, he quieted and closed his eyes.

"Wow. That's like magic," I whispered.

"Why don't you head home, Steve. I just want to rest. Josie will help me with my shower."

"OK. Do you want me to come back later today or tomorrow?" I asked.

"No, Josie will bring us home. You saw the car seat in the back of her car. We'll let you know when we come home."

"OK," I said.

I kissed Jesse on the forehead, and Jennifer on the cheek, and Josie and I hugged. I quickly changed back into my street clothes and put the scrubs in my bag. With a wave, I left Jesse with his two moms. It was less than ten blocks home, and I walked at a leisurely pace, contemplating the fact that I was a dad.

"You're home?" Jessica said when I walked into the Indian room where she and Kara were studying.

"I was politely told to go home so that Jennifer and Josie could be together with Jesse. I have a feeling that this is a portent for the future. I'll be involved, but they're going to raise him the way they want to."

"I'm not surprised by that," Kara said. "And I don't think you are, either."

"No, not really. They're acting like a couple, which they are. But I am Jesse's dad."

"Sure, but you did agree to father a baby FOR them, not WITH them."

I nodded, "True."

"And there's no way that they're going to cut you out of his life," Kara said. "I've talked to Jennifer enough to know that. I suspect Elyse will be the same way — you'll have input, but she'll make the final decisions about her kids."