Benjamin Robert Sherron’s entrance into the world was an eventful one. It all started with denial…

On Tuesday, Jen had been to her OB-GYN for a checkup and it was looking like she’d be having the baby soon. Her doctor “scraped the membranes” in order to kickstart the process, which led to contractions that evening. As the night wore on, Jen tried to convince herself that what she was feeling was not contractions. For my part, I downloaded an app to time the contractions on my phone. When it became clear that it was time to go to the hospital (around 12:30 in the morning), I started running around like a sitcom caricature of a dad to be. I mean, I forgot my wallet, for chrissakes.

Anyway, we got to the hospital around 1:00 a.m. and Jen’s contractions were 3 minutes apart, about a minute in duration and were escalating in intensity. She was 2 cm dialated, but she was cleared to get the epidural. 3:00 rolls around and the epidural is in effect, so we were advised to get some sleep and they’d be back around 5:00 to check in and break her water if it hadn’t broken already.

At 3:30, I awake to a swarm of doctors, nurses and residents tending to Jen. The baby’s heart rate had dropped and they were trying to see if they could bring it up. After a few minutes of intervention and assessment, they call a “code white,” gather her up (bed and all), and we head off to the operating room for a C-Section. Now, at this point, I’m all “OK, they seem concerned, but we’re in good hands here.” Then, we turn the corner and head to the straight-away and the people pushing the bed start running (yes, literally running, like a Grey’s Anatomy episode) and then I’m running and then I’m starting to freak out a little bit. We get to the OR and a nurse is getting me gowned up, but then I get stopped at the door. Turns out that the epidural wasn’t enough to keep her awake, so they had to put her under general anesthesia and I wasn’t allowed into the room.

So, I’m sitting outside the door, and I hear them putting her under and then I’m just waiting and worrying. And it wasn’t even 90 seconds later that I heard Benjamin’s first cry. And I’m thinking “That’s a good sign.” A nurse comes to me and says that I can see my son. I go in there, Jen is still asleep and being attended to, and right there is my son. So I’m thrilled to meet my baby and worried about my wife at the same time. Thankfully, the other nurse assures me that Jen is doing well. They are stitching her up when yet another nurse brings me my camera, which was left in the other room with all the commotion.

And just like that it hits me: I’m a dad. Before I can get too maudlin, Jen starts coming out of her medically induced nap. After asking several times to make sure that Ben was OK and that he had all ten fingers and toes, she gets to the important questions: “Is he ugly?” and “Does he look Asian?” The answers: Not ugly and sometimes more Asian than others:

After a stint in the recovery room and some frequently hilarious post-sedation conversation, we make our way up to our room and have our first moment with the new mom and baby.

An eventful entrance, to be sure, but both Jen and Benjamin are doing well. We took lots of pictures and will have even more to come. Until then: Hello, Benjamin!

Nope, we have not become hermits for the past three months, sitting at home with the curtains drawn and eating tubs of ice cream for comfort. We haven’t been turning down invites to the social events of the summer just to stare vacantly at our living room wall. Don’t you worry, we are actually very much alive and busy as hell! This has been an insane summer. We’ve barely spent any time at home due to the fact that there was so much going on. Let’s give you a quick rundown of what’s been going on for the past three months:

1. Brian and Leslie’s wedding. What a beautiful couple, congratulations!

2. Paul’s Potluck Party. (Finally, only like 4 years in the making!)

3. Brewfest. And perfect timing, we left right when a mother of a storm came blowing through.

4. Blake Smith Trivia Night. We did not win but we sure did have fun. I do have to say, this is a great trivia night, mostly due to the categories and exorbitant amounts of alcohol flowing.

5. Shakespeare in the Park. I tried it again this time only because I decided, “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Brought my folding chair this time, bitches!

6. Katie’s Annual Backyard BBQ. Another fun summertime event which ended with inappropriate questions and a fire big enough to burn down the complex. Good thing the fire department is in front.

7. Fair St. Louis. We had to have fireworks, it’s a must during the Fourth of July.

8. My baby shower. Yes, I said it. I know I haven’t mentioned it much on this website, probably because I thought I was just gaining a few extra pounds. Just kidding. I think I just haven’t mentioned yet because whenever I do, I freak out and have a meltdown. Am I ready to be a mom? Am I ready to have this little person change my entire life? Can I afford to have a baby? Am I ever going to be able to sleep or will I be a zombie for the rest of my life? Will I like him? What if…ahhh!!! Meltdown is commencing!

9. Lake of the Ozark weekend. My last vacation before baby. And spending it with some of our close friends, exactly how to do a weekend trip. And a special shout-out to Krissy’s family for opening their home to us! It was very much appreciated!

10. Baby shower #2. Must breathe, must not panic! Babies need a lot of crap! Oh god, time is ticking away, I need to do so much! Can I handle this? What if he never stops crying? Oh no, I have to clean up all that stuff that comes out of him? Ewww! Meltdown #2 is commencing!

11. Moving day! That’s right, folks! Bob and I are official homeowners! Okay, so we’re homeowners again. We are now living in what I call a “mom and dad” house. Two-story, four bedroom house with a garage and basement. Just picture the house you grew up in and you’ve just seen our house.

12. Loufest 2011. The second year of this indie festival and the weather turned out perfectly! Thank you Mother Nature, I knew you were sympathetic to my condition. That and the two K’s (Kate and Katie) scored VIP tickets where we got to chill out on hammocks in the shade while sipping on free Pearl Vodka mixed drinks. I have the many plastic cups to prove it.

That sums it up, then why we haven’t been around. With being pregnant, buying a house, going to doctor’s appointments, and general life, some things fall to the wayside like updating this site. I could say that I promise to do better but then I would be lying.