Pittsfield -
A couple from Pittsfield welcomed their 6 lb 10 oz son into the world Tuesday. But this baby boy proved to be a bit impatient.
When Paul Lord Jr. and Vanessa Hathaway developed their birthing plan, this probably isn't the way they drew it up on the chalkboard. "No not quite," Hathaway sad with a chuckle.
What happened to them is what keeps most expectant parents up at night. It was around 5:00 Tuesday morning when Vanessa woke Paul up complaining of back pain. "We drew a bath. Got her to relax in the bath for a bit but the contractions were like two minutes apart. I was like, that's pretty quick, I think he might be coming sooner than we think," Lord said.
But neither of them realized just how soon until about a half hour later when Vanessa's water broke. "I turned around and got her up, and got her out to the car, got her bag, got some socks on my feet and took off. Got to Somerset Avenue, which is only about two corners away from my house. Took a left to head towards Waterville on the interstate and she says, 'He's coming now.'"
Realizing he was out of time, Paul turned the car around in hopes of making it to Sebasticook Valley Hospital in Pittsfield, which was only a few minutes away. But his son didn't feel like waiting and Charles Orrin Oliver Lord was born in his parents' car at the stop sign on Hartland Avenue in Pittsfield. "He came out like a little football. I caught him and cleared his air paths and handed him to mama when he started crying."
The new family then made their trip to Waterville where they were greeted by staff at Maine General Hospital. "She was all smiles and he was quite perplexed, in shock," said Annette Bowman, Director of Maternal Child Health.
The nurses were surprised to learn that dad had done most of the work already. "They had the baby wrapped. They brought the baby up and I stayed back with mom to get her upstairs," said Bowman who says it's very unusual for first time mothers to give birth so quickly.
Now, the baby, whose initials spell out "cool", can always be thankful that's exactly what his father was the day he was born. "He must have found the eject button that's all I can say," said Paul, whose girlfriend and son are doing just fine.
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