Father adjusts to family life
CHERRY TWP — It's no secret that Chris Traggiai gets squeamish at the sight of blood.
So much so that his girlfriend Virginia “Gin” Duris reserved a friend as backup when their son was due last September.
“I didn't know if I could watch the birth,” admitted the 39-year-old copper mill laborer, who feared his response to the sight.
But in his first job as a parent, Traggiai put those fears aside — cradling their son's head as Gin, 27, gave birth inside their GMC Jimmy.
“She didn't have anybody else,” Traggiai said.
Gin was due to be induced at 6 a.m. Sept. 8 in Ohio, her home state. But the couple was driving by 1:30 a.m. due to the onset of contractions. By 2:25 a.m., their son, Christopher, was born at the corner of Routes 19 and 422 near the Lawrence County line.
Although both parents belong to the West Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department, Traggiai said he was not prepared for the job.
“I only do CPR and first aid. Nobody ever taught me how to deliver a baby,” he said.
“To be honest with you, I was scared to death.”
Traggiai's fears were eased a short time later, when the Portersville EMS arrived: a welcome site on the lonely road.
“That's got to be the only time I ever drove over the road and never (saw) a vehicle,” he said.
But since the couple's son, their home front is anything but lonely.“My whole world had to adjust: absolutely,” said Traggiai, explaining an earlier lifestyle with minimal time spent at home.“Life isn't about myself anymore. It's about family, really. I look forward to coming home now.”With Gin a stay-at-home mom, Traggiai admits he is off the hook for many of the household chores.“How do you get everything done?” he said, noting toys on the floor are a new way of life and stepping on them a part of it.“The big stuff I can handle. The little stuff hurts,” he said.
