Haley and Tyler Waterman had been waiting nine months for Sunday night.
The Texas couple was still three weeks away from their first child's due date, so they weren’t concerned about attending the Cowboys-Patriots football game on Sunday, Oct. 1.
A die-hard Cowboys fan, Haley attended the game with the opposition — her Massachusetts-born, Patriots fan husband, Tyler, plus his father and brother. The family knew that the rivalry would cause some commotion, but they got a little more than they bargained for when the baby decided to make an early entrance.
Haley went to a doctor's appointment the Thursday before the game. Looking back, she remembers that the ultrasound tech happened to say "if" she was still pregnant next week, suggesting that she might not make it to her due date. But at the time, Haley tells TODAY.com that she and her husband "didn't really put two and two together."
The family took a photo and hit up the concessions stand at the stadium in Arlington, Texas before settling into their seats. Along the way, Haley noticed that she had started to leak. When she mentioned it to Tyler, he told her not to worry.
Then Haley experienced what she thought were Braxton-Hicks contractions. But they "kept going and going, lasting 30 seconds. Then I got up, and my water broke. And it took everybody by surprise."
Even with the general chaos in the stands, fans surrounding the Watermans noticed what was happening "because I kept repeating — basically yelling — 'My water's broken and we need to leave!'" Haley says. "I had tunnel vision but apparently everyone was cheering us on."
Tyler helped Haley to the top of the stairs, where a security guard called the team of medics to transport Haley to the hospital. "It happened so fast," she says.
Haley is wearing a big grin and giving a thumbs up in the photos, but she says the reality was a bit different.
"I definitely had tears rolling down my face. But my husband wanted a picture and I said, 'I ain't gonna make us look bad.' I put my game face on," she says.
Already in active labor by the time the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Haley welcomed a baby girl, Delaney Lou Waterman, into the world at 4:11 a.m. on Oct. 2.
Weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces, Delaney is about half as heavy as an NFL football, and at 21 inches, she's about twice as long.
"She is the greatest gift I think I've ever received. She is perfect in every single way," Haley gushes.
But the important question is this: Will Delaney cheer for the Cowboys or the Patriots?
"We will let her make the decision," Haley says. "We will always cheer the Cowboys on, and we will always cheer the Patriots on, but when they play against each other, it will be a house divided."
As for her own post-game analysis, Haley adds, "No matter how far along you are, I hope people pack their hospital bag because you never know what to expect."
