D Magazine: What were the days before the birth like? Were you nervous? Excited? Did it feel like you were getting ready for a big game?
Tony Romo: I just think excitement. You don’t know what to expect. You have people telling you about the process, how it is going to go. You’re just nervous. You’re excited. You’ve got butterflies in a good way. It’s a really neat experience, a very spiritual experience.
D: How did the actual day of the birth go?
Romo: It was good. The contractions were getting bigger, and we ended up going in and he ended up being born around 5:37 pm. It was a pretty neat day, just going through the whole process with the family and Candice and him coming out. In the end, he ended up coming out pretty quick. It was just a great experience to share with your family. It was just very special.
D: How long was labor?
Romo: We were in it all day, but I don’t know how long the entire time frame was from when it started contractions.
D: Did you catch him?
Romo: Yeah, I did all that, cut the umbilical cord. He was a good baby. He made everything kind of easy.
D: Talking to people who are close to you, they all say that you are continually working on getting better as a quarterback. How has having a kid affected your work ethic and how much time you can devote to football?
Romo: I think the No. 1 goal is to be a good husband and father. That is why we are here. I was lucky enough to find someone who understands what it takes to be a quarterback of a football team and what it takes to be good and how to improve and get better. So I take my job very seriously—both of them, as far as being a quarterback and being a dad. I am the spiritual leader of our family, and, for me, that is an important aspect to pass down to my son. I had a great father. Candice had a great father. So it is easy to understand what steps to take to do things the right way.
D: Are you getting any sleep?
Romo: I’m getting some sleep, but that is probably the biggest difference. The sleep patterns are different than what it was.
D: Who are your father-figure role models? What kind of dad do you think you’ll be?
Romo: I’m not sure. It’s ever-evolving. Right now, he is starting to smile, and it is the funnest part of the day. You just try to get him to smile. You spend 30 minutes sitting there just trying to make him smile, and when he does, it is like you just won something. I think you just want to love on them and show them that you care and instill in them values and things that you’ve learned along the way.
