Speaking exclusively to the club’s official website, the Kangaroos’ vice-captain has paid tribute to his wife Nicole.
“She was a lot tougher than any footballer I have ever met during the birth,” Petrie said.
“It was an emergency caesar…Nicole had about 12 hours of labour but that didn’t bring the little bugger out. I was pretty nervous sitting in the waiting room while they prepared her for the operation and delivery…then I went in and fifteen minutes later the little fella came out and then I went to the nursery with him for an hour. I couldn’t stop thinking about Nicole and hoping she was okay, then they wheeled her by the nursery and everything was fine.”
Like all doting dads, Petrie has memorised all the details about his little boy.
“He was born on Monday the 11th of October at 10.52pm,” Petrie recalls with a sense of pride.
“50 centimeters in length…his head is 37 centimeters and he weighed eight pounds 14.”
Football has been the sole focus of Petrie’s entire life, but that’s no longer the case.
"I can’t stop looking at him and I can’t get over how alert he is. He seemed to have all of his senses about him. Sitting with him in the nursery was incredible. It’s like I had known him for months already but he’d only just been born.
“He’s sleeping really well, he’s feeding well…he squeaks like a little toy and makes all these funny noises and faces. I find myself just sitting next to him and staring at him…I think that’s why I’m so tired, not because I’m actually doing anything.
“I get up when Nicole gets up to feed just to give her some support…but I don’t know how long that’s going to last because I’m stuffed at the moment!”
And it’s only going to get a lot tougher for the 28 year-old who started running last week. It’s the first time he has jogged since a third operation to repair a broken bone in his foot.
Petrie will take a cautious approach to pre-season training and will not be joining his teammates in Utah, but will now have extra motivation to play his best football come season 2011.
