A father-to-be has told how he ended up delivering his baby on the side of a highway and used a shoe lace to tie off the umbilical cord after his wife went into labor five days early. Mark Stonis, 35, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, was forced to pull over during rush hour traffic on Monday morning en route to Sentara Obici Hospital in Suffolk. He called 911 and spoke to an emergency dispatcher, who helped guide him through the birth of his son on a grassy verge. Mr Stonis told WAVY-TV that he was 'in denial' that the whole thing was happening and at one point put his hand over his 35-year-old wife, Stephanie, 'almost trying to hold the baby in'. Scroll down for video . Happy family: Mark Stonis, 35, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, was forced to pull over during rush hour traffic on Monday morning en route to Sentara Obici Hospital in Suffolk to deliver his son . He continued: 'I really did not want to pull over. I did not want her to have that baby on the road in the car, on the side of the road. 'I wanted to be in the comfort of a hospital, the professionals dealing with what they do best.' Mrs Stonis, who also has two young daughters, said she started feeling contractions just before 6am on Monday. As her second daughter, Kaleigh, came two weeks early, the expectant mother didn't want to take any risks. Bouncing baby: Considering his early arrival, the newborn weighed a healthy 6lbs 11oz . Improvisation: Mr Stonis used a shoe lace to tie off the umbilical cord - he joked that he never got it back so now he has a shoe that doesn't tie . Top tale: The father-of-three says he can't wait to tell his son about the life-changing event when he's older . The Stonis' had started the 30 minute drive to hospital when Mrs Stonis suddenly felt her waters brake. Recalling the chain of events, she said: 'I was telling my husband that he needed to pull over because I needed to push.' Paul Mark Anthony Stonis was born on the interstate before first responders managed to get to the scene. Considering his early arrival, the newborn weighed a healthy 6lbs 11oz, . New addition: The Stonis family (pictured above) are now five after the rush hour delivery . Mr Stonis says he can't wait to tell his son about the life-changing event when he’s older. 'When I was born, I was in the newspapers as well because I was the first one in this particular hospital up in Maine,' Mark said. 'So, I was in the newspaper and he’s now going to be in the newspaper, so that’s pretty exciting, like father, like son.' The stand-in medic joked that he never got his shoelace back so now he has a shoe that doesn't tie.
Mark Stonis, 35, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, was forced to pull over during rush hour traffic on Monday morning en route to hospital . He called 911 and spoke to an emergency dispatcher, who helped guide him through the birth of his son on a grassy verge . Paul Mark Anthony Stonis was born without complication and is doing well .