Wednesday night was a long one for me, with a rush drive over to Wagga at 10:30 pm after hearing that Emily was in labour and the contractions were only 6 minutes apart. I met them at the hospital. Emily and Kai had Lauren and Riley with them, and the 4 of us were all crowded around Emily when she was first admitted.
The room was tiny and so Lauren and I took Riley to another room where she fed him, while the nurses did a few preliminary tests with Emily. Not long after we were taken up to the delivery room and Emily was given a really nice birthing room that included all manner of comfy chairs, bean bag, exercise ball, etc to make the birth as comfortable as possible. We could make tea and coffee, there was food in the fridge, a TV, and bathroom. It's such a fantastic experience to share with anyone and I would urge anyone to do it if the opportunity arose.
Emily was brave and I felt very proud of her, and by 3 am she was quite exhausted. You feel so helpless, there for support but you can't do any of the hard work. Scarlett was born just after 4.20 am to the relief of us all. A perfect little girl. It was an emotional experience for us all, and one I was proud to share.
I have less than a year now to give up smoking, I promised the kids I'd give up before I turn 50. The count-down has begun.