It's taken 10 days to get the chance to post this, but....

CAIRA IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!

She was born by emergency caesarean on Wednesday 1st December, her due date. My waters broke (in an absolute flood all around the house!) around 10.00 the night before. I'd been having irregular contractions for a few hours previously and almost as soon as we were in the car on our way to hospital they started coming every three minutes although only mild. I was in very early labour on arrival at hospital and five hours later, stretched out in a warm bath with essential oils and Michael brushing my hair, just as I was thinking that the last couple had been much stronger, contractions... just... stopped. We ended up getting a couple of hours sleep before I was induced in the morning. Contractions started again and I was assessed by the obstetrician who found that Caira's head was down but sitting high in the pelvis. It had been very low the night before. I was instructed to remain upright to allow gravity to help her come down. I spent the next three hours going between standing and swaying (sometimes with Michael behind me, his hands on my hips giving my back his body heat) and sitting on the birthing ball, leaning forward on the bed. It caused excruciating pelvic pain though, having to sit with legs apart in order to lean forward so I would sit until I couldn't stand it anymore and then stand until I couldn't stay on my feet anymore. Somewhere in there I saw the doctor again and Caira had turned sideways. Just before midday, after labouring for three hours and as I was requesting an epidural, the doctor came in to do another scan to check Caira's position. She was head down again. Immediately after the scan I went to the toilet and the doctor stayed in the room to do another scan when my bladder was empty. In just that few minutes, Caira turned around to breach. At that point, and with me lying there saying "just get her out, just get her out" the doctor ordered a Caesarean due to an unstable lie. Because my waters had broken there was no way for the doctor to turn Caira around again and even if she did turn there was no guarantee at that point with all her movement that she would stay in any one position.

So, an hour and a half later I had experienced the extreme weirdness that is feeling pressure and pulling on my insides, hearing snipping and knowing it was my body being cut but not feeling any pain and there we were in the operating theatre and listening to Caira's first cry. When we heard that sound we both burst into cry-laughter. We were holding hands, looking at each other and waiting to catch sight of our daughter and I was saying "she's alive, she's alive, we did it, she's breathing, she's crying, she's alive!" In that moment, despite those words, I wasn't actively thinking of Kat. This was Caira's moment and I was so excited to meet her. My over-riding emotion was utter excitement.

Caira was taken by the paediatrician for a check and Michael cut the cord. His first words when he saw her were "she's absolutely gorgeous". Nurses were telling me how big she was, that they thought she would be over 4kg. Finally, all wrapped in a blanket, Caira was laid down on my shoulder and Michael and I sat/lay together looking at our daughter. Her eyes were shut tight and she kept trying to open them but not doing it. A nurse came and shielded her eyes from the theatre lights and she opened them; we both saw that her eyes were the exact same colour as mine. She closed them again and the next time she opened them they were dark blue. Her hair looked red but once the vernix dried it was much fairer, more blond. It has started to fall out now and what's left is darkening. In some light it still looks red though. All in all she looks very much like me. And she wasn't over 4kg - she was 3768g or 8 pound 3.

She has been a dream baby so far. In her first week she had the usual second night feed and scream fest that they all have but otherwise she went five to six hours between night feeds every night and two to four hours during the day. She rarely cries - although when she does she really lets us know about it! The kid is loud! When we pick her up we could swear she's smiling. Michael's mum said the same thing. Her mouth kind of opens, her eyes shine and her whole face glows. One thing I have never, ever seen or heard any other newborn do... we will often go to check on her in the bassinette and she will be wide awake, just lying there happily looking at the side of her bed with her hand outstretched. The first time I saw it I was sure that my vision from all those months ago was true - both my girls in the one cot, one a newborn and the other a little older but still a baby sitting up on the left side (as I look at her) of her sister's head watching her.

The main other thing to write about now is that I was readmitted to hospital after a day and a half at home with an infection. I've been on antibiotics for a few days now and they've unsettled Caira, but nothing we can't deal with. She's crying a bit more and wanting more feeds but we are fine.

All in all she is an absolute delight. She's a beautiful girl in every way and we are so much in love with her.