December 2010 - A Beautiful Baby Is Born

I was feeling happy with my life. I didn't really feel that I needed to have our own children in our lives. Craig and I have our Wakeboarding and to be honest, I didn't really think that I was the sort of person who would be able to devote my life to looking after a child. Not the initial period, but the getting up and taking them to school, taking them to dance or football lessons. I don't know why. I can't explain why I felt that way. I had always wanted children until 2/3 years ago. I woke up one morning and decided that it really wasn't for me. Selfish? Yes, possibly.

Our best friends were having their baby this month. Baby Daykin was due on 19th December and still I had no feelings towards having a child - we would have Baby Daykin to love. As far as I was aware, Craig felt the same too.

 I'd organised a Baby Shower for Jodi at our house. I made sure the Christmas Tree went up, I made fairy cakes and scones. The Baby Shower was a surprise for Jodi. She'd already had one with her work colleagues and she thought she was coming to our house with Ash, for a Christmas Dinner. I don't think she knew and I think the afternoon went really well.

19th December came. Craig, Ash, Jodi and I had decided that if Baby Daykin hadn't arrived by the due date, that we would have a hot curry for dinner. It gave us something to laugh about and of course we did wonder if it would work.

On 22nd December, Craig and I were on our way home from my work Christmas Party. We were driving through Wootton Bassett and around 11:45pm I received a text from Jodi saying that her waters had gone and that she had been told to go straight to the delivery suite. I text straight back wishing them both all the luck and love in the world. We both had work the next morning, but I didn't care. It was the last working day before Christmas and it didn't matter if I was tired. I bfelt such excitement knowing that Baby Daykin was on it's way.

A text arrived from Ash around 1am to let us know that Jodi was 3-4cm and doing well. I told Craig that they generally base labour on 1cm per hour so we probably had some time yet. I decided to try and get to sleep, but that was just an impossible task. Craig was sleeping away next to me, excited yes, but he can sleep past anything.

Around 3:30am my phone went again. I was expecting an update on the labour. It was actually Ash, telling me that Baby Daykin had arrived into the world at 02:59 weighing in at 6lb 7oz. It was a boy. I immediately started to cry with overwhelming happiness and woke Craig up to tell him the news. I couldn't sleep at all.
Ash had gone home around 7am to get some sleep - he told me that he hadn't stopped smiling since his little boy arrived. I felt the most unbelievable joy for our best friends and I asked Ash to send a picture of the baby and asked him to let me know asap on the finalised name. I cried when I saw his little face and the smile on Jodi's.  Jodi had text me around 8:30am and asked if we wanted to see him - but we weren't allowed to visit until 6pm but Jodi was hoping to leave hosptial before then.

I didn't get much done at work. I went out and bought cards and gifts, excited to tell all my work colleagues about the new arrival. It was at this point that I realised that I wanted a child of my own. I thought back to the moment Ash announced the birth of his son and realised that this was when i'd had the sudden change of heart. I DID have something to give.  I kept thinking to myself, "I wonder what Craig feels". I had to message Craig. The message was something like, "I want a baby". I didn't know how else to word it. Craig replied and said "me too when do you want to try". I knew that it was the right time. A playmate for Baby Daykin was required asap. "Now" was my response.
The pill went straight in the bin when I got home.

Jodi had messaged about us visiting. I wanted to make sure we were definitely welcome before we barged in on a major Daykin/Topham Family event. The response of "he wants to meet you" was just wonderful. Jodi was leaving hospital so we went to their house to see the 3 of them, a couple, our best friends, now a proper family. The wait outside in the car felt like the longest time in the world. It had been snowing the last few days and the roads were icy so I knew it would be a slower journey. The big smile on my face became even larger as I saw the car come round the corner. After hugging the happy couple and offering congratulations, Baby Charlie Michael Daykin was handed to me. A moment that I will treasure forever.

Seeing Jodi's face when I told her that we wanted to have a baby was a real picture. She said she would be there for me every step of the way and that she couldn't wait for us to have a playmate for Charlie............