We traveled in the night to Prince Rupert earlier in the month after receiving a phone call from my friend, Kim who was feeling like early labour was upon her. Kim and Josh are the friends that bought our house so it felt strange driving back into my old driveway and walking up to my old back door. The house looked the same but then it also looked different with all our furniture missing!

I wasn’t sure how it was going to feel being in the house that I loved so much and not have it be mine anymore. I’d just days before said to some photography friends that I miss my old house’s charm and light. I still don’t know my new house’s light well and it’s far from charming.

I was pleased to realise though that my old house was exactly as it should have been. I still love the house and mostly because my friends have cared for it and made it their own. There are curtains up where I always meant to hang them and there is paint on the walls upstairs adding so much more personality to the rooms. I know that my friends will continue to work on the house making it better and better.

Kim’s labour was on and off. Mostly on in the evenings and slower in the days. We stayed close to home with a walks around the neighbourhood from time to time to encourage labour. Kim rested a lot and we’d drink tea, shuck broccoli seeds, wander the garden and watch all the neighbourhood kids play. Everyone was very happy to see Lily and Leif back in the hood!

Josh fed us like kings! Each meal was so fantastic and I sorely missed all the gourmet meals once I got home. What a treat to have someone else cook for you!

I’d brought my birth pool with me as an optional labour tool. We set it up and Kim seemed to really enjoy how it felt to be in it, especially when labour was more on than off. When labour really started going a couple days after our arrival it was three in the morning! I will forever be grateful to my friend Lynn for picking up the phone when I called at such an atrocious hour and then allowing my kids to come and sleep over at her house. I’ll never forget this.

Let me tell you (as I get a little choked up again) Kim was SO strong! I was so impressed with the way she handled labour and there wasn’t one moment where things got away from her. Even the hospital staff were surprised and impressed with Kim calm progress. Less than 12 hours from when active labour started, Emi was born!

Emi had skin to skin contact with Kim for a good long time after her arrival and nursed easily right way. We were all exhausted but then also feeling the high of excitement from meeting this new babe. I didn’t want to stop looking at her but then I was also eager to see my kids after their night away. They’d apparently had a terrific day with Lynn who kept her kids home from school to hang with Lily and Leif.

It felt so good to be back at Kim and Josh’s for a good sleep that night. Kim, Josh, Sam and Emi came home the next day and I was starting to think about heading home. I still had so many people I wanted to see and things to do while on the coast but I also realised that Kim’s family needed some time on their own and we needed to see Cam again. I did take a few more pictures before we left.

A beautiful family.

(More pictures can be seen on my Flickr page, starting here)