Today is the fifth anniversary of the birth of my eldest daughter Cara. Strictly speaking the anniversary started at 12:20am because that is when she first graced my Wife's and my presence with the joy of her arrival into this world. This arrival was certainly eventful (not in any bad way thankfully) in many ways....
On the night of the 10th January 2001 we went to bed at a relatively late time, somewhere around 11pm. The 10th was a pretty cold winters night with a thick layer of ice on the roads, this is important to what happens later. We spent the next 40 minutes or so talking, as we sometimes do and were just starting to settle down to sleep when Tracy informed me 'I think my waters have broken'. Now this was my first child, Tracy already has two sons, so this statement was like a whack round the face with a large haddock. Trying to hide this feeling of shock/horror/fear from the Wife, I asked the obvious question 'Are you sure?' Now in hindsight, and after the birth of another Daughter, this seemed a damn stupid question to ask. Of course she was sure, she'd had two babies already and the bed was rather damp. 'Yes I think so darling', was her delightfully restrained answer to her idiot husband.
Now we were planning on a home birth, so all of the required kit was ready in the house. I rung up the Maternity unit at Dorchester Hospital to let them know that things were off of the starting blocks. They informed me that the Midwives would be informed and would arrive shortly. As Tracy's contractions were not hitting too hard yet, we decided we better get her downstairs. I got the previously purchased plastic sheet down on the sofa and Tracy sat down for a little while. Now this sheet turned out to be useless, as it was actually for covering plants and therefore had small perforations in it. The sofa still has the stains from that night on the cushions, thank goodness the covers were washable.Over the next 20 minutes, the contractions steadily got more painful and shorter in intervals. I then received THE phonecall.

'Hi is that Mr Vincent?'

'Yes, what is up?'

'Our midwives are stuggling to get to you, due to the bad road conditions. Therefore we have scrambled an Ambulance to attend as well, just in case.'

'Uh, okay.'

Now what did I do, this was Tracy's first home birth and my first birth of any sort.

SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!

There was only one thing I could do, boldly and blatently lie my face off!

'Was that the Hospital darling?'

'Yes, the Midwives are on the way. They shouldn't be long.'

'Good because these contractions are getting stronger.'

SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!

About 10 minutes later, I get another phone call.

'Hi is that Mr Vincent?'

'Uh, yes.'

'This is the Ambulance crew, which Hampton are you in?'

'The one between Grimstone and Winterbourne Abbas. We are one of the cottages just before or after, depending on the way you are coming, the dairy farm. We are just off of the road but the lights are blazing.'

'Oh okay, we will get there shortly.'

SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!!

'Who was that darling?'

'The hospital, they are sending an ambulance as well.'

'Oh...okay. These contractions are getting really strong now, can you get that TENS machine on me?'

'Of course darling.'

SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!!!

We moved into the bathroom and she sat down whilst I attached all of the various pads of the TENS machine to different parts of her body....and then it happened. Now I cannot remember too much about the next few seconds, I cannot remember if Tracy said anything (but she must have done), I didn't even manage to think or say another SHIT. All I remember was Tracy standing, something letting me know that the baby was on the way (almost certainly Tracy), me throwing the TENS machine into the bath and then the catch that would have impressed any fielder during the Ashes (it is probably lucky I play Cricket). Yes I was the midwife at the birth of my daughter, although perhaps silly mid-on would have been a better term.
I looked down at this white grease covered purple little person more with shock than realisation that it was my daughter. After a few moments I handed her over to Tracy (it was probably not best to push my luck too far, that catch had probably pushed my luck quota for several years).I looked down at the black Cotton Traders T-shirt I was wearing, which was now covered in a reasonable amount of the before-mentioned white grease. That T-shirt, because I still have it and wear it often, will always be the 'Cara Arrival' T-shirt.
We moved into the front room and Tracy sat down on the sofa with Cara. Shortly afterwards the Ambulance arrived and I let the Paramedics in - too late for the birth but in time for tea (I didn't care now, my Daughter was here and my wife appeared to be fine).
Again a little later the Midwives finally arrived. They had come from Lyme Regis which is some way down the coast from us, so it was not entirely suprising it had taken a while to arrive. Everybody had been caught out by Tracy's rather rapid delivery time - 40 minutes from waters breaking to birth if you have not been keeping count. The midwives set to work and with the exception of a little concern about the delivery of the placenta, both Tracy and Cara were both eventually deemed to be all healthy.
Around now the boys made a brief appearance to see their new sister, hardly suprising considering the time this was a brief 'Wotz going on? Wot baby? Oh yeah! I'm goin back to bed.' A short time later, with Cara in her cot (which I had luckily made with Richard's help only a couple of days before) asleep, the various members of the medical profession left us to continue our life with the new addition.
Actually this is not entirely the end of the story because at that time Cara was not actually Cara yet. We had a number of names possible but had not settled on one yet. The favourite was Talia but on seeing Cara, we decided she was not a Talia. The next day, it was decided that she was a Cara...Cara Nicola Vincent. The Nicola is from Tracy's late-sister, who unfortunately I never had the chance to meet but it is nice to think her memory continues within the name of our daughter.Five years later, Cara has now been at School since September and along with her sister and my wife are the loves of my life and my main reason for being.