Back with a vengeance

It's been quite some time since I've visited Blip, but this seems the best place to chart the next chapter of my life.
This is the first photo ever taken of my daughter, who arrived in a heck of a hurry this morning.

"How would you like to have a baby today?"
The words I woke to at 04:50 this morning. 
"Muwurgghh?" 
"Here's your tea. My waters broke earlier. Also, I've kicked a hedgehog and hurt my toe" 
Wow. This is surprising. We don't see many hedgehogs. 
I tackle the sentence in reverse. 
My waters broke earlier. 
"Wow, really?" The due date is a week tomorrow. 
"Yep"
"Yeah, that would be great!" 
As my wife walks around the bed, she stops and pauses for a contraction, the first I've witnessed. 
"Would you like me to start timing them?" 
"No, it's okay. They aren't that close. I've been doing my ironing. I've been up since two. I've rung the hospital, they've said we can go in for an examination at six"
Almost as soon as she finishes saying this, another contraction starts. Now I'm up. 
The contractions come one after the other with only a minute's rest in between. 
"Get some clothes on, we need to go"
"Can I brush my teeth first?"
"No. We need to go." 
"I haven't had a wash yet."
"We're going."
34 seconds between the last two.
"But..."
"Get in the car. I'm grabbing some towels. I don't care about the car, but if you go into labour at the side of the road, I want be able cover you up."
In the twenty-five minutes it takes to get to the hospital, she has another dozen contractions. No two ways about it: this baby's coming today. 
We arrived at hospital at 5:40am, and by six we were seen by two midwives to try and determine which the baby was facing. In the end, they decided it didn't matter, since my wife was 4cm dilated and progressing all the time. She tried the gas-and-air mixture, and promptly threw up. Best to skip that then.
By 6:30, we were led to the delivery spa, which was a beautiful, large room. Not that we had much time to enjoy it. At 7:20, my wife got into the pool, unable to stand for the contractions anymore. 
Just before eight, we were joined by a midwife called Paula, who was just starting her shift, and was to take over from the midwife who had taken us into the suite. 
Natalie was asked to lift herself up a bit for an examination. By now, she was beginning to worry about being able to continue. 
"I need you to lift up darling."
"I can't. I can't do this."
"You have to. We don't even know if you're fully dila... ...nevermind, I can see your baby's head!"
I didn't really think my involvement was that important, but later my wife explained that after I reached in to the pool and lifted her under her shoulders so that she could bear down more easily, it was me who told her to give one extra push, which brought my jet-propelled little bundle straight out: head, shoulders, knees and toes.
She was born at 8:13 am, eight days before her due date. Rocket girl.
I don't think I've ever cried so much in happiness.
Both ladies are doing well, and both sets of grandparents are en route. Mother in law is understandably upset (she arrives tomorrow from Cyprus to be here for the birth - doh!) but I suspect she will get over it when she sees how gorgeous the new addition is.
7lb 2oz of pure awesomeness.

PS. The hedgehog was unharmed.