The Gift of New Life

crewfitnesshub
Aug 1, 2016
4 min read

In the past few weeks, or more like nine months, I have been taken on a once in lifetime journey. For me it was all about the unknown. When your one and only sibling falls pregnant there is this intense mix of emotions. First of all, you think, how did my sister and I become so grown up, she is about to become a mum, and I, an Aunt! Secondly there is that strange feeling when you think about the fact that your bloodline is about to grow... Soon there will be a living human smiling and breathing with some of the same genes, the same traits as me. This was, and still is, the hardest thing for me to believe. It is surreal!

I have never been so impatient in my life. The final week leading up to Huxley's entry into the world just seemed to go on for a lifetime. Chelsea showed signs of progress on the Monday and she was due on the Tuesday. Every night I would go to sleep thinking this could be the night and every morning I would go to work with my phone by my side waiting for the call. It was Friday night and I had just left the studio when my phone went crazy with alerts and missed calls, her waters had broke! I thought, this is it, everything is about to get real!! Fast forward twenty four hours and nothing.. Chels was just in a lot of pain and frustration and we were all still on standby. By Saturday night she had decided to be induced, with next to no sleep under her belt it was time to get this little man out! But if only it was that easy.

At 8pm mum and I had settled ourselves into Chels's birthing room at the Brisbane Mater Mother's Hospital. The lights were off and we had set up the laptop with 'Ride Along 2'. The hours that followed got longer and more painful as the early morning grew nearer. By 2:30am Chels was only 4cm dilated and crippled by the contraction pains. The option to have an epidural to take the pain away was too tempting to refuse. It wasn't what Chels wanted but the little one just didn't want to come out. It's not a great feeling watching your only sister go through that and feel so helpless.. I was so glad she made that decision. The needle was so genius it allowed her to catch up on two hours of much needed sleep.. Who would have thought it possible to snooze during labor! I know what I will be doing when it's my turn to 'push one out'. As the sun rose on Sunday morning and Chels woke up..a miracle had occurred and she was finally 10cm dilated! We were all ready to finally get this baby out and into our arms. But of course, nothing was to go to plan. After a few hours of pushing the doctors informed us that the baby's head was not even engaged and their plan to help the process along was not even an option. He hadn't stopped moving and was completely facing the wrong way. So the finale lead Chels into an emergency cesarian. It was the only way and at this point we all just wanted to the pain to stop and and the baby out. At 10:45am, on Sunday 17th July 2016, Huxley Vincent Ward was born into this world weighing a very healthy (and unexpected) 4.325kg and reaching out a long 54.5cm. He was absolutely the most precious thing I have ever seen. When I met him I was in disbelief and I was in complete awe and admiration of my older sister. What I had seen her deal with and the restraint and composure that she carried through with her was an unbelievable feat and I have never been more proud of her.

Huxley has just celebrated his two week old birthday!! It feels like I have known him forever.. I can't wait to see how his personality develops. For now his is a big sucker.. he loves his dummy and has the cutest little cry ( although I am sure mum and Yaya beg to differ)! He is the boy version of Chelsea in looks and also the fact that he can sleep through almost anything. But above everything, he is almost like the reincarnation of our beloved and missed Poppy. It's those cheeky faces he pulls! In his very short lifetime Hux has experienced his very first photo shoot where we witnessed a natural born star.. (he slept the whole time..what an angel)! These photos will be cherished for years to come and no doubt brought out for a good laugh at his 21st birthday. It was a big day for Hux as he trekked all the way to Surfer's Paradise on the Gold Coast for a beautiful high tea with a view to die for..but who do you think really stole all the attention in that cute as a button baby blue bowtie and doll size shoes!

I have seen little Hux almost every day since his birth and the days, weeks and months to come will be an ongoing journey that I just can't wait to be a part of. He is growing before our very eyes, and I will cherish every moment spent with him as my first, beautiful nephew, a true gift to the world.

~SROSEZ