She IS A Girl

Simon Cooper
March 24, 2010

A few snap shots of something very special in my life. Last Saturday (20th March) at 1:20 am Chieko gave birth to a baby girl. Babies tend to look a bit odd when they first come into this world, and it's not surprising that after having been squeezed out their faces tend to be squashed. Not having considered this properly I was a bit worried for a minute. But that was just another great example of my ignorance. She is gorgeous. Take a look:

We are feeling very blessed to have another baby and especially to have a girl after having four boys. Chieko is bionic, she already came home Saturday afternoon. Am doing my best to be a helpful husband/father and do more than I usually do. She does need to rest more.

The boys are properly blessed. They needed a sister. Eddie is not the youngest any more, and seems much bigger all of a sudden.

I will remember this birth. Well especially if I put something down here now. Chieko went into hospital on Thursday night, and told me what to put in the packed lunches for the boys. The contractions became less frequent but they kept her in and then on Friday evening they started to get stronger again. After having taken the boys to McDonalds for dinner… fridge was a bit bare, I left them with a a friend of ours at home, and was planning to go and see Chieko and then pop into Lancaster Gate: we were doing an evening reading of the Book of Acts, all 28 chapters. But I never got there. Chieko was saying, "Why don't you go to Lancaster Gate, the baby won't come for a few more hours…." Felt like that would not really be the right thing to do. I mentioned this to Dolores Read on the phone who was helping with the prayer for the baby. She said: " Well, there are a lot of people to join in the reading at Lancaster Gate, but Chieko only has one husband." Enough said.

Anyhow, I read along in the delivery room from my little Gidean, while Chieko waited. William Haines pointed out to me it's a good chapter to read at such a time, since Acts all about the birth of the church. It felt special to think of the 21 people reading in Lancaster Gate while we waited for the baby to arrive. The next thing I knew it was about 1 am, I was just waking up in the rocking chair (yes they had a rocking chair in the delivery room -- v comfy) and Chieko was getting ready with the midwife to give birth. I called Dolores to let her know for the prayer. I was still kind of waking up and then the baby came. It all felt quite calm and peaceful, just the three of us and then well I guess it was four of us in the room. The midwife asked me if I wanted to cut the chord. I had to have two goes but managed it in the end.

Chieko was amazing all 9 months. Also, the midwife was great, looked like she could have helped deliver the baby in her sleep. After a while I held the baby for 30 minutes while Chieko had a much needed power nap. And then at about 4:45 am I came home. Woke Damon up and told him he had a little sister, he smiled or said something. And then I crashed out for a few hours, bit tired.

Still thinking of a name. I think we are getting there. It's hard after four boys to get into girls names. And I just feel like she should have a name no one else has. I guess that is why the names True Father used to give to families for their children are so special, cuz you will not find them anywhere else other than in that individual's passport.

Having been matched with Chieko by True Parents and then receiving the marriage blessing from God through them, everything that happens in our family starts from True Parents. So, when we celebrate and experience the joy of new life, I remember and give thanks to God and True Parents because with out them this family would not exist.