The day finally arrived. I had been on strict bed rest for the last few weeks, and my due date was finally here.

I had wanted to try a home birth, and even though Josh and the doctors tried to convince me otherwise after the close call earlier this month, I refused to give up on it. We finally agreed that we'd start with the home birth, but at the first sign of trouble I was to be rushed to the hospital only fifteen minutes away.

The midwife arrived around eight am and got things started. The day was a slow and painful one as I went back and forth between the bed and the tub, trying to ease the pain and coax the baby to get the ball rolling.

We tried everything from playing club music to gentle exercising on the birthing ball to get the process going. The midwife said progress was going just fine, but to me it just felt like an eternity.

Sometime in the afternoon, I was far enough along to break the water. Once that was done, everything seemed to intensify.

"Doesn't matter how many you have, you like to forget how much goes into it!" I joked as a contraction ebbed.

It was late in the evening when I was finally ready to push. A little after eleven, the newest Chasez was placed on my chest as Josh cut the cord. She was checked over and proclaimed healthy and fine by the midwife.

While I was being attended to, I watched as Josh held her. He held her like she'd break if he so much as breathed on her and brought her carefully up to me where he knelt down to be more at my level and adjusted her so I could see her little face better.

"Hi there, Zara. I'm your daddy," he whispered to her. I stroked her cheek gently with the back of my finger. Josh brought her up to his mouth and gently kissed her forehead. I smiled as I watched.

The midwife finished up and let me adjust myself into more of a sitting position on the bed.

"I love you. I can not believe you would put yourself through all that for me. I'm so proud of both of you," he whispered as he handed Zara to me for her first feeding before the midwife left.

Josh made to leave the room as I started to get ready to feed her.

"Why are you leaving? You've seen it all before."

Josh stopped and hung out around the doorway while Zara and I figured out the best way of doing it.

The feeding done, the midwife left some papers with Josh and went home.

When Josh returned to the room, I gently handed Zara over to him and watched as he placed her into the bassinet. I got off the bed and waddled carefully to the linen closet and helped Josh as he changed the sheets on the bed, tossing the ruined set into the garbage. I changed my clothes and climbed back into the bed.

"You know, I think we need to go and get a new bed tomorrow," I yawned.

"Hmm. It can wait until you're ready to get one with me." Josh said as he climbed in next to me.

"Love you, Daddy." I whispered as I drifted off, hoping to catch a few hours before the next feeding.