Life with baby Emma

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The day after the birth I joined the family on an exclusive trip to the hospital to visit mother and baby. Cedric bought Laetitia an amazing boquet of flowers which I was rather envious of and wondered to myself if my future husband will be quite so affectionate and romantic as that.

Anais, as the excited and proud big sister, made sure that she got first hold of the baby when we arrived. I sat down next to her to admire the tiny form in her arms. I wasn't expecting Anais to suddenly turn to me and offer the baby into my nervous 19-year-old arms, which have no experience of baby holding (Anais on the other hand seems quite a pro). I took the tiny baby hesitantly and once safely cradled in my arms, I stared at her with wonder and adoration - what a beautiful and miraculous creation!

There was later a great family moment when all the kids got to hold their new baby sister and I felt like I was kind of intruding this treasured Fau family moment, accompanied by a pang of sadness as I thought 'I don't really belong here, this isn't really my family'.

We didn't stay long at the hospital - the kids were starting to run a-mock, sliding down the large, remote control bed, shutting themselves in the small wardrobe, playing with water in the ensuite bathroom and running up and down the corridor outside.

The next afternoon Cedric decided to make another visit to the hospital but this time I stayed at home. The house was in desperate need of a clean and I felt a nagging sense to do it. I turned on some Bethel worship music, put on an apron and got myself into an attitude of praise and worship - who said cleaning windows and washing floors can't be an act of worship?

After three hours of hard work it was done - I'd fought through all the grime and dirt, as well as the thoughts of 'You don't have to do this', 'You could be outside enjoying myself', 'No one's even going to notice all your hard work and effort'. I remembered what the Holy Spirit had told me in Switzerland, that I'm a secret agent - I love the idea of working in secret, undercover for the Kingdom of Heaven.

On Saturday afternoon, Laetitia and Emma finally arrived home from hospital, much to everyone's joy and excitement. And so family life with a new-born baby continues, interrupted occasionally by loud, hoarse crying but apart from that, you'd hardly even know she was there.

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