Teniko Okabe was ready for her second child, she just never expected him to be so eager to see the world.
“It just happened so fast,” said the proud new mom.
Carter Ramsay was born Thursday in his home with the help of paramedics and Maple Ridge firefighters. He wasn’t due until Sept. 23.
Okabe was home alone with her four-year-old son Jayce when her water broke around 10 a.m. She called her dad Doug, who lives just a block away, but by the time he arrived, just a few minutes later, she was already going into labour.
“He was coming,” said Okabe.
Her husband Ben, working in Port Coquitlam, rushed to drive back home.
In the meantime, Okabe’s frantic father called 911 and began getting instructions on how to deliver a baby.
“My husband was panicking and hoping the ambulance would arrive before he had to actually deliver,” said Carol Okabe, or ‘Gammy.’
The Maple Ridge fire department, two ambulances and Ben arrived just in time to deliver the baby on the living room floor.
There were no complications with Carter’s birth. Except for the rug burns on her arms, Teniko Okabe says he came out just perfect.
“The paramedics were just amazing,” Okabe added.
One paramedic in particular, guided her through the ordeal. The Okabe-Ramsay family decided to honour him by giving Carter the middle name - Shayne.
“I credit it all to Shayne. He was just so good,” said Okabe.
Mom and baby spent Thursday night at Ridge Meadows Hospital, but were back home the next day.
Carter’s older brother Jayce was a little unsettled by the delivery. He has been reenacting the birth with his toy tigers, says grandma Carol Okabe.