WHEN Jowana Tremain and Jacob Campbell welcomed their daughter Abby into the world at 12.01am on New Year's Day, her arrival represented more than them becoming first time parents.
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The new life also ushered in a new chapter for the family after a horror 2019, in which they lost Ms Tremain's father Edward 'Little Abby' Allan Tremain on July 31 and mother Kelerayani Buna Tremain on December 29.
"We wanted to let 2019 just be the crap year and then everything start afresh this year," Ms Tremain said.
"It's weird that all those things happened in 2019 and Abby waited until just into 2020. It's let us start the decade anew."
Mr Campbell said he was "sure mum and dad have something to do with it".
Abby would have been the Tremains' first grandchild.
She was due on December 22 and the Toronto couple "did everything we could from 39 weeks to get her out", including asking to be induced early.
"Towards the end Mum was really comatose but if I told her I was going to a midwife appointment she would light up and say 'Bring the baby'," Ms Tremain said.
"She would have loved to meet her and was holding on.
"It's almost surreal. We had no other choice [after she died but to keep going], there's nothing really you can do.
"Abby will know she was loved before she even came."
Ms Tremain was induced at 9pm on December 30 and her waters broke at 6.30am on December 31, but she didn't start active labour until 10.30pm.
Staff at John Hunter Hospital held a countdown to midnight and popped a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling wine when Abby arrived, offering a sip to Ms Tremain through a straw.
Abby Olive Campbell is believed to be the Hunter's first baby born this decade. She weighs 3.54 kilograms and is 50.5 centimetres long.
"It's special," Ms Tremain said of the date.
"It's holiday season and everyone is going to have it off work.
"It's far enough away from Christmas so she won't get one present."
The couple met on Tinder and started dating two years ago on January 14.
They travelled between Newcastle and Mr Campbell's Taree home before he relocated to the Hunter in October 2018.
They found out they were pregnant last Anzac Day.
Ms Tremain had a blood test that would reveal their baby's gender in June and left a letter with her doctor giving permission for Mr Campbell to pick up the results, as she would be on a prebooked trip to Europe.
She ended up receiving the results by phone in France and making an $80 call to Mr Campbell to tell him they were expecting a girl.
"I was crying," Mr Campbell said.
"I started wanting a boy, but once we found out we were having a girl I could not imagine anything else."
He said he teared up again when Abby emerged and didn't have his ears.
"I copped it at school and was so relieved hers weren't big too," he said.
"She's pretty well her Mum, but she's got [my] blue eyes. She does this eye thing [fluttering her lids] when she is falling asleep and that's all her Mum.
"I'm over the moon and still in shock.
"You hear cliches about children being your world but I can understand where they're coming from now.
"I want her to know I'm always going to be there for her and if she falls I'll pick her up."
Ms Tremain said "you don't know love like this until they're here".
"It just clicks. They put her on my chest and I just knew - the motherhood instinct kicks in."
Helen Gregory
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
