Steve Armstrong almost missed his father's funeral. But he and wife Kelly managed to hitch a ride to the service a few hours after Kelly had given birth to their daughter in the passenger seat of the family car while parked outside Christchurch Women's Hospital. Acacia Armstrong [eight pounds] couldn't wait until her grandad was laid to rest.
"My father always wanted a granddaughter and he got her today," Armstrong said.
"It was a great send off for the old boy."
One of the more remarkable days in the Armstrongs' life began just after 7.30am on Friday, when Kelly went into labour. Armstrong assumed he wouldn't make his father's funeral and decided to visit the body at the family home before taking his wife to hospital.
"Kelly was in the shower having contractions by herself," he said.
"I know it sounds rude but I just wanted to see my Dad . . . to pay my respects."
Armstrong returned in less than an hour, which was fortunate because things had become urgent in his absence. The couple left their Woolston home for an "intense" trip to hospital in peak-hour traffic.
"You're in a car driving and you are in immense pain and as soon as I started growling Steve knew baby's coming, you need to get to the hospital now," Kelly said.
During the nine-minute drive, the baby's head started appearing. By the time they pulled up outside Christchurch Women's, her head was out. Armstrong ran inside for help. When he got back, his daughter was born.
"Steve was running around so I birthed basically on my own in the front seat of the car," Kelly said.
"I sort of sat up so I wasn't sitting on the seat and I had my pants halfway down my legs, so when she came out it was onto the seat."
A team of nurses arrived seconds later with warm towels, checked the baby and helped Kelly into a wheelchair. Their daughter was safe and well.
The Armstrongs already have three sons.
"I've always wanted a daughter," Kelly said, "We just never thought we would actually get her."
"I'm just waiting for the emotions to kick in really."
After a dizzyingly short recovery, midwife Wendy McFarlane then drove the couple to Armstrong's father's funeral.
"Ray would have been happy with this," Kelly said.
Acacia was feeding and sleeping well.
"She's really placid. I haven't even heard her cry yet. She's just gone with the flow of the day."