By Glenn Hicks

Birch Hills couple overwhelmed by special day arrival

Jan 3, 2019 | 4:00 PM

A Birch Hills couple say they’re overwhelmed after their daughter Chloe Eldstrom-Cromartie was the New Year’s baby at Victoria Hospital.

This is the second child for teachers Vicki Eldstrom, 38, and Candice Cromartie, 43, after their first-born Sara was delivered by Vicki in 2017 following insemination from the same anonymous donor.

“It’s a little overwhelming, we weren’t expecting it [the fanfare] and we didn’t realize all the hoopla that came with being the New Year’s baby,” the couple told paNOW. “We didn’t realize what a big deal it was.”

Chloe was born shortly before noon Tuesday and was showered with gifts from the maternity ward.

Both said it took a long time to find the right donor for their children.

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“It’s a long process trying to find the right sperm donor and [working through] the choices,” Eldstrom said. “It’s not the same as having a partner where you know that person intimately. We’re basically going on pictures and other factors.”

She said they were lucky to get the last samples from the donor in the U.S, who had since retired from donating.

“It was important to us that our children are biological siblings,” Cromartie said. She noted the sperm went through an authorized Canadian organization to make sure the samples met all the standards.

“Some people think that we’re not a regular couple because we’re a same-sex couple,” Cromartie said. “But we go through the same things as everyone, and this is no different; we’re just regular people who want to have kids like everyone else.”

Asked if they planned on growing the family further, the couple said this was it.

“No, no we’re done with two. That was our number. We’re kind of mature parents, we’re getting older, and our family is now complete.”

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow