Dad plays doctor as baby arrives early

LUTZ - Little Kaia's knack for timing changed her mom and dad's plans this morning.

"We decided we were going to try to labor at home, as much as possible in the comfort of our own home," explained Tiffani Packer.

Tiffani's contractions started late Thursday night. The idea was to head to the hospital as the contractions got closer.

"They quickly got more intense and I thought, 'We'd better get ready to go.' And before I knew it, they were two minutes apart."

Her husband Rand loaded the car as Tiffani started out the door.

"As we went to walk out the front door, I got another contraction, and realized it was not just a contraction, that we were not going to make it," she continued.

They called 911, but Kaia came within five minutes.

It was a dangerous situation because the umbilical cord was wrapped twice around the baby's neck.

"As the baby came out, the umbilical cord tightened up and Tiff wanted to see the baby, and it tightened up on the cord as she sat up," Rand recalled.

She laid back down as Rand removed the cord.

"I really just had to perform instead of think," he offered.

Rand, a chef and restaurant owner, became a hero as they all waited for paramedics.

Tiffani says she wanted to experience natural childbirth after having three children with pain medication. But this was beyond her imagination.

"I was thinking, 'Wow, we are going to have a baby at home and this is not as natural as we really wanted to go.' Although natural, we didn't want to go primitive," she said with a chuckle.

All are doing fine. They'll be going home this weekend. Later, they can fill Kaia in on the drama that unfolded in their hallway.