Still tousled and rosy-cheeked from an afternoon nap, little Ivy Mehrtens grins at her big brother George as he runs towards her with a melting ice cream in his small hand. “Daddy, ice cream, I-bee, I-bee!” George shouts excitedly, holding out his treat to his baby sister Ivy and proud father, rugby legend Andrew Mehrtens, as they sit on the front steps of his wife Jacq’s family home in Christchurch.

In Andrew’s arms, four-month-old Ivy babbles happily, delighted to have the undivided attention of her two favourite blokes. The 21-month-old George kindly offers his ice cream to Ivy and Andrew one more time, then runs off across the sunny lawn to kick a soccer ball around. Not taking her huge eyes off her brother, Ivy wriggles her pink chubby legs with excitement as if she can’t wait to be big enough to join him.

For Andrew (36) and his wife Jacq (30), based in France but back home in New Zealand for a summer holiday, their beautiful wee daughter Ivy is, quite simply, a dream baby. “She is so cruisy and goodnatured,” says Andrew, as Jacq, looking relaxed in the sunshine on a warm afternoon, smoothes her daughter’s beautiful hair and nods in agreement.

“Like most toddlers, George wasn’t sure he wanted to share Andrew and me with Ivy when she was born, but he soon got used to having her around. “It’s so cute how he calls her ‘I-bee’,” Jacq continues. “They adore each other. Every morning he runs straight to her cot and jumps in to give her a big kiss and cuddle. He loves to help out and Ivy thinks he’s wonderful. Her eyes light up whenever she sees him.”

Jacq and Andrew also know how lucky they are to have this very special wee girl. Ivy was one of twins but, sadly, the other twin was lost early on in the pregnancy. For the Mehrtens family – who live in Paris where Andrew plays for rugby team Racing Metro 92 – this loss made the rest of the pregnancy a nerve-wracking journey. It was just before Christmas last year when Jacq and George were back in New Zealand visiting family that the pregnancy was confirmed.

“I did a test in France just before I left, and told Andrew I was pregnant,” says Jacq, who then took another test in New Zealand just to make sure. “He was really excited. We hadn’t really been planning to have another baby so soon but it was a lovely surprise.

“Like a lot of couples, having a family hasn’t been plain sailing for us, and we were anxious during the pregnancy,” says Jacq, taking Ivy from Andrew so he can kick the soccer ball to George. Andrew says the decision to keep the baby’s gender a surprise is very unusual in France. “When French people asked us what we were having and we said we didn’t know, they would look very surprised. We didn’t fi nd out with George either. Jacq was very curious for the whole nine months and asked me every other night what I thought we were having!”

Towards the end, Jacq found the pregnancy taking its toll on her body in different ways. “Just before Ivy was due, we went on a trip from France to England on the Eurostar train for a break, but when we arrived, I couldn’t stand up straight. “Something had happened to my back. I literally couldn’t do a thing. I went to walk in the night and couldn’t move so I had to crawl to the bathroom! The pain was so bad, Mum had to fly over to help me out with George, as I was unable to lift him, bath him or do anything with him.”

The other concern for the couple was that the baby was meant to be born mid-August 2009 and Andrew’s contract with the Paris team was due to finish in late June if it wasn’t renewed. “It’s on a year-by-year basis, but we decided that, even if I didn’t get another year’s contract, we would stay put until the baby arrived,” says Andrew. “Or get a train down south to the little hospital in Toulon where George was born,” jokes Jacq. “We had such a wonderful experience, I was prepared to head back there again. It’s only four hours away!”

Fortunately, the former All Black was signed up again and Jacq went into a local Paris hospital to be induced in her 42nd week with Ivy. “I went in early in the morning and had a drip started to induce labour, and then we waited and waited,” says Jacq. “Nothing seemed to be happening all day and into the late afternoon. There was a screen on the wall in our delivery suite that showed all the contractions of the ladies who were in labour at the same time as me. We would see them deliver and leave. It was so frustrating for us! Finally, Ivy arrived at 6.30pm.”

At George’s birth, Andrew was down the end of the bed, watching his son arrive. But with Ivy, he was at the top end, supporting Jacq. “I was multitasking. I was able to see the baby arrive from Jacq’s perspective and, I have to say, it didn’t seem that tough at all,” he jokes, as Jacq pretends to give him a glare that quickly becomes a smile. When Ivy arrived, weighing 4.15kg (9lb 1oz), she was held at an angle that made it diffi cult to be sure whether she was a boy or a girl for a moment – and both Andrew and Jacq got it wrong.

“We both went, ‘Ooh, it’s another boy!’ then they turned her slightly and we both went, ‘Ooh, it’s a little girl!’” laughs Andrew. “For Ivy’s birth I could understand the language better, which made me more relaxed” she says. “The French medical system is superb and overall we’ve had two very good birth experiences over there.”

For a blissful hour after the delivery, the couple were left in peace by hospital staff to get to know their new daughter, Ivy Jacqueline Mehrtens. “Ivy is a name we have both always loved,” explains Jacq. The new mum stayed in hospital for a few days and it wasn’t long before she and Andrew noticed their baby girl was very unsettled. When a nurse gave her a bath, Ivy screamed constantly.

“George loved his bath from day one and we assumed Ivy would too. We didn’t realise that she was in pain,” says Jacq. A small bump was noticed on Ivy’s collarbone that had been missed during an early check. Another doctor examined her and told the concerned couple that Ivy’s collarbone had been broken during the birth.

“The doctor told us that it sometimes happens and often they don’t know why, but that it would mend quickly on its own,” says Andrew. “I gave her the next bath and was very gentle. Once it healed, she became the smiling, happy wee girl we know now.”

Despite the broken bone being missed, Jacq and Andrew have no regrets about having Ivy in France. They love the country and are glad of the chance to experience an entirely different culture and language. “France’s large population makes for some significant differences from life in New Zealand,” says Andrew. “Documents are vital! For example, when we started George at kindergarten, I had to give them about nine different documents, just in case he burned down the school. It’s a mission to do anything, but once you’re in the system, they look after you very well.”

The family is also lucky in that, while they live in an apartment block like most Parisians, being on the ground floor gives them a private lawn and garden – something George has revelled in.  “He’s an outdoors boy but, at this time of the year, it’s just too cold to go out and play, which he finds hard to understand,” says Andrew. “That’s why it’s so good for him to come back to New Zealand with Jacq for a few weeks. He also gets to know his extended family and can play outside as much as he likes.”

When the Weekly caught up with the Mehrtens family, Jacq had been here for five weeks, while Andrew had just flown out from France after several weeks of intensive training. “In the short time we’ve been apart, I can see so many changes in the children, Ivy especially. She’s learned to roll over and lie on her tummy with her head up. But the smile’s the same and she chatters  nonstop! I’ve missed them so much. Thank goodness for the internet! Although it does tear at me when George sees me on the screen and reaches out for a hug.”

Jacq, who has had to learn French since moving to France three years ago, and Andrew, who luckily studied the language at school and university, hope George and Ivy will end up being bilingual. George’s kindergarten is French-speaking and he already knows how to name the parts of his body in French.

Andrew is keeping his options open if his contract isn’t renewed in 2010. “I’m just taking it as it comes, one year at a time,” he says. “I’m under no illusions – I know that eventually I will have to give up rugby – but as long as I still love the game, am able to play and have that competitiveness, I’m going to keep on playing.

“The next time we move back to New Zealand, it will be for good and, in the meantime, we’ll see what opportunities are available. Maybe coaching or maybe something else. Just now, this works well for us. Jacq is an amazing mum and I’m lucky rugby gives me lots of time at home.” For Jacq, spending time with Andrew and their gorgeous children is a joy that can’t be matched.

“Nothing else comes close to being a mother, and Andrew is such a hands-on dad. George idolises him. They have the same mannerisms and personality and both make me laugh a lot. They’re two peas in a pod.”