This writer was so proud of her new book she literally photographed herself giving birth to it, and we’re crying

What’s the most natural thing to do when you’re celebrating the completion of your novel? Do a fake “birth” shoot, of course!

Erin Chack, Senior Writer at BuzzFeed, tweeted photos of herself pretending to give birth to her new book, an essay collection called This Is Really Happening.

“Can’t believe my little book baby was born one week ago today. 1 lb. 4 oz., 234 healthy pages! she wrote on Twitter. “Mama loves you.

According to Chack, she came up with the idea for the hilarious shoot with her best friend Alijah.

“We had been talking on the phone about how we couldn’t wait for the book to be out and how it was like waiting for a baby to be born, she told HuffPost. “At the same time we sort of blurted ‘WE SHOULD DO A BIRTHING SHOOT’ because we have the exact same brain.

They set up a makeshift “hospital” using a futon, a comforter pinned to the wall, and flowers on an end-table, much like you’d see next to a hospital bed.

“At one point I literally cried because I was laughing so hard from the sheer joy of having the book out and being with my best friend in the world doing weird things, which is our favorite thing to do! I’m also super relieved my neighbors were away for the weekend, because we were making a lot of noise.

Chack says there’s nothing quite like seeing a creation like a book (or, you know, a baby) become reality.

“It’s kind of lonely, just hammering away at something you know won’t be fully formed for so many months, Chack explained. “And then suddenly it has a name, and then it has a face, and then finally it’s a REAL PHYSICAL BOOK. And you hold it in your arms and cry a little because you can’t believe how much work it took for such a tiny, simple object.