Expanding Family!!!!

I got the call at about 2pm. I'd bought extra phone cards for just such an occasion! My sister was calling to say that the blessed event has begun....her water has broken! Woo hoo!
When we found out that Lis was pregnant and I wasn't going to be around, we discussed whether I should fly home for the labor or wait until Christmas and meet my new little niece at about 5 months. We decided that since little newborns are really cute but pretty much just like to eat and sleep, I'd wait until Christmas to meet her. Sounds good in theory but when I got that call I definitely had a few fleeting thoughts of whether or not I could find a way to hop on a plane and jet home. It would have been awesome to be able to use my emergency medical insurance! They would fly me to any hospital so I'd just pick my hometown one....where my sister was conveniently in labor! Perfect plan. But my friend refused to help me break my leg and I couldn't saw my own arm off like this guy in a movie I just watched so...I stayed here.
I called for an update every couple of hours. I felt kind of bad because I was eating dinner with some people I'd just met and I kept texting which is horrible cell phone etiquette and drives me crazy but....I didn't really care. This is Mini Me being born!! (I've dubbed her this because before she was born I already had SO much in common with her!)
It was time for me to go to sleep and still no baby so I set my alarm clock to get up every hour to call and check. I was too excited though, so I didn't really sleep much inbetween alarms. At about 4:15am my time I got a call that little Anna was here and Elisabeth was doing fine. Yeah!!! Thanks so much Jesus!
When my sister described the pain it made me think these Sierra Leonean women are rock stars for giving birth with nothing! I've been checking Facebook incessently looking for pictures and today went down to the OB ward to live vicariously through the little newborns were there. None were as chubby as my new niece!! :) Love that! :)
It was harder than I thought it was going to be, not being there for the birth but my family worked really hard to make me feel included so that was really sweet! So thank you Lord for a safe delivery of my new niece. Anna, can't wait to see you in December!!