Teamwork

My thanks to all who made Evan's arrival the Blipworld equivalent of a royal birth. I am delighted to have been present both to photograph the birth and to care for Bella while her mother was otherwise occupied. My son was at work in California when the contractions began Friday evening. He called me at midnight and asked me to go sleep at his house, in case Cristina needed a ride to the hospital during the night. Indeed, she did. We left for the hospital at 3:30 a.m. Seth was able to set up his sound board Friday night and fly home by noon on Saturday. 

Kelly, the pregnant woman in this picture and a friend of their family, collected Seth from the airport and drove him at top speed to the hospital, where he assisted at the birth of his son. Then Kawika, Kelly's husband, the pregnant man in this picture* (and father of little Ellen, on the left), drove Seth back to the airport an hour after Evan was born. I took Bella home with me Saturday night and then brought the new family to their home on Sunday, and Seth will be home from his gig on Monday, setting me free to finish packing and leave Wednesday for Salisbury.

Before all this happened, I had made arrangements to take pictures of Kelly and Kawika's family on Sunday morning, so Bella unexpectedly came along as my photographic assistant and busied herself and Ellen with a large beach ball.

Evan is in perfect health, and we're all recuperating from the excitement of the 16th. Thank you for every comment. I've had no time to respond, but I treasure every word. In answer to Veronica's request, I've added to yesterday's picture an extra of Bella seeing her brother for the first time in the delivery room, as well as one of Seth holding his son and one of Evan's first yawn. I had hoped to get a second-day picture of the two of them today, but by the time we all arrived home from the hospital, it was dark. 

*Kawika shocked his wife and daughter by spontaneously slipping the beach ball under his sweater just before he sat on the bench by them for this picture.