wednesday evening, we were sitting at paul and claire’s dinner table (here on the island of guernsey, off the coast of france), with the very cool neighbor couple, chatting about life. claire, who is due to have child number two in a week or so, makes mention that her “tummy feels odd”, but downplays all our suggestions that maybe tonite is the night. as we wrap up the meal, she decides to go up and take a bath, to relieve some stress. within minutes word comes down that the contractions are now 4 minutes apart, and they might think about going to the hospital.

in the time it took to call the midwife, the contractions had moved to two minutes, and i was hearing that deep groaning i only recognize as women in childbirth.

paul and claire rushed out the door at 10:45pm, go to the hospital at 10:57pm, and the baby was born at 11:14pm. hannah rachel grace is just one of the most perfect babies i’ve ever seen.

odd for me, as someone who really doesn’t know paul and claire all that well, to be right in the middle of this experience in their lives (i was at the hospital three times yesterday). but they don’t seem to mind; and, somehow, i think it’s probably part of what god’s trying to do in me this week (which i’m just starting to get inklings about).