Seven-Seven

My little bro, John, just had a baby girl! She is three months premature but very healthy and strong!

Here is what my dad sent:

Name: Elinor Ora Love

Born: 07/07/08 at 1:00 a.m.

Weight: 1035 grams (a little over 1 kg, or about 2 lbs)

Where: Dunedin Hospital

Size: about the length of my forearm from wrist to elbow. Her head is about the size of a small orange.

Both Eli and Sara appear to be doing fine, although Eli is in the Natal ICU in an incubator and is wired for sound.

Sara was flown by helicopter from Kew hospital in Invercargill last Friday about 2:00 a.m. John drove up, fighting with an overheating car on the way.

He called us at our conference in Auckland and we were back in Dunedin by 6:00 p.m. Friday. Sara would stabilize during the day, then be back in the birthing room every night. Finally, last night she went all the way.

John had come back to our house about 9 p.m. Sunday and got a call from Sara about midnight. I drove him to the hospital and dropped him off. Eli popped out (literally) at 1:00 this morning. Karen and I were back at the hospital by 1:30 and got to see Eli about 4:00 this morning.

She is fully formed, but thin. She looks more like a little teenager than a baby, with her thin legs and arms. She is breathing on her own. Sara and John got to reach in and touch her. What a thrill! She appears to be in very good hands.

We're all very glad.

Dad