Emma Lynne McRae Roth

"Always the practical and efficient couple, Barb McRae and Charles Roth did not wait for their (18 Jan) 2000 due date to deliver their new baby, Emma.  She was born at 8:30 pm Friday, 12/31 at UM Women's Hospital.  She's beautiful, 6 lbs 12 oz., and mathematically and musically gifted (her long fingers will be an asset on any type of keyboard).  She doesn't talk a lot, but she did mention that she really wants to hear the end of the story Charles has been reading to her.  Barb's doing wonderfully, but will need as much good rest as she can get."  -- Marge Cramton, announcing Emma's birth via e-mail.

	The tired but celebratory Mom		The proud Dad, testing Emma's grip

"Emma Bean" (from her in-utero nickname 'Java Bean') surprised us all on New Year's Eve.  Barb had started feeling some contractions around noon, but we didn't take them too seriously until we were out walking (in County Farm park, where Charles proposed in '97) around 4 pm. 

By 5 pm her contractions were quite intense and coming every 5 minutes.  With great help from our doula, Lee Roosevelt, we got to the hospital at 7 pm, where the resident pronounced Barb completely dilated, and declared that a baby would arrive soon!  An hour and a half later (with no time for any of the procedures or interventions that we had trained so carefully to try and avoid), Barb brought Emma into the world.

Charles quite enthusiastically declined cutting the cord, but did help hold Emma as she emerged, and assisted in her cleanup and suctioning.  Within half an hour, he was holding her and singing the Benevolent Baby Rocking song, to the smiles of the attending staff.  Already starting off life as an eager achiever, Emma scored a "10" on the 10-minute Apgar, prompting one of the nurses to note that 10's were usually reserved for the children of doctors.     -- Barb & Charles

"Oh my God... we're parents!

	Grandmom Stella Ross		Grandparents Peggy & Bill Roth

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