no clinic at 5am for me this week…

Guess why? Because my girlfriend had her baby! A boy born the night we were in Dar! We even traveled now because we knew she was not due for another month but as we discussed and laughed about this weekend you cannot tell a baby to “subiri kidogo” (wait a bit).

Here is how it went down: she thought she was in labor and rode the dala dala to the government hospital where after waiting for an hour they told her she was not in “real” labor and to go back home becuase the baby would not be born for another couple of days at least. They deduced this all without examining her once. Then she rode the dala dala home and her pain got worse. Then the dala dala broke down and she had to wait for another one and then ride the rest of the way to her Mother-in-laws house. After two hours it was clear the baby was coming and not in the doctors predicted timing. They tried to organize a car (insert massive feelings of guilt since we were not there to help) but by the time the car got there the baby’s head was crowning so her mother-in-law delivered the baby which in Kiswahili is simply called “receiving him.” Yeah, her first baby. At home with her mother-in-law. Can I get an Amen again for how hardcore women here are?

I cannot tell you how amazing this little boy is. He is precious and beautiful and we all prayed for him. A lot. And now he is here.

the girls checking out the new wheels we borrowed from Pamoja for the morning since it runs on deisel and there was absolutely nada regular petrol on the island. They were very pumped about their glasses given to them by a store owner because they are just that darn cute.

Mama and days old baby boy. precious.

sharing in celebrating his birth and humbled we get to see this blessing in the lives of our friends.

“big sister” Evy Imani