We are excited to the announce the birth of our first child, Kees Sinclair Kramer! He came today (January 16th) in a way that will we never forget. The saga started this morning when Julie took me to the train station here in Groningen at 8:30 am. I was going down to meet my parents who were flying in from the States for the grand occasion. The due date wasn't until 2 days later and up until this point, Julie had been still been riding her bike to the grocery store...so we thought...hey, no problem. A couple hours later at 11 am, Julie called to tell me that she was having pretty heavy contractions and that she had called the midwife. Considering we had recently heard several stories of 30 hour labors, we were not too concerned. Still I knew I needed to get back to her with my parents as soon as possible. I arrived at the Amsterdam airport train station at 11:39 and told my parents that I would buy the tickets for the return trip to Groningen. I walked up to the ticket counter and was in the process of buying our train tickets, when the phone rang, it was Julie. So I picked up the phone and pretty much all I could hear was the loud crying of a newborn! I pretty much went into shock right there and started walking away to where my parents were...and the lady at the ticket counter said, "Sir, Sir...you forgot your train tickets!" I said,"I am sorry my wife just had our first baby on our couch in our living room!" The look on her face was priceless ( and I am sure mine was too)!

Julie told me that her labor was only 30 minutes long. In fact, before the midwife could get to our house (we were planning to have the baby in the hospital), the baby's head was showing! So all Julie could do is open the front door (in freezing weather) go on the couch and start yelling for HELP! Fortunately, the midwife came soon after and after 2 pushes, our son was born! I can tell you as I write this we are in a state of shock and euphoria, but most of all, thankful for a Father who looks out for us even when we aren't planning on it...

Tags: Netherlands