No, I don't mean that my nieces and nephews are finally going to think I'm great -- LOL, I mean that one of my nieces is due to have a baby, making me a great aunt for the first time.

Her blood pressure was elevated at her appointment yesterday, and apparently she's been having trouble with it recently, so they decided to admit her last night and induce her.  She is now 6 cm dilated, decided she'd had enough of natural labor and wanted an epidural.  Her husband is very interested in seeing everything that happens, to see what his wife does for a living (she's in her third or fourth year of residency in OB/GYN), but he admitted that the epidural freaked him out a little bit.  I e-mailed back that feeling a little freaked out while watching someone stick a needle in your wife's back is understandable, that I'm just proud of him for not passing out like I might have done.  [Yes, I have given birth to four children, but I have never had an epidural.]

I gave the children an update this morning and asked to pray.  We held hands and I asked DS4 (since he's crew chief today) to pray, but he declined.  So I decided to ask DD8 if she wanted to, and she said yes.  It was a most precious prayer.    She first thanked God for this beautiful day, then prayed for her cousin and the doctors (that they wouldn't make a mistake).  She also prayed for all the sick and afflicted in the world, then prayed for her cousin again. 

The soon-to-be new dad said that the estimated time of arrival is 3:30 - 5:00.  Please pray for my niece, her husband, and the baby -- and my sister (the soon-to-be grandma) who is probably biting her fingernails.  

-soon-to-be Great Aunt "Lo".