my sister my hero.

i've always respected my little sister. more than i respect a lot of people. she's my best friend and my confidant. and now, she's a mom.

i was there to witness the transformation. i was there the second she became a mother. it was the same second tim became a father, i became an aunt and my mom took on a new name - grandma. i was there for the labor. and then post-epidural. for the napping and the excitement and the ice chips. and then i was there for the pushing. and the screaming. and cussing. and crying. and i saw the baby's head before anyone else did. and then, my little baby sister pushed hard enough that the head crowned. within seconds i could see the face - the face of my niece, half out of and half inside my sister's body. it was the most surreal, amazing thing i'd ever seen. i lost it then. the faucet of tears turned on a steady flow. i looked at my brother-in-law who was in a state of excited elation. he was crying, too. and my mom - wailing. the midwife turned the head slightly, and the baby opened it's eyes. and then, in an instant, little baby girl was out and laying on my sister's chest.

i will never forget what it felt like to be there. i am so completely honored that i got to watch my sister, my best friend, deliver her first child. a healthy child that weighed in at 6 pounds 9.5 ounces. the most beautiful baby i've ever seen.