Baby Bryson's Birth Was Witnessed Halfway Around the World

Some moms-to-be agonize over who will be in the delivery room with them, while some stress over who won't be there. For Elizabeth, the fact that her husband, CJ, was stationed on a boat in the Middle East meant that the timing of her baby's arrival needed to be as precise as a military operation. CJ rarely had Internet service, unless he was in port, and even then it was spotty. But he was scheduled to be docked in Dubai on Elizabeth's due date, so her family and friends spent the weeks leading up to that date praying for an on-time arrival.

When Charlotte, NC-based photographer Casey Hendrickson received the call that Elizabeth was in labor, she couldn't believe it. Who would have expected someone going into labor on her due date? In fact, Casey was headed out the door to photograph a wedding when she received the call. But she shifted gears, headed to the hospital, and found Elizabeth dealing with some strong contractions. Undeterred, Elizabeth walked, ran, and did lunges up and down the hospital hallways trying to speed up her progression so CJ could witness the birth via Skype. But her labor didn't speed up at all. Elizabeth's "entourage" was asked to leave the hospital so she could rest.

Several hours later, everyone reconvened at the hospital. Elizabeth was still walking the halls, but she was on the phone with CJ. "Her grin was contagious," Casey said. "I could see how happy she was just to hear his voice."

Elizabeth's contractions grew stronger but further apart. By 5:30 the next morning, she'd been in labor for close to 24 hours, and the risk of infection was growing. Elizabeth's doctor and doula suggested introducing Pitocin to speed up the process. Doctors told Casey it would be a few hours before the drug really hit, so she headed home for a quick nap to be fresh for the main event. An hour later, a call from the hospital woke Casey up. It was time.

"I had time to grab my camera and snap a few photos of her last contractions before the doctor walked in to have her start pushing," Casey said.

Moments later, Elizabeth's my sister-in-law, doula, photographer/friend, and husband — yes, Elizabeth reached full dilation in the exact window when CJ had Skype access — watched on as baby Bryson was born. All 6 pounds 15 ounces of him!

Read on to see the beautiful photos — including the foursome's first family photo, which may be the most unique one we've seen yet!