Isabella Benitez was born a healthy 8 pounds, 6 ounces and 20 inches long at 1:16 p.m. on Nov. 5 to the joy of her onlooking parents, Sgt. John Benitez, stationed in Iraq, and Christina, at Capital Medical Center in Olympia.  With tears, Benitez welcomed his third child via Webcam and Skype set up at Christina’s inquiry

“It was like he wasn’t left out of it; it was like he was there,” Christina reported of her husband.  Early the morning of Christina’s check-in for induced labor, Lori Elgin, Nurse Practitioner, connected Benitez before his wife’s arrival to make sure everything was in working order.  “I was afraid it wouldn’t work.  I thought: everybody is counting on it; what if it doesn’t work?”  But she connected.  “He said, ‘Is she there yet? Is she here yet?’… I said, ‘You’ll see her when she walks in.’… It was so cute,” Elgin remembered.

From first moments to finish — the breathing, labor, birth, weighing, handing Isabella to her mother, the first breastfeeding attempt — Benitez, who had moved from the field of Iraq into Internet-capable Bagdad, missed little of his wife’s three-night hospital stay.  Christina went into labor as the workday ended and the Internet clogged in Bagdad.  This resulted in a period of audio feed only, but as labor progressed, picture returned.

“We are both quite emotional about things,” Christina mentioned, “and we’re just very happy that he was able to see everything happen.”  Perhaps the feeling infected the room for “there was not a dry eye in the house when she delivered,” according to Elgin, “even the OB is sniveling.”

The success of Christina’s trailblazing encouraged Capital Medical Center staff to continue offering the service.  A large monitor and state of the art Webcam find permanence in one room on the fourth floor, where Labor and Delivery is located. They’re designated to creating similar experiences for other military personnel overseas.

“Capital Medical Center is my hero,” Christina praised.  But hospital staff claims no such title.  After all, Christina started the idea, reminded Renee Crotty, director of Marketing and Public Relations.

“We want to do our part too. They are over in harm’s way,” Elgin offered.

Benitez, home for R&R Nov. 19-Dec. 2, held Isabella in his own arms and completed the family for a truly joyous Thanksgiving.   Previously scheduled to return home in January, “He just couldn’t wait,” Christina explained.