Airman witnesses birth via Internet

BELLEVILLE -- Although he was thousands of miles away in Iraq, Senior Airman Daniel Stewart was able to help his wife deliver their second child yesterday.

As Miranda Stewart went through labor at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville, Daniel was watching through a webcam in Iraq. And because of the great audio and good picture, Miranda said her husband was able to offer encouragement.

While she labored for most of the day, Daniel Stewart struggled to stay awake. He was confined to one area while waiting for little Charley Ann's birth.

The Internet hookup was the brainchild of Anne Nowak, the 126th Wing family program coordinator. Her job is to do whatever she can to help the men and women of the wing who are deployed and their families who are left behind.