As a child, my mom set up bulletin boards in the school hallway that changed every month, often reflecting a holiday or theme for the month. In March, she stuck to the same theme every year: “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” For those unfamiliar with this saying, it implies that if the weather is terrible at the start of March, it will improve by the end of the month.

Interestingly, this phrase also described the arrival of our two children. Our son Levi arrived like a lion after Sheila endured nearly 24 hours of intense labor both at home and at the hospital. We arrived at the hospital at 1:00 am on October 5, 2020, and Levi was born at 12:29 pm that day. On the other hand, our daughter Charlotte Faye arrived like a flash of lightning. She was born about one hour and 15 minutes after we reached the hospital. If we had delayed going to the hospital any longer, it would have made for an incredible blog post!

On Thursday, October 12, Charlotte Faye’s actual due date, Sheila began to experience labor pains. Around midnight, we were advised to go to the hospital. As a good husband, I was asleep and had to jump up and scramble around the house to gather the last few items before we could leave. By 2:00 am, we were in the car and speeding our way to the hospital. I lapsed back into my Nigerian driving days to “beat” (run as we Americans say) the traffic light. At 2:28 am, we were at the Emergency Room at the hospital. I parked the vehicle at the door of the Emergency Room and rushed in to start the paper work. The receptionist began asking all the important questions for Sheila’s intake. She asked me how far along my wife was…I looked at her and said, “I don’t know! Earlier today she was in a little pain and now she is in a LOT OF PAIN.” At that time, Sheila entered the hospital door and could barely stand. She leaned against a large trash can, which if you know Sheila, she would never do, and began to experience more labor pains. Before I could turn around and continue the conversation with the receptionist, she was racing in the corridor with a wheelchair. And as I have said, by the time we could settle in the delivery room, the baby was making her entrance into the world! Our family of three was now a party of FOUR!

Charlotte Faye Iratangaza Barnes was born on October 13, 2023, at 3:40 am at the Mobile Infirmary Hospital. She weighed 7 pounds and 4 ounces and measured 20 inches in length. It’s worth mentioning that her father (1979) and Levi (2020) were also born in the same hospital. Charlotte has brought immense joy to our family, and we are thrilled to have her as our newest addition. Although we’re a bit sleep-deprived and busy with Levi’s school rounds, we couldn’t be happier to welcome her to our family. We look forward to Levi becoming a loving and supportive big brother while Charlotte Faye adds her unique personality to our family. She is named after her two grandmothers, Charlotte for Sheila’s mother and Faye for my mother. Iratangaza means He (God) declares/amazes. And Barnes is my father’s surname. This name had deep roots in America’s slave holding history but has been traced back to the late 1700s.