The birth of a new baby is always special for families. But when Joel and Jennifer Hoppe of Westville, N.J., found out last August that they were expecting a baby, they didn't realize at the time how creative they would have to be to make those special family memories. Right before Christmas, they learned that Joel, who serves in the United States Air Force, would be deployed in January to the Middle East nation of Qatar.

Following their initial disappointment that Joel would not be present for the baby's arrival, the couple, working closely with the staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, developed a plan to webcast the birth.

Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, the assistance and understanding of Joel's Air Force commanders and the help of a nearby Australian base in Qatar, Joel was able to be "present" at the birth of baby Grace Hoppe (8 pounds, 6 ounces, and 21¼ inches) who was born on April 11th at 7:30 p.m.