I want to commend you on the release of your latest iPhone, the 3G. I hope it lives up to the reputation that the original iPhone has.
I am writing this letter of thanks to you today regarding my iPhone. You see, my wife gave birth to our daughter last week. She was not due for another ten days, but the doctor thought best to induce labor due to the size of our baby at the time. We went to the hospital on the morning of July 9th with every expectation of a normal delivery.
Our morning started off plain enough. My wife and I checked in, and the nurses got right down to business getting her examined and hooked up to the fetal monitors. Once the medicine to induce was administered, we settled in to wait.
As any first-time father will tell you, I came to the delivery loaded for bear. When my wife, Swede, felt her first contraction, I fired off an email to everyone listed in my iPhone. I kept it right next to my Canon G9 digital camera by the chair I was sitting in. I wanted those two items handy in case I needed to make a call, or snap a photo.
Anyway, the morning wore on and my wife's contractions started to increase. Around lunch time, after her epidural, the nurses became concerned for the health of the baby. She was not doing so good when my wife's contractions increased. Her heart rate dropped precipitously low every time a contraction hit. The contractions were so many in number and so close together that the baby had no time to rest and recover. A call was made and our worst fears were realized. My child was in peril and had to be delivered now.
Nurses and doctors sprang into action. All I remember was holding my wife's hand and saying a small prayer. She was wheeled away to surgery and I was handed a set of scrubs with the reminder that "We'll come and get you in fifteen minutes" on my mind. I changed. I prayed. I cried. I paced. Five minutes went by. Ten minutes went by. I read a book as fifteen minutes rolled past me. At twenty minutes, I left the room and started to wander the halls. As I turned back to the room to grab my Canon, the OR nurse ran and grabbed my collar. We had no time to lose. Delivery was imminent.
I ran past the nurse and into the OR. My wife lay there, exposed to the world and in pain without me. I grabbed her hand and kissed her head. Not even ten minutes later, we were parents. My beautiful daughter, Windage, was squawking and crying. We cried those happy tears parents cry when the doctor says she is happy and healthy. I rushed over to the warming table to say hello to my daughter. She was cleaned up, APGAR'd and wrapped in a blanket. The nurse brought her over to mommy and laid her upon mom's chest. It was then that the nurses asked me where my camera was.
OH CRAP!!! I left the camera in the delivery room. I was out of luck...no, waitasec! I felt my iPhone on my hip and remembered there was a camera on it that I hardly ever used. Mr. Jobs, the photo you see here is of my beautiful wife and daughter. This is the 'money shot'. I have never, in all my years as a photographer, taken a better picture. I sent this photo out to every single email address in my contact folder. Not one person believed I used the camera on my iPhone. Not one. I still don't believe it.
Your device was the saving grace for the most important moment in our lives. Thank you. My mother was right to invest in Apple stock since your company went public. She stuck with you through the lean years, too. As a computer teacher, she used your products to teach us kids. Now, we use your products for entertainment and communication, too. I am now a customer for life. As long as your company keeps developing products like this, and stays on the cutting edge, I will be there to take advantage.
I will share with my children how I grew up using Apple computers to learn about programming and playing games long before there was the internet and WiFi and MP3 players. My daughter will know what a special place this phone has in her life. With my iPhone, I was able to capture a moment in time that the Shooter family will always cherish.
We brought our first daughter home from the hospital on Saturday evening. She was born on July 9th at 1324. Windage weighed in at 7lb. 6oz. and is 20 inches long. Today, she is a healthy, happy baby. Don't be offended, but I have gone back to the Canon G9 as my primary camera. Its primary purpose is as a camera and not a phone, after all. I'm sure, however, that I'll forget the camera, or need one at a particular 'baby's first...' moment. Not to worry. My iPhone will be there to pick up the slack.
Thank you again.
Respectfully
Shooter
"Proud Photo Taking Papa"
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