Thousands of miles and an entire ocean separates them, but Monday a local couple is welcoming their new child into the world together.

Sgt. William Hamrick is stationed in Iraq, but not even a war stopped him from seeing his baby come into the world. He still got the first glimpse of his newborn baby, thanks to wireless technology.

His wife, Angela, was induced at 7:00 a.m. at Camden Clark Memorial Hospital amid technical assistants, computers and lots of wires.

Sgt. Hamrick was able to see the whole thing through a Web site. A camera was hooked up to a computer, and the video was streamed live to Iraq. A speaker phone was also set up so that Hamrick could coach his wife through the whole labor.

"I'm very excited about this whole thing; I do wish I was home, but sometimes you just can't be."

Hamrick says the army gave him the day off to be with his wife, and it's a day he and Angela are likely never to forget.

Sgt. Hamrick is based in Iraq with the 463rd Engineering Battalion's Charlie Company out of Parkersburg.

Angela Hamrick says she isn't sure when her husband will be back; it could be another year.