A Big Event: Who has the bragging rights?

Our friends the Ds are having a baby. Let me rephrase that: Their daughter is having a baby. Her second. Their fifth. Their daughter's husband called at midnight with the good news: healthy 8-lb boy. By 12:02, Mrs. D was at her computer sending out an email announcement to family and friends.So far, so good--except that her daughter hadn't called her brother. It was late, the brother had three small children under five years of age and sleep is a precious commodity. The call could wait till morning. The sister-in-law, however, was up at 6, logged onto her computer and got the news by email from her mother.-in-law. Her nose was quite out of joint. She and her husband wanted the joy of the personal announcement from the daughter and brother-in-law. They  were quite resentful about the email.

I think about that now because we are having a baby. That is, uber son  and his wife are having their third. She is almost a week late and we are in daily communication about when an inducement might take place. Soon, if that baby doesn't make it's way into the world by week's end. So I bring up the question about who will tell uber-son's sister. Does he mind if we do?
He is dumbfounded by the question. "We're a close family," he says. "Who cares who calls first?"

Presumably, it's the mass email that's less than a charm. A call is still personal. Email's OK for friends and far-flung family but not for the nuclear ties that bind. At least this is the note I've made to myself.

We've had our baby.  Uber son and my wondrous daughter-in-law have had their third. Our fourth. She's a beauty, of course. Paterfamilias and I were on the phone to alpha daughter right away--with uber's permission and with his thanks. He wanted to pick up his children and bring them to see their new sister--he didn't want to be making phone calls no matter how close the connection. Alpha daughter was thrilled to know about her new, healthy niece. Joy unconfined. A new baby and everyone happy to hear about it. We are using email to notify far-flung friends and attaching a photo of the newest grand just to warm it up. Oh the wonders of the Internet age--so long as we set limits on it.