February has got to be Mahershala Ali's favorite month of all time. Here's why:
On February 16, he turned 43. That's a great, powerful, roots-in-the-ground age. (He also doesn't look a day above 30.) On February 22, he and his wife, Amatus Sami-Karim welcomed a baby girl, Bari Najma Ali, into the world. Then four days later on February 26, the actor took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in the Best Picture film, Moonlight. Like I said — best month, ever.
But of all the blessed moments Ali has been having in the past few weeks, nothing tops the newest member of his family, little Bari because she is also a bit of a miracle baby herself.
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Ali told Access Hollywood that Bari was born inside of her amniotic sac, which is, yes, as rare as it sounds. "The water didn't break until the baby was literally almost out. So when she was born, she came out in a clear, like, bag," the proud father told the site. "And I'm going, 'Wow, they come brand new!' And ... she was in the sack, and it was incredible!" With that kind of enthusiasm, he sounds more than ready to be a hands-on dad.
As bizarre as it sounds, a "caul birth," as it is called, is harmless and can is actually an ideal situation, Us Weekly points out, because it protects the baby and provides a less painful experience for the mother. During most vaginal births, the mother's water breaks, which is the final indicator that she is going into labor. But for Amatus, her water did not break, and she instead started giving birth to her daughter while she was still enclosed in the sac.
Considering neither Ali nor I are health professionals, here's a link to a video of a baby being born in its sac to give you a true understanding of what all this means.