I couldn't help but smile when I read about building an international landline system with the patience of "raising a child"! This analogy of complex technology to the process of raising a life is so resonant - from the first "cry" (dial tone) to the first toddler steps (stable communication), every troubleshooting is like soothing a fussy baby. If all technical documentation were written with such warmth, the world would have many more happy engineers