When I met my first baby Elizabeth
April 15th was a nice sunny spring day. Bill and I had gone down to mom and dad’s, on the farm in Deerfield, from home in Brooklyn just for a visit. Mar had just got there with the minibike. Dad had just bought it and I hadn’t seen it before.
I wanted to ride. I was 8 1/2 months pregnant. Mom said no. So naturally I had to go. It was spring and there were lots of potholes on the dirt roads making it a very rough ride. But no problem. I took it down to Remy’s (1st neighbor to the right, 1/4 mile). See mom, I’m fine. We drove home, 45 minutes. Bill had to work so he dropped me off at the trailer and went on to work.
terI was making myself a ham and cheese sandwich when I had a pain. Indegestion I thought. I started to eat and had another weird pain. It was too early and I never expected I might be in labor. But, I called a friend/ neighbor in the trailer park. Judy and Rod. They were a young couple we had been hanging out with, they had a 2 abyear old. I asked Judy what labor pains felt like. It really didn’t feel much but Irythought I should find out what they felt like. They were excited to come right over. I said I think they went away. Then all of a sudden I had to sit down. I thought I was ajust hungry, but Judy said not to eat in case it is labor, or I would throw up. They stayed with me awhile. I had a couple more episodes /pains. Nothing big. They wanted me to go to the hospital to get checked out.
Rod drove me because Judy had to go home to take care of Wendy their daughter. On the way I told him a when I had a pain and he kept track of it, 7 minutes apart. No bid deal. He was getting me a little nervous though. When we got to the hospital I seemed fine. They took me to the OB floor to see if I was in labor. Rod called Budd Company and left a message for Bill. It was about 4 pm. Bill didn’t get there till about 7pm. .No one else was allowed in. Pains off and on all night getting closer and closer. I was just so tired….
At about 3 am we went to the delivery room and even though we hadn’t had any classes they told Bill he could come in. I kept making small talk but he said “keep your mind on what you’re doing.
The next thing I knew I heard a little cry and they said it’s a girl. We had already decided on a girl name of Elizabeth. The nurse put her beside me and I said, hi Lizy. You didn’t cry much. The nurse said you were healthy and took you off to get weighed. I heard you cry when they took you. I said she is probably cold, could you give her a blanket? It was 3:14 am.
I couldn’t believe you were my baby! That I even have a baby. The nurse brought you down to my room for a few minutes and then you went back to the nursery to be with the other babies. You were the first of 16 babies born that day, April 16, 1973. Dad slept in the fathers room, I didn’t want to sleep, I missed you. They told me I would have you all day, so I should get some sleep.
