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Posted on 09/20/2005 5:12:33 AM PDT by Billie
Edited on 09/20/2005 5:41:23 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
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Every Thursday at the Finest  |
What a great idea DD..
Coins that is, I should look into doing that at my Church.
Two appointments scheduled ahead of me in Aiken were 'no shows,' so I'm back earlier than I thought I could be. Just in time, I see, reading through the thread and seeing Billie and Gabz are away now.
Will get a cuppa coffee and shortly thereafter post something already formatted.
Have U.S. Marines for backup, with their rocket launchers - -
I'm sittin here working on estimates and thinking about Nan..
Good to see you back early M...
Have a beautiful day!
First, though, is this hark back to Once UponA Time:
Embarrassing Moments
First Child
Background:
Consider that the LadyX, entering her teenage years, had two much older sisters.
Anne was married and living in Miami; Carolyn off to college, and then married, and lived in South Carolina.
My parents and I lived 12 miles from Melbourne with the closest neighbors a mile away in either direction, and there happened to be no opportunities to babysit children. A few times staying over weekends with girlfriends, I'd do so with them - but none of those children were infants.
Worst of all, in 'Those Days of Yesteryear,' discussion of 'anatomy/things attendant thereunto' with others was not considered polite conversation, and my "education" limited to the very first S_X (gasp!!) Ed Class at Melbourne High School - girls given only a very general overview of body parts, with few details imparted.
My Mother's Lecture to me about what was 'involved in marriage" was tersely couched in "It is 'Something Beautiful' between a husband and wife."[end of discussion!]
Pregnant women then still ventured away from home as little as possible,
so as not to disturb the sensibilities of the general public. (LOL today, eh?)
Going into the Marine Corps, I had been reared a respected and terribly sheltered version of a Southern lady;
was quite unknowledgeable and naive; and my worst expletive was "Good heavens!"
Going straight from Boot Camp to the podium, instructing recruits in platoons of from 60 to 120 women in each class, I rapidly adjusted to being responsible, in charge and capable....still naive, though.
Courted by a Navy hospital corpsman met while visiting some of my women recruits who were hospitalized during training and had no family near, we married, and lived in a "luxury apartment" - what used to be a 1930's motor court; 6 quite dilapidated units behind Spaghetti Joe's Restaurant right on Ribault Road.
A half mile from the U.S. Naval Hospital at Port Royal, each unit had a small combination dining room/kitchen (NO living room area!) - and bedroom, where my very first TV was, with postage stamp bathroom with shower off the back of it.
But hey! It was only $50 a month and close for Ed to get to work!
Hardly planned, we were nonetheless ecstatic to soon learn I was carrying a child, due date 19 April 1954. At a checkup on Friday the 16th of April, the obstetrician said I would not deliver for at least another week. Somewhat dejected, I then went to lunch in the hospital with Ed and a corpsman friend, and declared to them emphatically,"I'M GOING TO HAVE THIS BABY TONIGHT!!"
That evening at home, I opted for Chef Boyardee spaghetti from a box kit, and dropping the pasta into the boiling water, looked at the clock so I could time its cooking. It was 6:30 p.m.
Hmmm....what was that odd 'twinge' in my back??
Five minutes later, more very gentle 'rolling!' Informed Ed, who was lying on the bed reading a book (no living room with big chair, remember?)
He thought I was joking, continuing along the lines of my statement at lunch; and was getting a little angry that I kept it up, so I kept quiet while a few more came and went.
Went into the bathroom - now 8:30 - and all of a sudden there was a very loud POP!!
Introduction to the Water Sac Bursting 101 - LOL
It of course got Ed's full attention in the next room then, and it was grab the suitcase and dash the half mile (thankfully) to the hospital.
Remember, I'd never been around ANY pregnant women nor really knew exactly what to expect. I therefore had nothing on hand to use to staunch the steady flow of fluid coursing down my legs.
"Okay - if you can handle a base with 35,000 Marines, most of them whistling and cheering as you go by, you can handle this indignity, Self."
Went into Academy Award Performance Mode, going into the lobby at 9:15 p.m. and across to the Admitting Desk with head held high and serene look on face, trailing a river behind me...knowing every one of the corpsmen/personnel there, as a staff wife!
More of same as I strolled casually around the desk, stream and all, over to the elevator and up to the 6th floor for Labor and Delivery..:))
[Note:
Although the initial exam and prep brought an "at least tomorrow afternoon" delivery time prediction, I of course immediately shifted into hard labor for just an hour and a half, barely able to be propelled to the Delivery Room from Labor Room in time.
Steve arrived at 0030 on 17 April - sandwiched between Good Friday and Easter Morning - exactly 6 hours from the drop-the-pasta-in-the-water time.
((Moral: Marines do everything precisely, with a minimum of fuss and bother..:))
Title Preview of Something Funny To Be Posted Later: While Waiting for Son # 2 to be born..:)) (much lighter note)
Indeed, Rus. I woke at 6 (after 3 1/2 hours of sleep) and have been streaming prayers for her all day. Not one to 'worry' per se, I nonetheless ask the Lord for her comfort and speedy recovery.
Prayers for Jack, too, of course, and the children and Miss Emma.
All I can say is . . .
WOW!
Thank you to all who read and responded to the link I posted about one woman's on-ground in New Orleans experience.
Freezie, do consider I received this late last night and formatted it in haste at 0100; and thus should have given some "qualifiers."
It was never my intention to exonerate the whole bloody monstrosity that FEMA is - - but to speak of what I know about the dedication of the very first DMAT responders - the Medical Units under FEMA'S (actually Homeland Security's) direction.
Numerous times I've gone through Steve's waiting to be sent somewhere - never from the position of a frantic mother, but of enormous pride because of all the Steves & Stephanies of America who drop their lives to HELP OTHERS - 30 minutes after the call to GO NOW...
By the way, when the tsunami in the Far East happened, Steve was On Alert to go there, with his International Insert DMAT Team - not, after all, needed.
In past years, he went to Uruguay, Guatemala and twice to El Salvador on highly effective weeklong medical mission trips...
I did not intend for FEMA administration to be totally off the hook...
however, that said, it WAS the LOCAL LOUISIANA FEMA head who was so derelict.
As you know, in government B has to yield to A, unable to proceed until *asked* in the Katrina situation.
OMIGOSH, Dolly!
Later, I will have to 'fess my own similar experience..:))
Nan, want you to know how much we all love you here and pray that your surgery this morning went well, without any complications, and your recovery will be so quick you'll wow all the doctors and nurses!
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Nude sunbathing? Ooooo a sight to behold.. : )
She hit it right on the money.
Thanks for the link Maggie. Sadly the Governor and Mayor have to point fingers at someone because they don't want to shoulder the blame for their lack of responsibility.
I've only posted a total of 117 threads and 14,473 replies.
Just can't keep from commenting.
Lol, okay. Now lets see what misch... oops!
Fast Forward to a year after Steve's delivery, to the Chincoteague U.S. Naval Hospital, in 1955.
Due Date of 4 July 1955 for Child # 2.
A very small facility, there was no waiting room per se for the OB Clinic patients, lining up on either side of the hallway, waiting for your turn.
In order to greatly speed up the labs, and because of the scarcity of bathrooms, one brought one's urine specimen of the day in a clean glass jar to hand the technician who drew your blood.
On one such visit, I had baby Steve in his stroller, charming the crowd - went to the lab and sat back down along the hallway wall.
The lab tech that day was our good friend, Ron, and he soon came out to proclaim loudly for all to hear, "Well, Margaret - I've already analyzed your specimen, and the result is "Positive Peaches!!"
Much loud laughing erupted, needless to say - -
In Steve's diaper bag, I had placed his jar of Gerber's peaches on one outside pocket, and the specimen in the opposite side one - and in my haste had handed Ron the wrong one to analyze..:))
This time, labor completely stopped after I went to the hospital at 2130 on 30 June, and I stood in the galley (kitchen) and chatted with Ed and Ron until 0430 of 1 July, when they sent me back to the Labor Room - "Hey! You're supposed to be in labor! Go rest!"
Hopped up on the labor table (NO labor pains since @ 2330 - now 0400) and promptly shifted into high gear, delivering Kevin 54 minutes later. "Get it done - get it over with!" I OBEY!!
Child # 3 (daughter, Jennifer) involved a mere 42 minutes of hard labor.
Enough 'short time' was enough - last child!
I likened my labor and deliveries to the ceremony to launch a brand new ship.
Someone - usually a woman - takes a bottle of champagne and breaks it on the bow - and said vessel glides wonderfully down to the sea...
That's how I had my children..:))
(Musta been the Marine Corps influence - LOL)
I just recalled my most panicked embarrassing moment..
I wasn't actually sunbathing but working in my small fenced back yard..I was pregnant and had on a rigged halter top..can't recall what it was made out of..(a tablecloth? LOL) and shorts unzipped while my little one sunned in the play pen and I did yard work.
I looked up across the fence and the Captain's wife was coming down the driveway, wearing a hat! (I was accustomed to ""all calls made and returned" parties..never had the Captain's wife made a call.)...
You have never seen such a speedy retreat into the house...grabbing something to cover myself more appropriately.I ended up working with her on some projects she organized.
She was so gracious and so warm..Her husband was my husband's favorite Captain..He was one of those you feel very fortunate to have served under.
In February of this year, when I had my old pc reformatted, they copied the entire hard drive and loaded it back on - it was as much a mess then as now!
Too much information! LOL
Doesn't the Governor/Mayor have to request FEMA and others to come in and help. Aren't ultimately the Mayor or NO and the Governor of LA the ones responsible. The knew in advance what was coming and did nothing until the very last minute - saved their own butts and forgot about the citizenary they were responsible to and for.
Celebrations are in order then!!!!
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