Throwback Thursday

January/1956, 6 months old

I was disappointed that in Dad's notebooks, he never put into writing how he felt at my appearance the way he did when The Brother was born. Since my birthday is this weekend, I'll tell you my birth story as told to me by Ma.

In April 1952, Dad passed the bar exam, and in May they moved from the duplex in Cambridge to the single family home in Natick. The Brother was 3 years old, and I was just a thought. Ma wanted another child, a girl. She always said she wanted  a family with one of each, a boy and a girl. She called  it a rich man's family.Dad wanted another son. He wanted to name his second son, Reginald which would have been a companion name to The Brother. So they tried and tried but Ma couldn't seem to get in the family way. The Brother turned 4 and then 5.

Ma had a friend from work, at least that's where I think she had met Frank. Possibly the friend was Frank's wife. (Not to be confused with her friends, Frank and Mary, also from work, who would become my Godparents)

 No matter. She must have confided her wish to have a baby, but not having any luck. Frank had an elderly aunt who was a nun. He took Ma to visit the aunt and told her of Ma's wish to have a baby, possibly told her she wanted a baby girl.

The aunt gave Ma a doll. A doll with dark hair and dark eyes. She told Ma to put the doll on her dresser and within the year, Ma would have a baby girl. And the aunt said she would pray for Ma.

Around this time, Grandma (Ma's mother) came for a visit. Grandma loved to visit Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston, Massachusetts The shrine has a large rosary made of boulders and chains and you can say the prayers of the rosary as you walk around. Underneath the crucifix is a grotto with some sort of well or stream and people say a prayer and light candles and throw coins into the water. So Grandma gave the Brother a coin. He was asked if he wanted a little brother or a little sister. He tossed the coin in the well and wished for a little sister.

After all this Ma finds out she's with child, and just about the same time she finds out that Frank's aunt, the nun, passed away. Ma said a life for a life.

Ma's pregnancy progressed nicely. One Saturday, in her sixth month, she asked Dad to watch The Brother while she went in to take a shower. No problem. Dad was reading a book or doing a crossword puzzle. The Brother was playing with an Erector set. a building toy with metal girders and gears that could be motorized so the construction could move.

Everything was fine or so Dad thought. The Brother was  jumping from chair to chair while holding onto one of the metal girders. He fell, cried out, and the metal piece goes in his mouth and cut his palate. The Brother screamed and rushed into the bathroom for Ma. Ma saw all the blood gushing from his mouth and in her haste to get out of the tub, fell.

After the fall, things returned to normal. Everything was fine. In her 7th month, Ma had to leave work to start her confinement. This was 1955. Pregnant women weren't supposed to be seen.

Jump ahead to July 27, a Wednesday night. Ma always went to bed early since she had to be up early to leave for work. Dad liked to stay up late, watch the late shows, news, listen to the National Anthem as the television stations signed off the broadcast day at midnight. No round the clock television back in those days.

Ma was  trying to get to sleep. She was  uncomfortable, and the sounds of the television was keeping her awake. She told Dad it was time, and to call Mrs. Stacy, the next door neighbor to come and stay with The Boy. And off Ma and Dad went to the hospital in Waltham, a half an hour or so ride.

Ma knew it was not TIME, but figured the hospital would admit her, send Dad home, as dads were not allowed in the delivery room, and she would get a good night's sleep. Her due date wasn't until August 4. The plan worked just as Ma thought. She was admitted to the maternity ward, and Dad went home and was able to catch the late news.

To be continued next week.