THE WATER CLOSET

Already having a baby and being pregnant with the third bundle of love, makes me question some sciencetific theory. When Amanda was safe and snuggy in her own not yet present world, maybe she could of some how related to another embryo to just hook-up with her, save me a great deal of time, the labor of love as they refer to it and bingo, bango TWINS! Sounds good to me but not to these two lil love bundles. At this very time I resembled the Great White Whale. I knew this child was going to be a big one. Why you might ask? For starters I really didn't enjoy a backache for nine months. Also when someone looked at me they couldn't tell the front from the back. One quiet evening David and I were watching television. It was a little after midnight and oh those famous words come flying out " A Labor of Love ". At this point love for David or even a new wardrobe was the farthest thing from my mind. Off we went to happy labor land, same doctors, nurses and by this time we are on first name basis. One nurse said " Weren't you just here "? David and I were in heaven, after all the nasty remarks I said to him, we had a big bouncing baby boy, two days early on March 4, 1973. David's eyes shined like diamonds looking at his two sons and his daughter. We named our third bundle of love Nicholas. He was cut as can be, blondest hair so light that he appeared bald. Months down the road and re-thinking about having five children, it was like having twins. Two baby bed's, double the baby items, two of everything was a great experience. This might be why David went to see a urologist. As David and I and David Jr stood by the baby's cribs with Amanda and Nicholas all tucked in their cozy warm blankets, we just gazed at David Jr, Amanda and Nicholas and felt the miracle of three beautiful babies, healthy peacefully sleeping and we knew then that we had been given three miracles. Three miracles embedded into our hearts and souls forever. As I looked around it occured to me three males against two females. I knew having Amanda, with her personality, the two of us could over-throw the male kingdom some day. I also mathematically calculated with having three babies, that I had a personal relationship with the Water Closet in a total of 810 days in six years. Needless to say I avoid the housewares aisle in department stores. To many Bowls!

Sorry

So sorry I haven't written anything, but we have just been through a tornado and we're trying to put back things to normal - if normal even exists. Thank you and you'll be seeing me real soon.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN !!

Picture this scenario. A four year old boy, a nine month old baby girl and news of a third child, which I am already three months in waiting. Not to bad except for several issues. One, we have a baby and two, father-to-be again, is sitting in his black recliner as if someone gave him a "reverse" blood transfusion. His face is white as snow as if all the blood drained from his limp body. I don't know whether to give him a cold cloth or call someone from pastoral care. I hate to break the news to David but technology has not begun to develope a method for a father to give birth. I'm the choosen species for this third task. I can tell you one thing for certain, because I'm living proof, the " RYTHAM METHOD DOES NOT WORK ". As David started to realize his enviroment, he looked at me with a blank stare and mumbled, " How Did This Happen "? Hello in there David, are you in there? Did you take sex education in school, talk to your parents? I didn't get this way by sitting on a toliet seat. I said to David, do you know what this means? Two babies, two cribes two of everything in Amanda's room. Sleeping, crying, wanting a bottle and all those other diaper deposits at the same time could by some chance push us both into parentnoia. After March 6, 1973 only time will tell.

You"ve Got To Be Kidding - Right ?

Amanda is the twinkle in her daddy's eye. Now at three months she demonstrates her side of smiles and soft little giggles. It has been written in stone, according to her daddy that Amanda will not date till age thirty, or she will become a nun - boy is he dreaming. He has confirmed that Amanda's first date will go through security clearance like the CIA. Knowing David as I do, he probably has an " application to date my daughter " all prepared tucked away with a lie detector for the first boy that steps upon the household kingdom steps. Amanda's eyes are a sky blue with her shiny blonde hair coming through.
She is a delight at six months old. She smiles more often than not. This tiny petite child full of love and happiness, Amanda has been given the ultimate female trait. She wrinkles up her little nose and smiles at her daddy with her rose bud lips. He then becomes a pat of butter on a serving dish. Amanda loves her big brother David Jr. but it appears that she would like to be the boss of him. She will fling her chubby little arms, make a grouchy sound, as if she is saying " no", " go away David " leave me alone. My vision of this beautiful child Amanda, will have long blonde golden hair, ponytails, ribbons, bows and outfits fit for a princess. She is my baby girl princess as David Jr is my little prince. David Jr. is exceptionally handsome and Amanda with her china doll appearance, their antics are as entertaining as a movie. It appears to me now that she is nine months old that we may have an early walker, with the constant repeating of the " no " word not to touch certain items. There is a possibility she may grow up thinking her name is NO. Amanda is walking (with a pink brush in hand)with the assistance of objects such as the sofa, chair or cocktail table. Like an airplane Amanda is preparing for " take off " soon. I've deflated from the bowling ball effect somewhat, but the woman's curse comes and goes. It's been gone now for sometime this body trying to adjust to motherhood. Having spoke with the nurse today and tossed into obliveien, I mumbled incoherently " You Got To Be Kidding"? Yep bundle number three.

" She Don't Look Like No Girl "

Will it be a boy or a girl I asked Dr. John? Well my dear child, as big as you are, how about twins? My thoughts flipped over into stupidity for a slight second. I thought twins happened to other mommies-to-be. As I progressed into the shape of a bowling ball with two legs-when one is only 5ft 1", confirmation announced " No Twins ". Our precious blonde-haired, chubby cheeked Lil David Jr will be four years old when the second bundle of joy arrives on August 9, 1971. At least this bundle of joy will have a baby crib. Baby crib you ask? Oh, it's just one of those " your joking- right?" stories. No joking here. It really happened while living in California when David Jr. was a baby. Hey, times were hard. The short version is, bundle number one had " no " baby crib, Navy life pay not abundant, so baby David slept in a suitcase till the lid slammed shut. That's what I said " Slammed Shut ". Thank God he was not in the suitcase. So off to the church on the corner we went, the sounds of begging in our voices. God Bless the Minister for the church donated a baby crib. Now David was snug as a bug. Bundle number two has a beautifully decorated nursery in yellow. It is sweltering hot and no air conditioning. I will either explode or melt by August 9th. I have to be creative I said to myself to survive the heat, while blowing up like a hot air balloon, to the point that my feet were no longer visible. My receipe for air-conditioning! Keep in mind I was a desperate hormonal pregnant woman. Number one: Make tons of ice cubes. Two: Get a round galvanized tub, fill with ice cubes. Three: Take window fan and place in front of tub of ice, settle back on the sofa, place feet in tub of ice with fan on high blowing at the ice cubes so the cool air would flourish over my much extended body. Instant air-conditioning. Ok, so I'm only twenty-four years old, buying bags of ice never occured to me, what did I know? My sweet David felt so sorry for me. Easy for him, he didn't look like an over-grown watermelon. It was the morning of August 11, 1971 and I had a vision. A vision of a man, his white van parked in our drive-way. He was standing in our our kitchen with his name tag stitched on his shirt. His name was " Sears ". Ahhh, central-air, life is good except for this awful backache I have. As we were watching television that evening around 8:30P.M. I told David " I think I wet my pants" No wetting pants here, bundle number two decided to make the grand entrance. We got to the hospital at 9:00P.M. I am positive the whole hospital heard my elevated shouts of " this baby is coming ". My gentle, compassionate labor nurse, who was African-American, told David to go get a cup of coffee, it would be awhile. Pushing! I am Pushing I shouted. Everyone in delivery says " don't push ". The next sound I heard was a nurse saying Dr. ( Dr. John ) baby is crowning and I pushed and POOF I had the most beautiful blonde-haired, porcelain skin daughter named Amanda at 10:01P.M. Poor daddy David thought I was still in the labor room, till my nurse met him and said " Honey Child " you got yourself a baby girl! Oh my, Lil David Jr. looked so big to me as the three of us stood by Amanda's crib and stared in awe. Out of the mouthes of babes, David Jr. looked at me and his daddy and said so innocently " She Don't Look Like No Girl-I think I'll Pinch Her "

The Room

The sun must be shinning, for there isn't anymore darkness. I hear a babies cry, a newborn. It's November 22, 1967 and we have a beautiful baby boy, our first born. Thank goodness David could come home on emergency leave from the Navy, from Viet Nam, to see his son come into this mighty world. Things will be so different, as life takes it turns here and there. Now that the baby is six weeks old we can join daddy in San Diego. David Jr will be living in California, but I doubt if he'll ever remember the ocean or all the ships on the base. David and I took alot of pictures so we could go back when David Jr is older and show him all the wonderful things he experienced.
My this beautiful child of ours has grown so fast, as fast as time has gone for us. David Jr is three now and we finally had the joyous opportunity to build our first house. It's a simple ranch, David Jr running in the back yard playing, smiling, those cute chubby cheeks. Let me tell you there are days when I just feel like I have the flu. It's hard with a toddler when my tummy feels just ick. David took me out for lobster dinner at our favorite restaurant tonight, thinking it would cheer me up getting out of the Stay at Home Mom House, that's was his favorite saying. Dinner was delicious, too bad I didn't get to finish it. Do you know how embarrassing it is to wake up on the floor and you are looking up at people? Funny for some. For me, all I heard David tell our friends dining with us, "Yep she's pregnant". I figured he had one to many beers to be making that comment for everyone and god to hear. Sure enough, the rabbitt died. I never did like swollen ankels nor did I like to hear month after month from Dr. John, oh I just love him, that if I gain any more weight, in the hospital i'll go. Not this girl, for I love to eat. This pregnancy I didn't even want "Chilli Mac" from the "Steak n Shake" as I did with the first born. I guess nine months of Chilli Mac is enough for a life time.

The Beginning of the End

Today 21 years ago is the start of the dreaded February 23rd. Some how I finally figured out it never leaves my subsonscience, it only places itself on another shelf in the far distance. February 23, 1985 along with a drunk driver, took the life of my husband and left me with two ultimate challenges of " Single Parent " of three youngsters and a title called "Widow". I did not realize it at that moment, but I had slipped away into a place that was unfamiliar and very dark. The only thing I could see was the faces of my young children saying to me " Mom, Mommy what do we do now "? Their eyes full of sadness, tears gushing among screams of fear, I couldn't answer these innocent babies of ours for it was so dark this place I had entered. I craddled them in my insecure arms and held tight to them for I only knew one thing for sure, that I needed my children. I felt they would be the one's giving me a purpose to find my way out of my dark existance. Years before the reaper appeared, life was full of sillies, giggles and funnies.