1949 - Jean's missing pages -Feb.1

In the letter posted a few days ago from Jean to her parents, there seemed to be a page missing.  Indeed, there were three pages missing, and now more details on the first days of parenting in 1949 Cleveland.

[the following is pages 2-4 of a six-page letter from Jean to her parents on February 1, 1949.]

. . . Her nails are long and well shaped  but they wear those shirts with closed hands so you can't tell too much about them.

Dr. Weir said I got along fine & he wished all his patients were as quiet & good, etc.  I don't know whether Harold told you all the gory details.  Perhaps he knows those better than I do.

I had been feeling fine with the exception of the "showing" which started about Wednesday night but had no real cramps or pains until about 1:15 Saturday morning & they seemed to get worse but were at irregular times – sometimes 30 minutes apart and sometimes 8-10.  Finally we decided it best to call Dr. Weir so he said start right away for the hospital.  He would call and make all the necessary arrangements.

Of course, it had begun to snow and we could hear cars sliding and skidding on the street by our building.  We left about 3:30 AM and got to the hospital by 4:00 with only one major pain along the way.

They sent me up to labor-delivery room as soon as I got in and began to time my pains but kept saying I'd have to have harder & stronger ones before they'd be considered.  After an enema was over, they let Harold come up – about 5:00 (in the meantime he was supposedly studying for an exam just 3 hours later).  Finally when I was hardly conscious any longer he left & the next thing I knew it was 12:00 & Harold was telling me we had a little girl 7 lbs 1 oz at 8:55 AM.  Thinking he was teasing about the girl I wouldn't believe him but then the nurse told him he could see the baby on the way out & they showed her to me afterwards.

Later when I had been taken downstairs to my room, they brought her in & fully undressed her showing she was a good healthy specimen.  Dr. Weir came later & said all was fine & everything had gone very well – much faster than he had expected.

Harold came over at 6:00 for visiting hours and Jeanne Campbell came somewhat later & stayed until 8:00.  I was feeling very well by then & glad it was all over.  Some flowers – very pretty daffodils arrived earlier in the afternoon from Jeanne, Ruth and Ellen.

That night (Saturday) they brought the baby in and . . . .