Rarely do travel trailers and giving birth mix as topics except, of course, when we recall the gentle birth of our dear ( and exceptional!) sister, Sherri! I do believe that, except for Dad, I am best qualified to give an accurate account of this momentous moment in history.
As I recall ...it was a dark and stormy night, hmmmm, or maybe a pleasantly crisp Northern California November day. I just remember it being daylight all that time...apparently Sherri didn't really like getting up as early then as she does now.
The first thing I remember is huddling with Debbie by the little louvered door that divided the back half of our trailer from the main room. We could hear scary ( for us) sounds coming through the door and we were a bit frightened by all the hustle and bustle. I am told Grandma Walley was there, but I really do not remember her in all this. I do remember we were huddling next to the tiny broom closet-slash-pantry where there was a huge bag of prunes kept in the bottom and, like as not, we munched on those a little as we waited and waited through all the scariness.
At last the ordeal was finally through and we worried little girls were allowed to enter and be comforted by our mother. We ran across the room to the tiny fold down couch that was the "guest" bed ( or, I guess, in these circ's- the "birthing couch") and threw ourselves on her and I believe it was me that scrambled across her!!!!- to lay by her in the bed. Talk about your pioneer gutsiness! Mom neither moaned or threw us back across the room ( which is what we heartily deserved!). We were later introduced to tiny little Sherri as she was lifted from the cardboard box on the table which served as her temporary crib. I don't honestly remember what my impressions of her looks were at that time ( except that she was tiny and cute and adorable...could I play with her pleeeease!?), but I am sure there was a touch of hauteur as if she slightly disdained the surrounding to which she was going to have to become accustomed to.
Happy Birthday Sherri!
We're glad you have risen to such heights!
Love ya, mucho, mucho!
2 comments:
Nice that someone remembers what happened. I thought it was a serious blur for all involved and since there are sooo few left it is getting blurrier.
Thanks!
I remember huddling by the door also. Grandma Walley was there? I don't remember her being there, and believe me, that trailer wasn't big enough to hide cat in, let alone a full size woman. Besides, I would think that she would have spent a little time with us - since there was already Dad and at least a nurse there...again, that place wasn't too big - with the "birthing couch" down, there wouldn't have been a lot of room for extra people. I'm sorry to say that I don't remember the newborn Sherri at all. Of course, I was just barely 3 years old and it's possible that they hid her from me to protect her.
It worked. She's still alive and kicking 46 years later. Happy Birthday Sherri!
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