Friday, October 10, 2008

This day in history...

I came across this today after talking with Shanda and Rachelle about their picture project. This is an entry from Grandma's diary, when she is expecting Teddie. I think it is interesting that the Doctor "told me I was doing fine and I would probably have a dozen kids", when this is her second. Would any doctor say that still today? Little did he know that she would fulfill that prophesy. I am so glad that Grandma kept a diary. I'm working on transcribing her journal from 1978-1987. When I get it completed, I'm thinking of posting it with googledocs, so that all of us can have a copy of it. She was so focused on missionary work and her children and grandchildren. It is interesting to read what her first impressions of my aunts and uncles future spouses were. (Just a plug from your future generations to keep a journal!)

Oct. 10, 1951

Weight 129 Waist 29”
Bust 37 ½ ” Hips 38”

Well it looks like a couple months have skipped me by. We went to Salt Lake during September and painted the folks’ new home. I have never worked so hard in my life and I never hope to work so hard again but I didn’t seem to have any ill effects.

I felt life September 18th – a determined little struggling within me that gave me once more the thrilling satisfaction of motherhood. Since then I have felt movement every day and some of them have been pretty violent.

Ted teases me a little about my tummy (it’s beginning to protrude) but I know he is proud. At night he lays his hand on my stomach and squeezes me sleepily when he feels it kick.

A few times I have waked up at night with terrific cramps in my legs. The muscles were simply tied in knots and hard as rocks. Once I yelled extra loud and Ted jumped like he had been shot. He rubbed my legs until the hardness went away. Then he put the heating pad against them. Heat seems to be the only thing to relieve that awful pain so I never go to sleep anymore unless my trusty pad is within easy reach.

I have backaches occasionally when I overwork, but when I told this to the doctor he merely laughed and gave me his definition of a woman – “A female bi-ped with a backache.” I see what he means.

My latest visit to the doctor was on Sept. 25. He told me I was doing fine and I would probably have a dozen kids. He gave me some vitamins to take. It is a small wonder modern children are such pills considering the quantities of said product that present-day mothers have to swallow!

It looks like I am really expanding. There has been a two inch gain around my waist and a 3 ½ inch gain in my bust – Eek!

4 comments:

Teddie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Teddie said...

Malauna, Thanks for posting this. It's nice to know what your mother thinks of you when you're in utero. I would just like to clarify here that I was never a pill. Mom told me so herself when I was in my teens. She must have been thinking about somebody else when she wrote that!

Anonymous said...

Malauna, Thanks for posting that--I really enjoyed reading it! That is a lot of work transcribing and I appreciate you doing it.

The Fieldings said...

I love to read Mom's journal entries. Thanks for posting this one, Malauna. I wish I had those measurements!