Stomach Cramps

I remember October 4, 1942. It was a warm Sunday evening in Galveston. James didn’t have to work. “Sergeant York” with Gary Cooper was playing at the discount movie –fifteen cents per ticket, I think. If we rode the bus to town and walked home, we could see the movie for twenty-five cents each. We enjoyed the movie and the walk home. James sang all the way home.



About 2 a.m., on the morning of the 5th, I awakened with “stomach cramps.” I was in and out of bed for about an hour with “stomach cramps” before James awakened.

The baby! he said.

No, it couldn’t be, I thought, the doctor said Oct. 7th . . .

Ha!

I didn’t want to go to the hospital. Had a horror of going over, getting all prepared, and having to come home and wait another day or so.

Soon he persuaded me to go to the hospital.

Our friends David and Virginia Traylor had a car and lived next door to us. David was also an intern and they were from Emporia, Kansas. They came rushing over and took us to the hospital.

At 11:20, I think, our bright blue-eyed baby girl was blinking at us.

During labor I was in a big room with lots of other women in labor. James and the interns who were on Ob. Service were in and out along with my doctor who was Dr. Cooke, head of the Obstetrics department at the University.

I was awake as we went into the delivery room. Had been given lots of sedative, I guess, but nothing like they did in Fort Worth when my other children were born. I remember being on the delivery table. They were putting on the strap things. I was kicking and squirming from pain, and I thought, “My goodness, what if I kick that doctor and the nurses.”

They had started the ether. I relaxed purposely to keep from kicking someone and they thought the anesthetic had taken over. They did the episiotomy! Wow! I felt that! and opened my eyes in panic.

The anesthesiologist said, “Breathe deep through your mouth and nose,” and I did ! I went to sleep with those words rhythmically repeating in my head. When I awakened I was in my room and it was all over.

James said I asked, “Our little guppy fish had nine babies, how many did we have?”
Just one and soon they brought Carolyn in and she opened her bright blue eyes and blinked at us.

Later, James called the Bentons and Mother in San Angelo and Uncle Bill in Commerce. Aunt Eva was at a club meeting. When she came home, Uncle Bill ran out front—“Eva, Eva, the baby has come. I’ve taken off from work, so we can go to Galveston tomorrow. The baby’s here—and on your birthday !”

They arrived the next day for a short visit.