And Baby Makes Four...........

We found out in August of 1971 that we were having another baby. It was planned, we’d just ditched the pills and made the decision to increase our family size. Back in those days “I” was pregnant. Not “WE“.

And “I” had some problems. Spotting and cramping. The Dr put me on bed rest for 3 weeks. I stayed at my mother’s house and she took ‘bed rest’ very seriously. Damn, lucky I got out long enough to pee. That was it.

Side Story: I loved my doctor and had total faith in him. When I went in and was spotting, we had a big talk. He told me that he could give me seven pills, one a day for a week. And they would more than likely prevent a miscarriage. However, he wasn’t going to put it in my records and I was to tell NO ONE that he’d given them to me. They had been taken off the market, but he still believed in them. So, I had to make a quick decision. Harm and I decided to just go for it. And I’ve never ever regretted that decision.

We wanted this baby. I didn’t ask a lot of questions. I went to mama’s house, took the pills, stayed in bed for three weeks and came out of it all with baby and mother both just fine. No more problems after that. Of course since then I’ve learned of DES.

I just have an ongoing prayer that it doesn’t affect Jennifer and Janka. So far so good. They’re aware of the situation. And I sure can’t change my decision 38 years later. I’ve got Jennifer. And, like Forrest Gump, that’s all I have to say about that.

After that, it was an easy pregnancy. And all three of us were excited. This is again, old times, pre ultrasounds unless there was a damn good reason to do one. And identifying the sex of the baby wasn’t close to reason enough. So, like everybody else, we just wondered what we’d get. What sex baby God had picked for us. And we were happy not knowing and planning.

Harm had some time off for the Christmas Holidays in 1971. So, the day after Christmas we packed up Traci and lots of her new toys and took a trip. We went to West Virginia to visit with his Aunt and only cousins. And then on to Pennsylvania and spent New Years Eve & day with my Aunt Betty and Uncle Jim. A good time was had by all. It was fun. Harm was a football fan so we stopped in Canton at the Football Hall of Fame. I really had no interest, but Traci & I bluffed our way through and it was a good day for him. I’m glad.

We were still tossing names back and forth. I loved Lara--think Dr. Zhivago-- Harm hated it as his grandma’s name was “Laura”. And they mis-pronounced it as “Lara” in West Virginia. That was a no go for him. Maybe Tiffany? Heather? He hated all of them except Jennifer. He wanted Jennifer Ann (for me) if it was a girl.

I vetoed Jennifer as it was just too popular right then. Love Story had been published and everybody was naming their new daughter Jennifer. One of my cousins had just had a Jennifer. Plus, I had an Aunt Jenny. And I associated. And I didn’t care for the association. Nah, we’d compromise and find something else. Maybe it was a boy and we both were happy with Stephen Michael for a boy. Or Michael Stephen. I can’t remember.

After all, this was only mid February. He or She wasn’t due until the 4th of March. We had plenty of time to work it out. No problem.

But, after all the discussion there really was no choice.