Some questions and comments were made about my labor day hat I felt I needed to answer.

The midwife was a certified nurse-midwife. She had over 200 births to her credit at that time. Her mother had been a midwife before her. She was in her a black lady in her 50's. A tall woman over 5'7" and a bit overweight. I guess you would call her big boned. She had strong hands. She had a wide face with a beard on her chin. That's right, I said a beard. Not just a few errant hairs but a full fledged goatee! I was taken back at first when I saw it but was soon at ease with her and it did not bother me.

 

My daughter survived her birth. She was 8 pounds and 18 inches of wiggly baby! Later that day as I was doing her first diaper change, I checked her over head to toes. All of her toes and fingers were there in the right places. She had a piece of skin at the base of her throat. I asked what it was. I was told that it was called a skin tag and that sometimes babies have them. I accepted that. It did not seem to hurt her and it was just a piece of skin.

Ed was found just south of Chicago. A CB radio message relay went out until he was found. Truckers relayed the message until finally the right one heard it. Ed was back home late Wednesday night holding his new daughter. She was wearing a dress that the preacher's wife bought her. It was the only girl thing I had. Everyone kept saying I was having a boy but I knew I was having a girl.

Some people have said how strong I was. I did not feel strong. I felt alone and scared. I felt that way the entire pregnancy. I did a lot of things while I was pregnant that I had never done. Butchered steers, plucked chickens, gathered eggs, chopped wood, and that was just in the week before I delivered! Survival was the main thing on my mind at all times.