Mandy at one day old
During the 50′s and 60′s, it seemed that I was always expecting a new baby. In September 1961, I was just about full term with another one. Even though I was in this condition, on the day of a horse show, one hundred miles north in Lisbon, New Hampshire, the children and I got up at 4:00 AM. We ate a quick breakfast. Stevie, Trip, and I cleaned the cages of the dogs and cats in the animal hospital and fed them. Nifty and Peter, who were three and four, helped as much as they could. All four kids did these chores happily because they loved going to horse shows so much.
We loaded Stevie’s Saddlebred, Minnie, and our pony, Aloysius. By this time, our car was the vehicle that pulled the trailer which made much more room to carry the children than the unreliable dump truck we had used in the past. The children settled comfortably in the car and we were all ready to head for the horse show at 6:30 AM. We were on time.
As I was getting in behind the steering wheel, I doubled over with excruciating pain. It never let up! Having a baby was always was like this for me. I would have one huge constant pain until I my baby was born! None of this ‘pains three minutes apart’ stuff. I already had had four children and I knew that every minute counted. All my babies had been very fast and easy deliveries. No longer than an hour from beginning to end, even with our first baby, Stevie.
Clutching my stomach, I ran, or, went as fast as I could go, into the house and asked Jonnie to take the children to the horse show for me. He had never been to a show with the children. I said, “Just drop me off at the hospital and I will have the baby. Hurry! I don’t have much time.” He said, “OK”. In a few minutes we were on our way..
Twenty minutes later, he dropped me off at the door of the Elliot Hospital. Just in time! By then I could hardly stand. The nurses took me directly to the delivery room. After he had been driving for an hour, Jonnie called the hospital from a pay phone. I was already back in my room. I told him that we had a beautiful, little girl, Amanda.
The next day, Jonnie visited me in the hospital, carrying the newspaper to show me an article about the horse show and a picture of Stevie on her horse, Minnie, winning the equitation championship. The children had done, by themselves, everything that needed to be done-dressing in riding habits, shirts and ties, hats and boots; grooming, saddling and bridling the horses, registering and getting numbers, the pressure of preparing for classes, eating lunch, loading and unloading the horses, feeding and watering them. Stevie and Trip had entered five classes including two championships, and won all five!
I was so proud, and I still am, that these kids performed so well.
Mandy and Aloysius five years later.