| the yeast also rises
It was December 1974.?I had moved back in with my sister after living in my own apt and we moved to Sharpstown to get away from Robert, who had taken up with my ex-roommate (how rude is that!?I later heard they got married).?Frankie and I decorated a tumbleweed for Christmas.?My mom, in Midland, called one day from the phone in her bedroom so my dad didn't know she was on the phone.?I kinda blurted out I was pg, totally out of the blue, and, of course, she got hysterical and said she had to hang up, which she did.?My dad, obliviously watching TV in the den, heard her crying and immediately called me back.?He was pretty rude but never called me a slut or anything like that.?He was more concerned how I was going to pay for it (without it costing him anything I'm sure).?He called me again a little later to apologize.?That's my dad, my kid's grandfather, how cool is that!So there I was, barely 21, a very young 21-year-old Catholic girl who would never consider abortion, though it had been legal for 3 years.?(I'm pro-choice now).?I remember the first time I felt Eric kick (though I secretly called him Bilbo since I read The Hobbit and the trilogy while I was pg); on the bus going home from an appt with Dr. Freundlich.?I was about 3 1/2 months pg and at that moment I knew I would never give him up.?My parents came around soon after that.?My mom's best friend convinced her how horrible it would be to have your first-born grandchild out in the world somewhere and not know him.When I was 8 months pg I was in a wreck.?My sister and I were in her Ford Maverick and I had started out driving.?My belly was right close to the steering wheel and it bugged me enough for me to pull over and let her drive.?About a mile down the road we got hit head-on like at 30 mph or less; nobody got hurt.?If I had been driving it would have been a different outcome.?I was very shaken up--we didn't go to the hospital or anything, it was minor--when I called my ob he said to drink some wine and relax.?Which I did and everything was fine.But a `couple weeks before his due date I cooked me a steak and baked potato and broccoli.?Soon after eating I got dizzy.?For no reason.?Frankie was at work so I was alone.?I called her and she said to call the doctor (duh!)and he said to go to the ER at Methodist Hospital.?I would either have to call an ambulance, take the bus or call a cab.?Hell, that was more stressful than the vertigo.?Before I left, the doctor called back and asked what I had eaten that evening.?Then he asked if I had used MSG on my steak and I said yes.?He told me to eat a loaf of bread (yes--a loaf) because he suspected the MSG was the cause.?Sure enough, the vertigo went away and I didn't have to go to the ER.My due date was July 20, 1975, and it came and went.?My mom, who had accepted the circumstances, came to Houston.?She and my sister were with me when I went into labor the morning of July 25, a Saturday.?The previous night we had gone to see "Jaws" and joked that the movie would probably send me into labor.?I was in labor all day and finally went to Methodist at 7pm.?It didn't hurt that bad til Dr. Freundlich broke my water with a very long knitting needle (that's what it looked like).?Then I got a caudle, in which they numb you from the waist down.?I remember having to lay on my side during labor, and they would tell me when I was having a contraction.?When I gave birth they had to tell me when to push since I couldn't feel anything.?I remember the mirror where I could see the baby coming out.At 11:05pm, Eric was born totally healthy, with a perfect apgar score.?He was beautiful!I had to get a court order for his birth certificate, which was standard for babies born 'out of wedlock'.?I wrote a letter to the judge protesting the injustice.?I think it cost about $15 to get the birth certificate.?That law also changed soon afterwards.Elvis has left the building |
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