Mike's Beginnings

Hershal and I wanted children so badly, but it seemed to take forever for it to happen. My first pregnancy, at the end of 1975, ended heartbreakingly with a miscarriage. Then I went for a couple of years wanting another child. Much to my surprise, by the time I found out I was pregnant with Mike, I was almost 5 months along!

I loved being pregnant; was never sick and felt wonderful. Mike was due the last week of May, 1977, and the date passed and still no baby! Finally, on June 7th, Dr. Jones induced labor at 1:00 PM and I had Mike at 12:48 am on June 8th. He was a big, healthy baby (8 lb. 8 oz.) and had blondish red hair that looked like peach fuzz!

When Mike was 6 weeks old, we took him on his first yearly vacation, camping, in Colorado, up at Woods Lake (near Telluride). From the first week of his life, he just cried, ate, spit up, and pooped. He didn't even sleep 6 hours a day! So, Hershal and I would take turns staying up with him every other night. Whoever was on "duty" would put Mike in a little red and white walker and while he played, we'd cat nap on the sofa.

Mike would drink about 10-15 bottles of milk a day! He never kept it down, so the poor little thing was always hungry, with a tummy ache. Because he was active practically 24/7, he began walking when he was 6.5 months old!!! He looked so tiny and cute. We knew from the beginning that he was going to be a very intelligent person (and he is!!!!).

Hersh and I reached our limit of only sleeping every other night after about 8 months. We tried soy milk, goat milk, and everything else; nothing worked. So, I weaned him at 8 months and he went straight to table food. And for the first time in his little life, he became a happy, happy baby (amazing how keeping food down works towards health)!

If I close my eyes, I can see him dressed in his gorgeous little clothes I'd buy... and he smelled so good. I bathed him in Johnson's soap, and the lotion, and powder. Everyone always commented on how cute he was and how wonderful he always smelled.

As I end this, I'm smiling. Remembering is a good thing.