A train whistle blew at the Dubuque train station one cool, early morning in October of 1940. Paul and Gilbertha were waiting to pick up Paul's mother. She would come to stay a couple weeks to help them get ready for their new arrival and would help them after the baby was born. Gilbertha had asked her mother-in-law to come. Bert's pregnancy was still progressing smoothly and she and the baby were quite well. She had one checkup left before her scheduled Csection, and Bert had plans to ask her mother-in-law to come with her then, as well.
"Are you warm enough, Dear? Feeling ok?" Paul asked her, wrapping an arm around her. "Getting colder out….we're due for an early winter."
" Oh, I am NOT ready for winter yet!…." She groaned. "I don't think I'll even put up the Christmas tree this year…"
"We'll be too busy with the baby to care." Paul smiled at her. Her brown eyes beamed at him in response.
"Think '41 will be an even better year for us?" Bert smiled, her eyes closed as her husband held her from behind, feeling him smooth her belly and kiss the crook of her neck.
"I think so, Dear." Paul whispered tenderly, smiling. He thought of their baby and proudly smiled. This was finally going to happen for them.
He took off his coat and slipped it around Bert's shoulders, noticing she was cold. Smiling at her, he gently embraced her from behind once again and kissed her on the cheek. Love and tenderness shone from his adoring eyes. Hers matched his, a moment.
Gilbertha shook her head at him. "Paul….take your coat! I'm fine! Honey, I'm not some porcelain doll, I'm just pregnant!"
"Hello, just pregnant,...I'm Dad." He grinned and welcomed her lips with his in a kiss. His sweet gray eyes, glassy with proud tears brimming. Bert thought Paul had the most beautiful eyes for a man. They were gray with flecks of gold and brown that seemed to change color from gray to blue to green in the light or if he wore certain colors.
"What a "Dad joke"!..." Gilbertha rolled her eyes and laughed at him and hugged him. "How can something so cute also make me want to slam my head against that brick wall?" Bert laughed, gazing at him. "Oh, c'mere you!" She gave him a peck on the lips and grinned at him.
"You're shivering, Dear." Paul held her closer and planted a kiss on her forehead. "You and my Baby are precious cargo…I want to make sure you're comfortable."
"I'm alright, Dear!" Bert insisted, chuckling and then she sighed. She was very pregnant now. She felt so heavy and achy and exhausted. Her feet were killing her, but there weren't any benches to sit down at. "How soon does your mother's train come?" Bert sighed.
They saw one coming a ways off. "That's hers, I think!...Are you sure you're alright?" Paul saw she was looking kind of antsy. Bouncing a little on both feet.
"Yes Dear…." Bert chuckled. "I have to use the bathroom soon. I think this baby's pressing on my bladder!…" She sighed again. "I'll be right back, I'm sorry…." Bert walked, or waddled rather, as fast as the weight of her pregnant belly would allow and went to go use the train station bathroom and came swiftly waddling back to him. "Well, let's go meet your mother!" Gilbertha smiled as the train had stopped and passengers were getting off. Bert smoothed her husband's back and put her arm around his waist. They walked over as soon as they spotted Paul's mother. A fairly tall, thin, modest woman with her brown hair usually in a bun or braid. Today it was in a neat bun. She set down her little suitcase and hugged her grown son. "I love you, my boy. How are you?!... Oh Gilbertha!" Cora smiled and wrapped her daughter-in-law up in a gentle hug. "What in Heaven's name are you doing here, Dear?! You should be tucked away at home till you have that baby!!!..."
"I wanted to meet you when your train got in!" Gilbertha laughed with joy and hugged her mother-in-law. "I've hid this pregnancy for as long as I can! No way to hide it now! I'm way too big!" She laughed.
"Sweetheart, look at you!!...You look lovely…." Cora smiled, commenting on the lovely outfit Bert was wearing. A lovely blush pink maternity frock paired with a burgundy skirt, her brown mink coat given by her Aunt Kate, with brown oxford heels to match. "Dear you're….my goodness, you're!..." Cora's eyes scanned her daughter-in-law.
"Huge!" Bert laughed. "I'm huge, I know!" There was definitely no hiding the fact that she was pregnant now!
"Oh no, Dear, you're radiant, Sweetheart!...You're glowing!...You're beautiful!!…" Cora, with the tears brimming, hugged her sweet daughter-in-law.
"I'm huge, I know." Gilbertha laughed, placing her hand on her belly and another on her back, trying to soothe the lately constant ache in it. "You can say it!" She laughed." I guess now they can call me Big Bertha!" Bert chuckled. "My word! Whoever said there's a pregnancy glow, they lied!!"
"Oh Sweetheart!" Cora laughed with her. "You're beautiful, believe me." Cora smiled at her daughter-in-law and became choked up. "You're having my grandbaby!…" She hugged her daughter-in-law again and started to weep with joy. "Oh I love you! I love you both!...I swear, you're always in the family way when I come out to visit!" She joked, her brown eyes shining at her daughter-in-law. "How are you feeling, Gilbertha?"
"Very pregnant…." Bert sighed with a smile, a little out of breath. "Very heavy and very pregnant… I wouldn't mind having this sweet baby tomorrow night or the next. Sometimes I wonder if the doctor got my due date wrong!" Bert chuckled, her hands cradling her belly. "I guess it won't matter much though since I'm having a Cesarean." Bert was glad it was soon. She was getting tired of being pregnant. She felt very blessed to be, but also very tired and heavy. Her breasts were larger, she was mostly all belly. Her back ached every day, along with other different ailments and normal things involving her pregnancy. She was just ready to be finally done. It had been an interesting yet uncomfortable, amazing experience she felt blessed to have had, she felt so incredibly blessed and grateful to have not had any problems, just a normal pregnancy….but she felt ready to soon be finished with it. "I'm glad I'm having a Cesarean...I'm not scared at all."
"Really, Dear?!" Her mother-in-law exclaimed in surprise. "I hope it all goes well for you, Dear. As long as it's the best thing for you and the Baby." Cora smiled and embraced her again. Bert was pleased that there was no judgement at all from her mother-in-law.
"Here,..." Gilbertha smiled and softly grabbed her mother-in-law's hand. "I know you want to feel the Baby…." Bert grinned.
"So precious!….That baby's having a party in there, my word!" Cora laughed, her eyes brimming with tears of joy. She was overjoyed and couldn't wait to meet her grandchild!
"No doubt about that!" Bert giggled. "I think someone's been taking Soccer lessons from their Uncle Eddie!" She jokingly laughed. "Baby has been so active through this whole pregnancy... Always kicking. I swear I can't tell when it ever stops! I always feel the baby kicking or moving! It's the craziest thing!"
"That was my pregnancy with my boy!" Cora smiled at her son Paul. "All my boys were strong, constant kickers but my Paul was the most, I think." She chuckled. "Oh Gilbertha…." Cora hugged her daughter-in-law and started to weep once again. "You're absolutely beautiful, Dear!...Oh, I can't wait till I see and hold my grandchild!...I'll help you get your hospital bag and the nursery ready. Housework, whatever you need, sweet girl!"
"And we better get it done fast! October 6th, you and Paul will come with me when I have my Cesarean." Bert insisted. "It feels good knowing you'll be there waiting for me…"
"Oh Sweetheart!" Cora hugged her again and was still weeping and wiping her eyes. Paul put his mother's luggage in the car as the two women talked and talked, and soon were starting to walk to the car.
"So you're feeling very heavy and very pregnant, my Dear." Cora chuckled at her daughter-in-law, putting an arm around her as Bert waddled back to the car. " Are you having any contractions?"
"No, I don't think so…" Gilbertha smiled. "My belly gets so tight...but I don't really feel any pain at all. I didn't really know what it was at first." Bert chuckled.
"You let me know when it's a real contraction, Dear." Cora smoothed her shoulder. "Oh, I love you like my own daughter! Thank you for wanting me here to take care of you….but wouldn't you rather have your own Mother?" Cora asked sweetly. "A woman should have their mother with them at such a life event as this….I will understand if you'd rather have her with you." She looked at her daughter-in-law seriously. "You won't offend me, Dear….Gilbertha, I was so surprised when you called me and said you wanted me instead of your mother…."
"I wanted both of you...but...my Mother and I aren't talking at all right now…" Gilbertha explained. "She's angry and upset with me that I'm having my baby at my age. I'm 30...she was 35 when she had Johnnie!"
"Dear, I'm sure she's just being a Momma…" Cora told her softly and smoothed her daughter-in-law's shoulder. "She loves you and perhaps she's just scared and worried for you…in her own way."
"I just don't think me being 30 is such a big deal!!!…" Bert sighed. "And unlike her...I'm having my first…well, my only baby...at 30…I can never please that woman! Everything I do is wrong to her. It's ridiculous!"
"Gilbertha…I'm sure that's not true." Cora sighed and smoothed her daughter in law's arm. "I was 22 when I had my first baby, Dear, I was 41 when I had my last….I was 30 when I had Paul, by the way…" Cora smiled at her daughter-in-law. "First or last baby...you're right, it really shouldn't matter, Darlin'. But...your mother is her own person, with her own thoughts and emotions….And so are you...but, Darlin',...Let go of the bitterness... You just be happy and look forward to having your baby! You tell me when it's time now, alright?"
"Yes, Mom…." Gilbertha nodded. "Don't worry!" She gave a low giggle, hugging her. "Oh, I'm so glad to have you here!…" Bert sighed a breath of relief, in the midst of their embrace.
"No need to worry, Dear. You've got a great mother-in-law to help you out, who's been through this several times over and knows enough about babies…" Cora smiled. "You're in good hands…."
Bert's mother-in-law Cora still encouraged her to patch things up with her mother, Rosina. Bert explained she had already tried to talk to her mother and try to communicate….and now the ball was in her court. " Mother knows where to find me…" Bert insisted.
It was a short walk, but Bert was out of breath by the time they got to the car. She chuckled trying to catch her breath standing outside of the car, her hands upon her thighs. "I just need a moment!" She said breathily and her hands now rested on her belly, feeling the baby kick again.
"My word, Dear, I wouldn't be surprised if you go into labor and have that baby before your Cesarean!" Paul's mother exclaimed and the two women couldn't help but laugh. "I definitely think that baby's getting ready to drop, Dear!" Cora told her.
"We'll have to wait and see." Bert smiled, just beaming at her mother-in-law.
Paul opened both car doors for his mother and his wife and the three of them went back to Paul and Bert's cute brick home on Cleveland Avenue.
"Oh, Paul….I need to check the laundry on the clothesline!…." Bert said as they pulled up. As soon as Bert got out Paul had followed her to the clothesline.
"I'll get it, Hon. You go in with Momma." Paul smiled and kissed her forehead. Bert had grabbed her wicker basket she used for the laundry anyway and was taking their unmentionables down before she took down their bedsheets and clothes.
"Help me please and we'll get it done faster." Bert's daring brown eyes smiled at him and she reached up again to take down an article of clothing.
"Bert, Dear, you really shouldn't raise your arms up above your head like that." Her mother-in-law said gently. "Good Lord, you'll have that baby's cord wrapped around their neck….Please, go inside! Let your husband take everything down for you." Cora glanced at her son. She taught and raised him well enough how she expected her sons to be with their wives.
"Paul does more than enough for me! Spoils me absolutely rotten!" Bert smiled at him.
"Let me take in the laundry…." Paul smiled and stole a kiss. "You go show Momma the nursery…Gilbertha Teresa..." He glanced at her.
"Paul Iver..." Gilbertha flashed a look at him but couldn't help but smile. " Alright then…."
"Go…" Paul chuckled and his lips met hers, his hand protectively grazed her middle and he rested his hand there.
"Paul Iver, that baby is going to come out so spoiled if you two keep doing that so much!" His mother told them.
"Can't keep your hands off me, can you, Mr. Bardrick?" Bert whispered, with a little wink.
"You and my baby…" Paul smiled and kissed her forehead. "...Now go show my mother the Baby's nursery, ok?" Paul grinned.
"Ok." Bert smiled.
"Well, we have almost all of the nursery done so far…." Bert proudly told her mother-in-law as they went inside and she opened the door of the baby's future room and showed her what they had so far. A crocheted blanket draped over the wooden baby crib, the dresser that Paul had bought, a light yellow rug on the hardwood floor, Paul and Bert had painted the walls a pastel yellow and white and there were yellow and white decorations set on the dresser that still needed to be put up.
"A lovely room already, Dear." Cora smiled at her daughter-in-law and smoothed her arms in a light hug. "I think I'll buy a rocking chair or little teddy bear for the baby..."
"That would be so sweet, but you don't need to, Mom." Bert told her mother-in-law. "Paul and I have everything we need for the Baby."
"I would love to, Dear." Cora insisted. "It would be my gift to the baby." She smiled.
"You already made the baby a sweet baby blanket!" Bert gently reminded her mother-in-law. It was a pretty pale yellow and white crocheted blanket. Lovely for either a boy or a girl.
"Dear, seeing you're "one and done" after this, I'm just going to have to spoil my grandbaby! It's the only way, Dear." She teased."...I think I'll take a little nap and then we can go shopping, Gilbertha, if you insist on going out." Cora told her. Paul had come in from taking down the laundry. "She's a stubborn one alright." He commented, with a chuckle.
"Dear…." Cora chuckled and gave Paul a kiss on the cheek and gave Gilbertha a hug. "I do think you should stay in till you have that baby...but I also understand how it feels being all cooped up."
"A little shopping and walking won't hurt us, Mom!" Bert smiled.
"Whatever's the best thing. Just don't overdo it." Paul smiled as his mother retreated to the guest bedroom and he turned to Gilbertha. "And I mean that, lovely "Momma"…." Paul smirked and embraced her softly. "I'm going to get ready and go to work. I'll be home for supper, Honey." Paul kissed her and lingered there, his fingers on her jawline and in her pretty wavy black hair. "I love you…." He kissed her again and gazed into her pretty brown eyes. "You're sure you're feeling ok?"
Gilbertha chuckled and kissed him, her hands smoothing his strong shoulders. "I feel heavy...pregnant and very tired….but I'm very fine." She smiled. "Really, I'm fine!..You're being a worried expectant Daddy…." Her eyes gleamed at him. Bert's lips turned upward in a grin and then met his in a kiss.
"What can I say?...I'm ready to be a Daddy…." Paul smiled sweetly and kissed her forehead softly. He rested his forehead against hers and gazed at her. "Even if you had the baby tonight…." He whispered. 'I think I'm really ready…" Paul smiled, his gray eyes gazed at her.
"I'm not exactly ready…" Bert told him, smirking.
"What??..." Paul looked at her puzzled and then his face softened. "Sweetheart...Honey, it's ok. You'll be just fine…." Paul tried to comfort her, thinking it was just her being nervous about the birth. "You told me you won't feel any pain at all. You'll be just fine." He said sweetly, kissing her forehead.
"I'm not in labor….." Gilbertha grinned and her lips parted as she welcomed his in another kiss. "And remember! I'm having a Cesarean. You'll just have to wait until October 6th. I'm sorry, "Daddy"." She chuckled.
Paul raised his eyebrows at her, took a relieved breath and chuckled, smiling at her.
The two parents-to-be gazed at one another a few moments and Bert's face turned a little solemn.
"What Dear?" He whispered, rubbing her shoulders, smoothing down her arms till he held both of her hands in his. "What are you thinking?" He whispered, kissing her forehead and placed his against hers.
Her mouth hung open lightly and tears welled up in her large brown eyes. "I can't believe I nearly left you…." Her voice quivered in almost a whisper. "We wouldn't have all this….the Baby, I mean...had I left you, Dear."
"Did I just hear that correctly?" Paul's mother was out in the hallway and came back into the Baby's nursery where the two expectant parents were still standing. She looked shocked.
"Bert?...Paul?!" His mother questioned. "Is everything alright with you two? You're not having marriage troubles are you? Not that it's any of my business…But I love the two of you…..Bert?" She questioned.
"Oh, now I'm going to start crying!" Bert exclaimed, trying her best not to. " We're fine now, Mom….But when we first moved back here last year in '39….we had a bit of a rough patch…." She took a deep breath and told her everything. "It was my doing, not Paul's….I was foolish and not thinking clearly."
"Well, what in Heaven's name did you do?" Cora asked softly. She wasn't sure what to think. She didn't want to think it...but Cora wondered a little if Bert had been unfaithful to her son.
~Flashback~
It was December of 1939. Paul and Bert not only made the trip for Bert's sister's wedding, but they had also discussed things and both decided to move back to Dubuque. So they did so a few weeks before the wedding and were staying with Bert's little brother Eddie, his wife Helen and Bert's little nephew Dale, until they could find a house of their own. "I know you'd do the same for me, Birdie!" Eddie had told his older sister.
"Bert…." Helen questioned one morning. "Have you been feeling alright?"
"Me? I'm fine Helen, no need to worry about me!"
Helen knew something was up. Something was bothering her sister-in-law. She could sense it. " Bert….is there a chance you could be…."
"Pregnant?" Bert finished for her, looking over her shoulder at her. "Helen….I….please, don't tell anyone….but I...I think I could be…."
"Well, that's wonderful then!!!!" Helen exclaimed and hugged her sister-in-law. Tears were welling up in Bert's brown eyes, as was her sister in law's. "I did a test up at the new hospital the other day,..something new they're trying that you get your results in 24 hours…They injected my urine into a frog and if it produces eggs in 24 hours, then it's positive.…..Helen,...it came back positive!" Bert said, breathlessly and joyful tears came to her eyes. She was amazed at how medicine was developing in that day and age! "….I have a follow up appointment today." Bert smiled. "Just to be sure I am."
"At the new one, Xavier?!" Helen exclaimed. "That's just up the road!...Oh Bert, I'll come with you! Eddie's at work today...and Dale's up at my parents' place the whole day!"
"You will?! Oh Helen! Thank you!" Bert took a deep breath, the tears still welling up. "Oh please don't say anything to anyone! With my sister's wedding in a few weeks….I don't want to ruin her big day!"
"Ruin her big day?! Hon, she'll be happy for you! We all will be!!!" So that morning, Helen and Gilbertha enjoyed the little walk up to the new little Xavier Hospital for Bert's appointment. "The walk will be good for you, you cute little pregnant lady!" Helen smiled. "And good for me too! I have to lose some of this tonnage." Helen laughed about her weight. "Dale's nearing 5 years old now and I still haven't gotten the weight off!...Not to discourage you, Bertha, of course….Babies are worth everything you go through."
Gilbertha took a deep, joyful breath at the doctor's office. "So Dr. Lee…I'd say that puts me at delivering in August of 1940, wouldn't you say?!" She exclaimed. He had finished his external pregnancy exam of her and she started to put on her clothing again. "My little nephew has a birthday in August!" She dreamily stated. To think the two cousins might share a birth month!
"Mrs. Bardrick….would you please keep your clothes off yet? I need to have my wife examine you as well."
"Your wife?!...Well, whatever for? Is there something wrong...with the pregnancy?"
"I want to make sure I'm 100% correct...Mrs. Bardrick,...my wife is a doctor as well...and she's a woman…." He said softly. "Please,...let her examine you…She'll perform the same exam on you as I have."
"Well, it just seems pointless!"
"Mrs. Bardrick, please…." He sighed.
And so Mrs. Lee, also a doctor, examined her as well. Bert put her clothes back on in silence. She felt uncomfortable that she had to go through with the exam twice over. "Is anything wrong….with the pregnancy?" She fretted. Something always went wrong! "Please….tell me what's wrong."
"Mrs. Bardrick,..." She sighed and covered Bert's hand with hers. "I don't know how to tell you this…" The lady doctor said sensitively. "There is no easy way to tell you this, ma'am…."
"What's wrong?!"
"Mrs. Bardrick….we...we haven't detected any signs of pregnancy….I'm so sorry."
"But the test! It came back positive!…." She choked out. "I don't understand!"
"Mrs. Bardrick….It was a...false positive. Your second one the other day...it tested negative….I'm sorry. It seems...You were never pregnant…."
"Mrs. Bardrick, I'm sorry, but could this be...all in your head?" The male Dr. Lee spoke up.
"I have been pregnant!" Her voice quivered. "I know my own body!" Angry, hot tears slid down her cheeks.
"Mrs. Bardrick….how long have you and your husband been married?" The male Dr. Lee questioned her.
"10 years…" She choked. "We buried a child...we….we lost a baby in '35….I've had several miscarriages before and since then. Dr. Lee, I know my own body!" She choked on her tears.
"10 years…" He stated. "...Mrs Bardrick...that was...one time. Once." He whispered sensitively. "You told me you have irregular cycles. That's more common than you think...but it's been years, Mrs. Bardrick…Years." He whispered. "You say you have trouble conceiving to begin with….. There's periods of time where….nothing...happens." He said softly, trying to be gentle with her. "I know...I know, I wasn't your doctor those times….but...the "miscarriages" you say you've had...may have been nothing more than...late...very heavy periods. Let's be realistic…. Mrs. Bardrick...you need to accept the fact that...Mrs. Bardrick...you're getting older….You may never become pregnant now..."
Bert didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to even think about it. Her hand covered her mouth, stifling an anguish filled sob.
"Mrs. Bardrick?" The female doctor Lee touched her arm softly. "I'd be happy to sit and talk with you about all of this…."
Hot tears were in Bert's eyes, beginning to slip down her cheeks. Her eyes were shut tight. Her arms around her middle. She felt completely empty. Sad. Angry. Confused. Humiliated. "No…." Her voice quivered. "No!"
"Mrs. Bardrick?"
"No!" She cried and began to sob. "You're wrong!...You're wrong!!!...I swear! You have to be wrong!"
"Mrs. Bardrick…." Dr. Lee called after her as she hastily left the doctor's exam room in tears. Bert paid for the appointment, shaking and trying to conceal her tears but it wasn't till she turned around and faced her sister-in-law that she unleashed them again.
"Bert...is something wrong with your pregnancy?" Helen questioned.
"There is no pregnancy!!!…." Her voice broke. She tried to stay strong but her voice shook in her sorrow and the tears hung on. "They say it's all in my head!…Oh God!!" Her voice cracked and she sobbed. "And if those doctors in there are right...there'll never be a pregnancy now!...Oh Helen,...they say it's all in my head!!!" She sobbed and brushed past her and ran out of the new little hospital.
"It was a...false positive….. You were never pregnant….I'm sorry, but could this be...all in your head-all in your head?" The doctor's word rang and echoed in her head as she ran down the street in cold December, sobbing as she went.
" Mrs. Bardrick….how long have you and your husband been married???..." Bert shut her eyes tightly, embarrassed and sobbing, remembering the doctor's words. " Its been ...years. Mrs. Bardrick, the "miscarriages" you say you've had...may have been nothing more than...late...very heavy periods…."
"Oh God, no!" Bert sobbed, her shaky hand wiping at her tears just as quickly as they kept falling. She let out a choking sob, putting a hand to her face.
"Mrs. Bardrick...you need to accept the fact that….You're getting older….You may never become pregnant now..." The words echoed in her mind. She couldn't handle it. She couldn't handle it all anymore. She couldn't handle facing her husband now! They BOTH wanted a baby of their own now so very much!!!….She couldn't bear the thought of telling him what those doctors told her! Maybe they shouldn't be together anymore. She couldn't put him through this anymore….She ran and took a bus to the only person she thought might understand how she felt and her situation.
Two hours later, the bus dropped her off in the town of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. She looked up at the little women's clothing shop, "Sedlmair Smart Wear" just before going inside.
"Aunt Kate!!..." In tears, Bert trudged through the shop door, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor, the little bell above the door tinkled as she entered. Bert stood there. She saw her Uncle Peter helping a customer with a pair of shoes. He was a shoe repairman and salesman, merging his shoe repair business Star Shoe Rebuilders with her shop. There was no one behind the counter. Her Aunt Kate came in from the back room with a dress another customer wanted to see. "Why, Gilbertha?! Honey, what are you doing here?! My word Dear, you're drowning in your own tears!" She said, setting the lovely dress on the counter and walked over to her niece, holding her by the shoulders. "Peter, I'm closing up shop today….Go pick us up something for lunch will you?! Oh and some soda drinks or cocoa or something!...I'll meet you back at the house, Babe."
"Now, what's this all about??" Aunt Kate questioned her. They sat together at the kitchen table in Peter and Kate's home.
"I don't think Paul and I can be together anymore!...I just can't face him now!" Bert cried, the tears just streaming.
"Dear, you know I'm no stranger to divorce!" Aunt Kate said. She had been married around 5 times already! "...but I'd NEVER picture you getting divorced, Sweetheart. I've seen the love in your eyes the day you married that man. That love hasn't changed...it's only gotten stronger!...Oh, I remember your wedding day, Dear….So much love that day….from both of you!! Paul only had eyes for you and only you that day…." Aunt Kate smiled, even chuckling a bit, remembering:
~WEDDING FLASHBACK~
"Oh, Bert! You're just beautiful!" Gilbertha was getting ready on her wedding day in one of the rooms in the rectory of the Church of the Nativity, with her little sister, Rose Walbrun. Rose was serving her as her bridesmaid that day. Rose too looked lovely in her dress of Wallis blue velvet, wearing white chrysanthemums in her dark brown hair. She also wore a dainty cross necklace around her neck.
The Most Reverend Michael Lawrence Kerper, or Rev. M.L. Kerper would marry Paul and Bert on this beautiful day. Paul's mother Cora was sitting in the little rectory of the church as was Bert's Aunt Kate. Both women were proud to support their loved one on this special day.
"I tell you though...perhaps marriage is overrated."
"Oh I think marriage is a wonderful institution…." Cora sighed pleasantly. " I think my boy and Gilbertha will do well together. They look so in love. You can tell it on their faces….Oh, Gilbertha is a lovely girl..." Cora adored Bert when Paul first introduced her to the family not long ago! She looked forward to getting to know her soon-to-be daughter-in-law and developing a relationship with her.
"I see it a tad…" Aunt Kate replied, sighed, smoothing her dress. "But that girl's a Walbrun and always will be!" She cleared her throat and clutched her pearls and straightened her mink coat. " Walbrun's only want that one thing if you know what I mean….The Schoeberl side is quite like them...giving into temptations…Its the German in us, Dear. Germans are insatiable...I should know. I wouldn't be on my 5th husband...or is he my 4th...no my 5th! My 5th….but you're right...they do seem like they care for one another." Aunt Kate smiled softly.
"Well!...I!..." Cora exclaimed, stammering, surprised at Bert's Aunt Kate, married and divorced several times over….and about what she was saying. Cora had only loved and married one man her whole life! And had 5 children with him. "Surely sex is important...but love I think, moreso. What's sex without love?!...Oh I know my Paul loves her….I knew the moment Paul brought her home to meet us…The way he looked at her. The way he smiled at her. The way he's so tender with her….And I think Gilbertha loves him too...I can see it in her eyes..."
"Let's hope so!" Kate remarked.
In the back room, still getting ready, Gilbertha sighed, glancing at the mirror before her, arranging the little orange blossoms on her cap veil. She looked like the picture of loveliness and grace in her white transparent velvet wedding gown. She looked at herself in the mirror, as she was putting on a dainty pearl earring. Not realizing how beautiful she actually was.
"Why do you have to have such a gigantic bouquet!?" Rose giggled, handing the huge arm bouquet of bronze chrysanthemums over to her sister. "Some lovely talisman roses would be so pretty!"
"Well then! You can have those for your own wedding!" Bert told her sister, she smiled at her and glanced back in the mirror as she put on her other pearl earring.
"Oh not for me!...Maybe my bridesmaid!"
"What would you have for your bouquet then?" Bert smiled gently.
"Oh, some lovely calla lilies!" Rose dreamily replied. "Certainly not chrysanthemums!" The teenager said.
"I like chrysanthemums!...And it's what we could find at the florists shop...Plus, orange is my favorite color...and they're the flowers for November, Sweetie." Bert smiled. Gilbertha was getting married on this lovely Wednesday morning on November 3rd. "Chrysanthemums are believed to represent happiness, love, longevity and joy...I love their meaning...It's beautiful...and perfect for today…" Gilbertha beamed. The Orangey-bronze color of the bronze chrysanthemum meant "Excitement" and "Trust Me." It represented well how Bert felt about her wedding day and her marriage to Paul. So very excited to pledge all her love and trust to that man. And Paul's to her. She had something special with him. She knew he was the only man she wanted for the rest of her life. Gilbertha looked forward to a long marriage to Paul, full of love, happiness and joy...along with the rough times.
"What a lovely day today, Bert…" Rose exclaimed and then turned solemn. "I wish Mother and Daddy were here. They should have come. Paul is a great fellow. They don't need to worry about him."
"I'm very glad to hear you say that, Rose…." Bert smiled and took a deep breath and sighed. "They don't care for Paul because he and his family are Methodist. I don't care! Mother had asked me why I didn't find a nice Catholic boy to marry? That's because I don't want a nice Catholic boy!...I want Paul!...I'm marrying this man because I love him and that's all that should matter..." Bert said confidently and sighed. "Mother won't even let Daddy walk me down the aisle, I can assure you…"
"Daddy would be here to give you away...if it wasn't for Mother." Rose told her sister.
"Yes...well...I'm walking in alone. I don't need my Daddy to give me away….I just want him to….." Bert sighed.
"He might still come, Bert. You never know."
"I'm not getting my hopes up…" Bert sighed, looking at the door.
"You two couldn't handle walking down that aisle anyway…." Milton Sweeney, the best man, was at Rose's side, standing just at the door that led to the room where the wedding would take place.
Bert chuckled a little. "You're right, Miltie...We'd probably both be blubbering down that aisle!" Oh, Bert loved and adored her Daddy. She glanced at the door again and sighed. She had a feeling he would not be coming.
Milton snickered. "I meant with that giant bouquet! How could both of you fit through the door?!"
Gilbertha rolled her eyes. "Enough about my bouquet!" She chuckled.
"Well...here we go Rose…" Milton smiled at her and opened the door. With Rose on his arm, they glanced back at Bert standing there.
"Now Milton Sweeney, I have my eye on you! Don't you be stealing my little sister away down your own little wedding aisle!" Bert giggled.
"Not yet I won't!" Milton grinned at Bert and Rose and then gazed again at Rose. They were dating awhile, he and Rose. "I'd like to get to know this pretty girl a little more…." Milton Sweeney gazed softly at the lovely young lady.
"Milton...we haven't even had our first kiss yet!" Rose exclaimed. "Why, I've never even kissed a boy!" She blushed.
"We can change that…." Milton smirked, grinning and looked back at Bert with a smile. "You good, kid?"
"I'm dandy, Milton." Bert smiled. "Thank you for being here for Paul and I…..And don't call me kid!" Bert laughed. Milton and Paul were close in age. "I'm 5 or 6 years your senior!"
"Look at you robbing the cradle." Milton chuckled. "Gosh, I wouldn't miss youse guys' wedding for the world, Bertha." Milton smiled and Bert saw her sister walk into the next room with that handsome young gentleman.
The door had opened again and that was her cue to go in. She glanced back at the other door again. She waited just a few more minutes. Bert inhaled deeply and breathed back tears. "Oh...Daddy…" Gilbertha sighed and tears streamed her cheeks. He really wasn't coming. She was getting married, just two days after his birthday...and he wasn't coming. He wasn't giving her away to the man she loved. Gilbertha was hurt. She breathed back tears and dabbed at the ones on her cheeks. Bert didn't want to cry tears of sadness on her wedding day. She took a deep breath and walked through that door and walked in all alone with that large arm bouquet of bronze chrysanthemums. She caught her Groom and lover's gaze and instantly broke out into a beautiful smile.
Paul gazed at that back door and saw his beautiful Bride coming towards him. He stood there, hands clasped in front of his body. He stood tall and proud, the tears welling up in his eyes as he saw her. Soon he started down towards her and met her in the middle.
"You're so beautiful…" Paul choked out, eyes heavy with happy tears and he bit his lip as he felt it quivering. He extended his arm and he escorted his lovely Bride down the rest of the aisle.
Soon she stood in front of him, both gazing at each other like they were the only two people there in the room.
"You're breathtaking….Stunning….I can't believe you're mine." He whispered to her. "My love. My woman….My wife…." Paul rubbed back a tear from his eye and took a deep breath. "I love you...Gilbertha Teresa…" He gulped back more tears and contained his composure, looking into her large beautiful brown eyes. Paul stood up straight and tall and gently and lovingly took her dainty hands in his as Bert had passed her bouquet off to her sister.
The Reverend M.L. Kerper read the marriage service...and Paul recited his vows to her. He slipped the beautiful dainty gold wedding ring that greatly complimented the large diamond engagement ring she wore, onto her slender finger and gently held her hand as he said his vows to her. There was no mistaking the look of love and adoration in his eyes for her and only her.
"In the name of God, I, Paul Iver Bardrick, take you, Gilbertha Teresa Walbrun, to be my...lovely...beautiful...wife..." He added, getting choked up. There were tears of joy in his eyes. "..., to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."
"I love you…" He whispered to her, gazing with love into her eyes for her and only her.
Gilbertha gazed at him, slipping his ring on his finger, gently caressing his hand in both of hers, as she said her loving vows to him. "In the name of God, I, Gilbertha Teresa Walbrun,...take you,...always... Paul Iver Bardrick, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."
Paul was still gazing at his Bride when he heard the words "You may now kiss the Bride…" And he let out the breath he had been holding in. Then he softly and tenderly, lovingly, Paul kissed her forehead.
"Now Dear boy, you can do better than that!" Aunt Kate chuckled which sent laughter out of everyone.
Oh, how sweet!" Paul's mother exclaimed, a hanky pressed at her cheeks, dabbing at them softly as she saw her son kiss his Bride on her right cheek, her left….He was tender and placed his hand on her jawline as he kissed her chin. Seeing it was also comical which sent more laughter through everyone present. Paul gazed and then smiled at Gilbertha and both of them were chuckling.
"Are you trying to make the Sign of the Cross….with your lips?!" Gilbertha chuckled softly.
Her chuckling turned into laughter she failed to contain. Paul loved to hear her laugh and it made him laugh as well. He lovingly gave her a peck on the forehead as she continued to laugh! It just struck her funny!
"She'll be alright in about 5 minutes!" He chuckled and gazed at her. "I think…" Paul gazed with so much love at her.
"I love you…." She mouthed. Gazing at him with those beautiful large doe-like brown eyes. "I love you…." He whispered, holding both of her hands in his. Her brown eyes gazed at him and she smiled that lovely Mona Lisa smile. Her large brown eyes soon had tears of joy in them. She loved this man. Truly loved all of him with all of her heart. Finally now she experienced love that wasn't one sided. She had loved and dated men who just wanted her for her sensual looks and her lips. Now, she loved a wonderful man who loved her and only her. For who she was.
"Alright Romeo! Kiss her for real now!" Rose giggled.
Paul gazed lovingly, smiling at his attractive Bride. He gently took her face in his hands and sweetly kissed her lips. Then his hands drifted to the back of her neck and her back and Paul kissed her again, lovingly swooping down as he dipped her.
"Oh Paul..." She whispered, gazing at him in his dipped embrace. Bert took his face in her hands, softly. Her eyes closed as she kissed him.
Soon there they stood, forehead to forehead. "I love you…" She lovingly whispered.
"And I, you…." He smiled. "Forever…"
The Reverend smiled as the two held hands again and he presented the couple. "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Iver Bardrick."
Soon Rose, Milton, Paul's Mother and Bert's Aunt Kate all came up to greet and congratulate the lovely couple.
"Oh Bert! I'm so happy for you!" Rose exclaimed and hugged her older sister.
"Boy ol' Paulie! I didn't know if you were going to go through with it!" Milton chuckled and roughed Paul up by the shoulders.
"Careful Milton! You might be next in line!" Paul chuckled.
"Oh, I sure hope so!" Rose blurted out and hugged her sister again! "Bert, you're married! You're really married!"
"Most nerve wracking day of my life. I was so nervous this morning I nearly cut myself shaving!" Paul chuckled and smoothed his chin and jawline, and was still talking to Milton Sweeney. "Also I have to admit….it's the happiest day of my life….other than meeting her or proposing to her." Paul smiled.
"He was up and getting ready for the wedding since 5am this morning!" Cora chuckled and embraced her son. "Paul Iver,...Son, I love you! I love you and I'm so proud of you!...You've married yourself a lovely bride!" Then she went to Gilbertha.
"Don't mind me, Sweetheart, I'm such a big crybaby! " Cora laughed and had tears of joy streaming her cheeks. She dabbed at them with her little white hanky, hugging her new daughter-in-law. "Such a lovely girl! I love you already...Like my own daughter!"
"Thank you, Mrs. Bardrick!" Bert beamed at her mother-in-law, holding her hands in hers.
"Honey! You're the new Mrs. Bardrick!" She beamed and chuckled with her daughter-in-law, looking up at her pretty face. "Sweetheart, call me Mom! Or Momma! Or Momma B….or Cora or whatever you want, just….oh welcome to our family!!! I love you already! Like my own daughter!" Cora sighed happily. "Such a beautiful Bride! You'll win the Attractive Bride of November for sure!"
"Oh, I don't think so! But thank you!" Bert smiled, nodding.
"You're lovely, Gilbertha…" Cora smiled. "Welcome to our family….Oh, we've claimed you as family even before the wedding." Cora said sweetly.
Aunt Kate went right up to Paul. Paul shook her hand and then she pulled that solid 6 foot tall handsome man into a hug.
"Oh come here! Don't be such a stranger! Welcome to the family, Paul!"
"Aunt Kate, is it?" Paul bashfully smiled as Aunt Kate hugged him. She then kissed his cheeks and "accidentally" kissed him on the lips! "Oh I've gotten my lipstick all over you, Dear boy!" She said, pulling out a little handkerchief monogrammed with her initials, "KSS." Katherine Schoeberl Sedlmair.
"Oh Gilbertha! I see why you married him! Those full lips of his!...Yum!...Have fun with him Dear, I think he'll make you very, very happy Sweetheart!" Aunt Kate exclaimed, hugging her niece. Paul stood there wide eyed, blushing from embarrassment.
"Soooo... that's Aunt Kate!…" Bert whispered.
"I see!...We've met!" Paul whispered, astonished and cleared his throat. "Gilbertha...she kissed me!"
"That's Aunt Kate for you!" Bert chuckled and wrapped her arms around her husband's waist and settled one of her hands on his chest. She glanced over at Aunt Kate. "Aunt Kate, need I remind you he's mine now! Paws and lips off my husband...I mean that Aunt Kate!" Bert giggled and looked up at Paul again.
"I can't believe she kissed me!" Paul whispered. "She kissed me…"
"Don't you worry about Aunt Kate!" Bert chuckled, gazing up at him. "She didn't become Mrs. Paul Bardrick today...Did she?" Gilbertha smiled, clinging softly to him.
Paul's soft eyes and his smile beamed down at her.
"I'm glad I'm Mrs. Paul Iver Bardrick…." Bert smiled at him. "I love you, Sweetheart." She closed her eyes and kissed him. "You know,...I wouldn't mind a little facial hair on you. A little Clark Gable mustache and goatee, maybe?!" Bert smiled.
"You'd like that?" Paul grinned, smoothing her back with both hands.
Aunt Kate had gone back up to Bert again. "Have fun tonight, Dear." Aunt Kate whispered to Gilbertha and winked at her niece. "I know I would!...Enjoy, Dear!"
"Aunt Kate, I'm not giving you any details!" Gilbertha's cheeks actually turned red after Aunt Kate had said something vulgar into her ear. Gilbertha was close with her Aunt Kate and was used to this with Aunt Kate usually! Just the fact that her new husband and mother-in-law and other friends and loved ones were around made her bashful this time.
"He is, then?! Oh, you lucky woman!...I mean it Dear, have fun with him!...Dear, even his name sounds sexy! What a sexy man!"
"Oh, Aunt Kate!" Gilbertha laughed as her Aunt walked away from her again and was chatting and being flirty with the priest! "Oh Good Lord…" Bert exclaimed, rolling her eyes.
"Mrs. Sedlmair, might you excuse me please?!…." Father Kerper swiftly brushed past her. He wanted to be as far away from that tempting woman as possible!
"Paul, Bert! There's a surprise for you outside!" Rose exclaimed, coming up to them with an excited smile on her face.
"First we need to gather the wedding party for a quick photograph!" The photographer announced. "And one closeup of the beautiful Bride."
Milton, Paul, Gilbertha with her large chrysanthemum bouquet and Rose all lined up for the photograph and then they got one of just the Bride.
"Nice pretty smile…" The photographer snapped the photograph. "Perfect!...You made a very attractive Bride, Mrs. Paul I. Bardrick. I do believe you've won "Attractive Bride of November 1937"..."
"Oh really?!?!...But the month is young yet!" Gilbertha blushed and thanked the man. She was interviewed by the newspaper about her information for the newspaper article and then Rose pulled her and Paul outside. Their brother Eddie was waiting in their Daddy's car. "I'm here to take you to your next destination of the day...before the honeymoon,...Sorry, Bardrick!" Eddie chuckled, heckling his new brother-in-law. " Mother said something about a wedding dinner for you two." Eddie smiled.
"Well now! That's a fine "I love you!"..." Bert hissed. She was VERY ticked off at her Mother. "They don't even come to our wedding….Won't even let my Daddy give me away and yet they want to celebrate with me?!
"Now Birdie, calm the heck down!" Eddie chuckled.
"Gilbertha, Dear…" Paul held her and spoke softly and calming, trying to calm her down. "Now Bert...Honey. Maybe they knew they were wrong and they wanted to make things right!"
"Paul, they should have come! Daddy should have walked me down the aisle!" She was quite angry and hurt. "Now they want to celebrate like nothing happened?!...Like, oh they're happy I'm married! But they're not happy with WHO I married!" She huffed.
"Bert...Sweetheart…" Paul whispered and looked into her large brown eyes. "I don't care what they think of me. Or what they think of us….They could hate me our whole marriage till death parts us and I won't care. I love you…..Gilbertha Teresa, I love you…. I married you." He said sweetly. "….We love each other. Today's our day...Let's just celebrate us and our love, ok?" Paul knew just how to calm her down. He was her peace. "You look adorable when you get your dander up!" He whispered, grinning at her.
"See what you're getting yourself into, Bardrick?" Eddie, Bert's younger brother chuckled.
"She's worth it…." Paul smiled and gingerly and lovingly patted her shoulders.
"Mother and Dad will come around, Birdie….This guy ain't so bad." Eddie chuckled, slapping Paul on the shoulder. "Yeah, I think you did good, Birdie, picking this guy."
Aunt Kate had driven Paul's mother and Eddie drove the wedding party to the Walbrun house on 1921 Simpson street to celebrate. Pictures were taken at the little garden arch in their backyard and then they went inside to eat. A wedding dinner was served. Silver bells hung from blue streamers and two large wedding cakes centered the table. The couple had their first dance as husband and wife as a friend sang a song for them.
"A Song For A Wedding."
"...As we go the way of life together, I do not ask that all our days be fair;
When shadows come, as shadows must, beloved,
I'll smile through tears if only you are there.
I do not pray that God will send all sunshine,
It matters not if skies are gray or blue-
Through sun or storm, through ecstasy or sorrow,
My perfect happiness is you!!!..."
Paul smiled and kissed her, still holding her in their dancing position. He loved dancing with her. They had gone dancing for a lot of their dates when he was courting her.
Gilbertha kissed him with tears in her brown eyes. She was touched by the soft lovely wedding song...imagining their marriage and their life together that was before them.
"Paul!...Birdie!" Eddie exclaimed. "How bout you two cut that wedding cake of yours, finally!" They decided to cut their cake and then resume dancing if anyone wanted to.
"C'mon Paul, we'd better get to that...my little brother's as hungry as a bear!" She chuckled, teasing Eddie a little bit. Paul softly took her hand and they went over to the dinner table with the two large wedding cakes. They took the Bride's cake and Paul's hand gently covered Gilbertha's as they sunk a cake knife into that delicious looking white wedding cake and cut out a piece. Paul smiled and smelled her lovely hair and he lovingly kissed the side of her head, gently holding the back of her head a moment. Her pretty cap veil flowing down her back, as they cut into their wedding cake. The friend that sang the song for their first dance softly hummed the little tune during the cake cutting.
"I love you...Gilbertha Teresa…" Paul whispered, his lips formed a soft loving smile.
"I love you…" She smiled. "You know…" She chuckled softly whispering into his ear. "...cutting the cake symbolizes the bride losing her virginity? We know that's been long gone...for both of us." She whispered, snickering. Only he heard her.
"You know I wanted to wait in the beginning...till tonight to lose mine…" Paul whispered, wrapping his arms around her tiny little waist, standing behind her. "You were and are so gorgeous, I couldn't resist you!" Paul grinned, kissing her neck. "To rephrase myself though….I gave away my virginity to you." He sweetly looked at her.
"Did you know the orange blossoms in my veil are supposed to represent purity, chastity, innocence and fertility?…" Gilbertha whispered, chuckling.
"At least there's hope for fertility…" He chuckled and held her around her tiny waist….."We could have a Honeymoon baby…" Paul crooned and his lips found hers, gentle and loving. Her beautiful brown eyes beamed at him. They had talked of having children already. They hoped they could get pregnant soon.
"Are you just gonna kiss my sister all night or are you going to feed each other that cake already?!" Eddie chuckled.
Paul and Bert both chuckled and cut off the top of their piece of wedding cake and cut that in half as well.
Paul fed her the bite of cake first. He was soft and gentle and tender with it. Her daring brown eyes intently gazed at him a few moments as he accidently caught his thumb in her mouth. Seconds later she blushed and started to chuckle. She kissed him.
"I don't know if I could have waited for the honeymoon, honestly!" Bert whispered in his ear, chuckling. Her daring brown eyes gazed into his a moment.
"Gee, I can't wait for tonight….." Paul raised his eyebrows and grinned and then he kissed her.
"Bardrick, am I going to have to tear you away from my sister?!" Eddie chuckled.
"Yeah! Save something for the wedding night!" Milton called to the couple.
"You have a bit of frosting on your lip there, Dear…." Gilbertha sultrily giggled and wiped his lip with her thumb and stole a hungry kiss. Paul couldn't help but hold her around her thin waist. He couldn't keep his hands off of her.
"Hey! Get off my sister!!!" Her little brother Johnnie shouted from across the room. The whole room laughed.
They continued with feeding each other cake. Bert fed him his piece and giggled as he bit down on it and got white frosting on his nose, lips and chin, there was so much of it.
"I got the bigger piece, huh?" Paul chuckled after he swallowed it, wiping his face with a napkin. "Good cake!" He licked his lips and kissed her...Smiling so brightly at her, he then cut a piece for his new in-laws and a piece for Bert to give to her new mother-in-law. She had walked over to her to give it to her, still wearing her lovely white transparent velvet wedding dress and lovely veil with the orange blossoms on it.
"Thank you…." Bert smiled. "For bringing my husband into this world. For raising up the man of my dreams...I never thought I would find someone who loves me like he does…."
"He is so loved by us….and I know you will love him more….I'm so happy you found each other!" Cora embraced her daughter-in-law. "I love you, Dear...I hope to be a good mother-in-law to you!"
"I hope I'm a good daughter-in-law….." Bert smiled, happy tears welling up in her eyes.
"Dear, if you cry then I'm going to cry!" Cora chuckled, wiping away tears.
Gilbertha chuckled with her mother-in-law, wiping away the happy, sentimental tears and she hugged her again.
"Has my boy told you where you're going on your honeymoon?" Cora smiled.
"We're going to tour the South." Bert smiled. "I'm excited for all the recipes I'm going to bring back. I need to brush up on my cooking skills. I'm nowhere near as good as you are…." She praised her mother-in-law. "I want to be able to cook his favorites like you do…."
"Gilbertha, you're a lovely cook." Cora smiled and sighed, holding her by the shoulders. "He has a new woman in his life now…." She beamed at her daughter-in-law. "He's left our home...and he's making a new one with you, Sweetheart." Cora kissed her daughter-in-law's cheek. "Have a lovely time, Dear…I'm certain you will..." Cora chuckled. "We recently had a "birds and the bees" talk with our Paul." There wasn't much need to explain some things, as he had grown up on the farm, helping his father deliver a calf or two.
"Oh?!" Gilbertha smiled slightly, trying to keep a straight face and not chuckle.
"Yes Dear…So he knows to be gentle and loving with you….and I think he will be... that's in his nature, Dear…" Cora smiled and began to chuckle. "It was then he told me you...uh... taught him a few things….not going into details, of course." She chuckled. "Don't corrupt my boy too much, Dear…" Cora chuckled with a wink, hugging her new daughter-in-law and laughing with her. "I'm teasing, Gilbertha….he's a Bardrick male, I'm sure he was bound to do that himself!" Cora and Bert laughed together.
"It took me months to get him to kiss me, he was so shy!" Gilbertha chuckled. "Oh my, he's not shy now!" She laughed.
Paul came up beside Bert and lovingly patted her shoulders. "You ready to go, Babe?" He kissed her cheek and then her lips and he held her lovingly by the elbows, smiling at her.
"In a little bit….have you seen Rose? She has my bouquet…I wanted to save a piece from it..."
"Well...she's probably with Milton would be my guess…." Paul chuckled. "But I haven't seen her….You can get it from her later, hmm?" He smiled, smoothing her arm and smiled at his mother and back at Bert. "Honeymoon time!" He grinned, raising his eyebrows. "Let's go, Dear…."
"You two have a lovely time!...No babies the first year though!" Cora chuckled.
"No promises!" Bert laughed. "We moved the wedding up...because...well, I thought we…."
"Oh, Sweetheart are you?" Cora exclaimed. She was so surprised but so very happy if she was!
"No….." Bert sighed.
"Don't worry, Dear...that will come in time. After the first year!" Cora chuckled and laughed with her son and daughter-in-law as she teased them.
Outside under the little white arbor, Rose was sitting on Milton's lap. "You made a handsome Best Man….."
"You made a beautiful Bridesmaid…" Milton smiled at her, his arm around her waist and she snuggled up to him sitting on his lap.
"You still want that first kiss?"
"Oh of course, Milton…." Rose smiled. She was nervous, but excited. She giggled a little as he inched his face closer. Their lips connected softly. Milton was so sweet and gentle and gave her a lovely, smooth, soft first kiss.
Paul and Bert soon began to say goodbye to friends and loved ones and to leave in Paul's brand spanking new Nash Lafayette!
There was no bouquet toss to be done, but Bert had saved a piece of it….and no garter toss either as she wore no garter. They had both given gifts for the best man and bridesmaid and thanked them for supporting them on their special day. Bert hugged her Aunt Kate and thanked her for being there, as did Paul with his mother.
"Goodbye Momma…" Paul smiled, patting his mother's back and she had already started tearing up. "You going to be alright taking a train by yourself?" He asked. She was going to travel by herself back to Knoxville, Iowa. Paul and Bert would make their home in Waukon, Iowa after the honeymoon.
"I can manage by myself...Leave and Cleave, Dear…." Cora said, sniffling and drying her eyes with her hanky. "The Good Book says a man must leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife. This Momma's gonna be alright!" She said, patting his arms and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Oh, Paul Iver, I love you!...You'll only be 4 hours away….Its not "Goodbye"….only "See you later."..."
"Momma,...I'm sure Bert and I can drop you off…"
"On your honeymoon?!...No! Go enjoy your honeymoon now!" She cried and slapped his arm with her handkerchief. "You'd drive most of the night and wouldn't get to enjoy your honeymoon at all! 3 hours from here to Knoxville….and then 4 hours to Waukon!...Son, go enjoy your wedding night with your beautiful Bride!"
Bert hugged her little sister. Rose was crying so hard now that Bert was leaving home for good! Young Johnnie coughed a little and you could see his eyes were watery. He started to cry but walked away after his hugged his big sister and wouldn't let her see him crying.
"Birdie!" Eddie wrapped his older sister up in a big hug and stayed there a few seconds more. "You know I'm going to miss my big sister!" Eddie choked out.
"Joseph Edward! I'm not dying or anything!" She cried and couldn't help but shed a few tears. She was so happy and excited to be married and to move in with her husband….but she would still miss her family in Dubuque. "I love you, Eddie!" Bert shed a few tears. "I promise...I'll come back a lot to visit."
"Goodbye Daddy!" She cried and clung to the tall, lanky gentleman. "I'll write home when I can and I promise I'll come back and visit!" Her dad, John Walbrun cried and held her. "Ich Liebe Dich…" he whispered. "Have a beautiful life, my little Bird…." He said in German. Her little nickname matched this moment….she had grown...and was flying the nest.
Rosina, Bert's mother was there too. She was quiet and serious and hard and trying not to cry. Yet, she started to nearly bawl and sob when Bert had come to her to say goodbye before she and Paul took off. This was her first daughter and first child! She felt she was losing her daughter forever.
"Mother, I love you...Don't cry!...I'm only an hour's drive away!" She cried with her mother a few moments. In distance of miles, Paul and Bert would be closer to Bert's family than they would be to Paul's. "Oh Mother, please don't cry!" Gilbertha was crying too.
Rosina held her, crying, the little 5 foot 2 lady wouldn't let go of her much taller, thin daughter. Bert cried and eventually left her mother's embrace and Paul gently held her by the elbow and helped her into their little getaway car. More little lovely silver bells and blue streamers hung from the back of the car, fluttering in the wind as they drove off. Bert cried a little and stuck her hand out the car window, waving as they drove away from little Dubuque.
The Bride still wore her wedding dress and cap veil, it was whipping a little with the wind and a little orange blossom flew off of it. Bert chuckled, wiping tears away and took off the veil and set it aside in the back of the car.
"I'm still going to miss them…." Bert dabbed at her cheeks and eyes with a handkerchief. Deep down, she loved her family and always would.
"I know, Dear…." Paul put his arm around her. "It's only an hour's drive. I could teach you how…."
"I'd like that. I want to learn." Bert smiled and kissed him. Paul softly held her hand and he drove with his other. "I love you…." Paul said tenderly and brought her hand up to his face and kissed it.
"I love you...I'm excited to spend my life with you…" Bert cuddled up to her man, kissing him.
"Dear, I've got to pay attention to the road…." Paul smiled and gave her a peck on the lips. Then she lay her head on his chest as he drove. "It's ok that we're going home to Waukon tonight and then leave on our Honeymoon tomorrow morning?"
"It's lovely, Paul…." Bert smiled and kissed him again. "I wouldn't have it any other way…."
She kissed his ear and down his neck and her dainty hand rested on his chest as he drove. "I'm excited to see the new little place…." Bert smiled. "We can "christen" the bedroom!" She giggled, and planted a kiss on his neck.
"Every room in the house if I know you…." Paul grinned and kissed her. "If you'll let me drive so we can get there!" He chuckled.
"I can think of something else you'll like right now….Something else my mouth can do..." She chuckled. Bert daringly kissed him and her hands smoothed down his chest and started to undo his belt while kissing his neck. "I've been told I'm very good at it…." She grinned seductively up at him, unzipping his dark blue wedding slacks. She smoothed his solid thigh a moment and bent over his lap.
Paul pulled over and sighed, smiling down at her.
"Right here?" She grinned, getting turned on herself from the excitement. "You ready!?" Her dark brown eyes had that gleam in them. "...I know I am!"
Paul smoothed his fingers over her hair a little. Her lovely wavy hair was parted in the middle and up in a braided bun in the back. "Gilbertha...Isn't that a little degrading...Sometimes??" He knew she was more experienced with these sexual things. He wanted to be tender and loving with her….Not dirty or trashy.
Bert smiled and kissed him, smoothing his clothed chest. "You're my husband….I want to make you happy! Most guys like them! That's all they want."
"I want...you….all of you." He smiled softly. "Bert….you have the body of a woman….I have the body of a man….quite honestly, I'm hungry." He breathed. "I do want you."
"Then let me…" Her lips tickled his ear as she sexily whispered into it. "Don't you want it?" She whispered. "Paul...I know you want it…" Bert whispered, smoothing his chest and tugged on his burnt orange necktie. She kissed him and her hand soon drifted down. "I can tell you want it…." She giggled that low sultry giggle as she slipped her hand under the band of his underwear. Her lips melted with his as she felt "him" and she gazed into his eyes and her teasing lips met his.
He took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm sure it feels very nice…really nice…." He chuckled. "...but you'll never hear me demand it from you." He held her hand sweetly. "You don't have to do this, you know…"
"But Paul...I'm your wife...and it's our honeymoon!...And I want to give it to you…" she whispered boldly, pulling down his underwear slightly. She smoothed her hand up and down his length, lovingly yet eroticly staring at him. "You want it….and I want to give it…." She grinned and was about to take him with her mouth when he stopped her..
He let out a breath, trying to calm his body down. They both felt his body responding to her gentle and then firmer touch.
"You first…" Paul whispered, grinning. He adjusted himself and zipped up his slacks and put his belt back on. "Save it for tonight…..if you must."
"Gotta save something for the honeymoon…." She smiled and her hungry lips enveloped his in passion. "Oh Dear boy, I've gotten lipstick all over you…" she sexily whispered and kissed his cheek, leaving yet another lipstick print. Bert then started to laugh, teasing him about her Aunt Kate.
Paul kissed her, dripping with passion and gazed into her eyes. "I didn't marry Mrs. Kate Sedlmair, did I?"
Gilbertha blushed and softly kissed him. "No, I don't believe you did…" She whispered sweetly, gazing at his eyes and then his lips, placing her forehead against his. She wanted to kiss those full lips again.
Paul smiled. Lovingly, his lips met hers. "I married the lovely Miss Bert Walbrun. ….Gilbertha Teresa Walbrun." He softly smoothed her hair and her face.
Bert's eyes gazed at him adoringly. "She's Mrs. Paul Bardrick now…." Bert whispered sweetly and kissed him. "And she's so proud to be...Mrs. Paul I. Bardrick…" She sweetly whispered.
She kissed him again, smoothing his clothed chest with the palm of her hand and there was a hard knock on the car window. A bright light shone and Paul rolled down the window to find a 1930s policeman.
"Is there a problem, Officer?"
The police officer shone his light in Paul's eyes and into the car and saw Bert. Her lipstick was smudged. Paul's clothes were wrinkled and his tie askew, and there were still lipstick prints and smudges on his face.
"Everything alright?!" A second police officer called from the car.
"Yeah, Phil! Just a couple of young Honeymooners that couldn't wait to get to the hotel!" He laughed and looked back at Paul and Bert. Who were trying to keep a straight face.
"Just got married today, did ya?"
"Yes sir…." Paul smiled brightly and gazed at Bert and looked back at the policeman. "We're headed to our new home in Waukon tonight and will be leaving on our Honeymoon tomorrow morning."
"We're touring the South. Lots of places to visit." Bert chimed in.
The policeman tipped his hat to them. "Enjoy your honeymoon….Safe travels."
Soon they made it to their little house in Waukon. Paul got their luggage and set it just inside the door and came back to the car where Gilbertha was.
Bert wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. It was cool in the evening and they stood there, of course, still dressed in their wedding clothes. Feeling their breath on the other's skin.
"Let's go home…." Paul grinned at her and kissed her. She grabbed his hand but he stopped her and gave her a passionate kiss, softly grabbing her face a moment. He picked her up bridal style, she in her lovely white transparent velvet wedding dress...and he in his dark blue suit and orange tie.
She kissed him as he held her in his arms and he took a step to head inside.
"Paul! My veil's in the back of the Nash!"
"Details, details…." He chuckled and kissed her. "Ok, Dear…" Paul smiled so sweetly at her.
He set her down and she swiftly retrieved the lovely veil and put it back on and went to his loving arms again. He picked her up bridal style once again and kissed her as he walked over the threshold. He stood there with her in his arms. Hungry eyes half open, gazing through eyelashes. He felt her breath on his face. "I love you…." She whispered, and her mouth fit snugly with his, her hand lovingly placed on his cheek. Her tongue found his mouth in another hot kiss. His lips wanted more as he kissed her and his hand gently smoothed and held the back of her head, veil and all. They kissed again, with Bert still in his arms. He walked through their little living room and kitchen to the back room, their kisses were rhythmic and slow.
Paul would show her the whole little home later….but they both knew where they wanted to be. He stepped over the little threshold of their new cozy little bedroom and Paul kissed her, softly laying her on the bed.
Bert's lips found his again in a sultry, loving kiss. She sighed happily and gazed at him. Her lips formed a sweet smile. "Welcome home...Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bardrick."
He kissed her, gently pressing her back against the bed. She ran her tongue over her lips and exhaled with passion as she felt him kissing her neck. She started to giggle a little.
"What?" He crooned, breathing a chuckle and gazed at her and kissed her lips again. He felt her wrap her gentle arms around him. Her soft hands smoothed his clothed back.
Bert kissed his cheek and chuckled softly again. "Who knew I'd be deflowered on my wedding night after all?" Bert whispered into his ear and giggled again. She saw more orange blossoms fall off her veil and onto the bed.
Paul grinned and kissed her. "Again with the virginity jokes??"
"I'm sorry!" She laughed and kissed him.
Her tongue found his mouth in their kiss as he sweetly smoothed her cheek. Paul kissed her neck and gazed into her eyes again.
"I'm sorry we're both not virgins tonight…." Bert told him. "That would've been lovely, I think….but, no way to change it now..." Gilbertha sighed and smoothed his face with her gentle hand.
Paul kissed her. "I gave away my virginity to you...I've said it before and I'll say it again….you were the only woman I've wanted to be with like this….You know you're the only woman I've been with." He sweetly smoothed her hair.
"You're the only man I want to do this with for the rest of my life…"
Bert finally glanced on the bed and next to it. There was a bottle of wine from their wedding year, 1937, on the bedside table, and red rose petals on the bed, mixed with the orange blossoms that had fallen off her veil. Paul had wanted to have wine and roses the first time they were intimate together. They had consummated their relationship...before the wedding...without those things. It had been awhile that they had been intimate together lately though, with Paul and Bert both working to save up money for the wedding. With Paul having been working and living in Waukon...and Bert in Dubuque, they hadn't seen much of each other. It was like their love making was brand new again for them. It was the first time officially as husband and wife on this lovely night as well.
"Rose petals and wine?!...Oh, I love you, Paul Iver...You're wonderful!!…." She whispered, smoothing the back of his head.
"I love you…" Paul kissed her and lay on their bed together in their wedding clothes.
"Are you going to help me out of my wedding dress...like a couple of virgins?" She grinned and chuckled a little.
"Of course, my lovely Bride…" Paul's soft deep voice was smooth like butter. Sweetly, he kissed her. He intended for this night to be lovely and romantic for her.
~END OF WEDDING FLASHBACK~
"Now Dear, you don't want to throw that all away just because you may not have children…." Aunt Kate said softly. " You and Paul can make your plans without children! It isn't so bad! You can go and have the money to do things, just the two of you...Gilbertha, Peter and I couldn't have children and we're doing just fine! I'm very successful with my dress shop! Peter helps me and has his shoe business and has his hobbies."
"Did you ever want children, Aunt Kate?"
"Me? No Dear….I wasn't the mothering type. Peter and I are too old now anyway. I was from the start. Peter's 14 years younger than me, you know. I think would've liked to have a baby...but he eventually accepted the fact it was never going to happen."
"14?! How old was he when you married?"
"28 and I was 42….Dear, I thought I told you….Anyway, Dear...Chas wanted a child with me….maybe."
"Really?! Uncle C.J.?" He was one of Aunt Kate's previous husbands, Mr. Charles J. Fuerst.
"Yes...well...he already had his daughter….and it just never happened for us….My other husbands? Let's not go there…."
"Aunt Kate...I've always wanted a baby. Paul wants one. We both finally want a baby at the same time!...Is wanting a baby so wrong?" Tears welled in her brown eyes again.
Kate placed her hand over her niece's softly and patted it a few times before she held it. It was awkward for the older lady to act in such a way. Tender and motherly, in a way.
"No Dear…." Kate answered softly. "But you and Paul….just have to live your lives! With children or no children. I know that seems so hard,...but you need to accept it….Accept your life for what it is, Dear. Live your life how it is...There's no sense in wishing your life away! You and Paul, you could run that cattle ranch again...or a dairy farm….Or a motel. You've always talked about that! Paul and Bert's Motel! That has a ring to it, doesn't it?! Oh you and Paul could run a cute little cafe! You could do anything you want!...Honey, you and Paul, you'll be just fine!!!"
That evening they heard a hurried knock at the door. Uncle Peter went to answer it.
"I'm just so afraid…" Bert's voice cracked. "That if I just let go and give up...I never will have a baby! And I really want one! I've always wanted one!" She pressed her hand to her forehead, balled up her fist and unleashed the tears again.
"Gilbertha,...dry your eyes, Dear." Aunt Kate, annoyed with her niece, gave her a handkerchief. "Pull yourself together now! You are a grown woman. You need to snap out of this somehow! You may never have a baby! Wake up to that fact!" Aunt Kate was quite tough on her niece. "It's not the end of the world….Really it's not."
"I guess it has consumed me at times...and that's not good either…." Bert sighed.
"Mr. Sedlmair….I mean...Uncle Peter." Paul nodded. It was awkward calling a young man near his wife and his' ages, "Uncle."... "Is my wife here?"
"Yeah, Paul...She's right here…" The short, pudgy balding 34 year old man replied and let him in. "Been here most of the day."
"Thank you…" Paul brushed past him and saw Bert and her Aunt Kate at the kitchen table. "Bert, Honey….Helen told me you left and I just thought you'd be here….Dear, what's this all about?! If you wanted to go stay with your Aunt awhile, why didn't you just say so?!...Dear, what's this about,...you're crying?!" He smoothed her face and her dark hair and kissed her tenderly on the forehead and gently held her face in his hands. "I've been worried sick over you!...Why in Heaven's name did you leave me?! We've always talked things out!" He was hurt and a bit angry now, but still tender towards her. "You just up and left!"
"Let's go home and talk all about it." Her voice shivered, and the tears welled up again. "Oh Paul….Oh, Paul!!...I...I'm so sorry!...I figured...with everything we've gone through, it would be better if we were apart!...You wouldn't want me anymore anyway!" She sobbed. "Paul Iver….I just can't put us through this anymore…."
"Honey…" He cried and wrapped her up in his arms. "Let's go home and talk….Dry your eyes...It's ok, Dear." He whispered. "I never want to be apart from you, Dear!...Never."
"Are you going to be ok, Bert, Dear?" Aunt Kate asked, holding her hand a moment.
"Yes, I think so. No matter what." Bert said confidently. "Perhaps you're right, Aunt Kate. Thank you for talking with me."
"Anytime…." Kate whispered.
She only had left him for hardly one day, but Bert went back home with Paul, they had a long conversation, once and for all deciding to accept their life together, and ENJOY it, whether or not they had children. Maybe having children just wasn't for them after all. They were glad that they had each other. They talked of making plans to own their own cafe and Motel together...or being cattle ranchers or dairy farmers again. Someday. They decided just to live their lives together from then on.
"I've got a brilliant idea, Bert!" Paul exclaimed, coming into their living room on his day off one morning. Bert was doing her housework and was about to sit down to make a few telephone calls.
"What is it, Honey?" She chuckled, taking a seat next to him on the couch. He put his arm around her.
"You're wanting to move back to Colorado?" He nodded.
"Of course, Sweetie!" Bert grinned. "What do you have up your sleeve?"
Paul chuckled a bit. "Well, you want to move back and so do I….What about Loveland?! We could run a motel there...or a cafe...or both!"
"You're quite a good cook too, you know." Bert smiled at him. "Loveland, huh?"
"Yes, Momma and Poppa mentioned it once. They're talking of making a move there too! Well, Bert, what do you say?"
"Loveland…." She said sexily and smoothed his chest, undoing the top buttons on his shirt and went in for a teasing kiss. "I'm all for it, Babe!" She ran her fingers through his tuft of chest hair that was peeking out. "Loveland…huh?" She sexily whispered and daringly stole a kiss. Her brown eyes had that look in them.
"Are we still talking about the city in Colorado?!" Paul chuckled and his lips met hers.
"Maybe...Maybe not…" Bert grinned, teasing him.
"I take that as we're moving to Loveland…." He smiled. "But for right now..uh…" Paul crooned, smoothing her cheek with his fingers and held her face as he kissed her, melting with passion. "Let's go make our bed in "Loveland"...huh?" He chuckled.
"Fine by me, Babe!…" Bert kissed him, undoing the buttons on his shirt one by one, her soft hands smoothing his chest hair and his torso.
She let out a moan mid-kiss, their tongues dancing with one another. "Oh, you smell good…." She whispered and inhaled the scent of his cologne and kissed him once again, one hand held the back of his neck, the other hand swiftly moving along his hairy chest and abs. Gilbertha lost herself in their kisses and she gazed at her husband.
Paul kissed her. "Dear...I said let's make our bed in "Loveland"...not our couch…" He chuckled, running his fingers through her pretty dark hair.
"Couch...Bed….I don't care…." Her erotic gaze turned him on. "I'll make love to you right here, right now…." She whispered, wrapping one of her sexy long legs over his knees, her arms around his neck, sitting with him there on the little couch.
Paul raised his eyebrows, gazing at her leg, and lovingly smoothing it as she kissed him again. She gasped and chuckled as he slipped his hand up her skirt.
"Come on, Handsome…" She sexily told him through her teeth and was tugging at his shirt. Her hand smoothed down the front of his open shirt, feeling his chest hair. "You sexy Bardrick men make wonderful husbands and lovers…." She sensuously whispered. Her daring brown eyes had that "Come Hither" gleam in them.
Paul's mouth found hers and could feel she was hungry for him. "Paul Iver…" Bert whispered eroticly. Finally Paul lovingly grabbed her hand and led them to their bedroom.
~END OF FLASHBACK~
"That time finally got me pregnant." Bert smiled, smirking at him.
"Well...the Doctors were wrong. Either that or miracles happen….." Paul lovingly put his arm around her as they walked out of the Baby's room. "I like to think it was a miracle, Dear." Paul kissed her. "A few Bible characters come to mind...It happened for Sarah and Abraham….Isaac and Rebekah….Jacob and Rachel….Hannah and Elkanah...Samson's mother...God worked a miracle with each of those couples." Bert closed her eyes as she felt his embrace. "He still works miracles!" Paul whispered.
"I love you, Paul Iver…." She whispered.
"Still want to move to Loveland after the baby comes?"
"Of course, Dear!" Bert smiled at him. "I was reading the other day that Loveland is a great town to raise children in. It sounds like a lovely town."
"Well its kind of in the name…" He chuckled. "I think we'll fit right in just fine!" Paul smiled, patting her shoulder. "I hear they have an annual cherry pie festival. We'll be Lovelanders yet! All three of us." Paul smiled, thinking about the baby. Bert smiled and kissed him in response. "So...a cherry pie festival, eh?"
"Yes...and there's a contest for the best cherry pie!"
"Oh?! We'll have to go to it, Paul!" Bert smiled.
"Yours will win for sure…."
"Well then, I better get to baking some cherry pies!" She chuckled. Bert waddled into the little living room for a rest. Paul followed her, chuckling as she eased herself down onto the little couch.
"Don't you laugh at my waddle!" She laughed, glancing at him.
"You're just so cute when you waddle…like a little Mama duck..." Paul chuckled. He grinned as she kept trying to reach her foot to take off her shoes. Her feet had grown a couple sizes, and Bert was still getting used to the new shoes she had bought. Paul chuckled as she stubbornly kept trying to reach her foot, but couldn't...all thanks to her greatly expanded middle. One hand held her belly, the other kept trying to reach her foot one last time. The concencentration and determined look on her face was absolutely adorable.
"Here, Dear…." Paul chuckled and helped her take off the Oxford heels. 9 months pregnant and she insisted that she still wear her heels and be somewhat fashionable. "Oh Paul, that feels so good!…." Gilbertha laughed as he lovingly started massaging her achy feet. "You need to go get ready for work, quit fooling around with me!"
Bert laughed as Paul raised his eyebrows up and down. "We'll finish this tonight then…" He laughed and kissed her.
"That sounds lovely." She smiled.
Paul went back to their bedroom to get ready for work and came back into the living room to find his wife still on the couch, still sitting up, but she had dozed off asleep, a hand resting on her belly.
"I love you, Bert…" he chuckled and placed a hand on her very pregnant belly and gently kissed her lips while she slept. He saw she had barely flinched so he knelt down and placed both hands carefully on her cute, but now very large bump.
"Sweet baby…" He whispered, smiling and carefully smoothed her clothed belly with both hands, feeling his Baby kick and move around and respond to his voice. Paul watched in awe as it seemed like his little Baby's tiny legs and tiny feet extended and stretched within his wife a moment. Paul swore he could even see a little imprint of a little hand or tiny foot, a sudden moment when he unbuttoned her shirt a little! He began to pray over their Baby and talked to them in a sweet whisper."...Mother and Daddy,...love you so very much...and can't wait to see you. Finally…" Paul sighed with a smile on his face. There were tears in his eyes. This was really...finally going to happen! They were going to be parents of this sweet little baby! Thinking Bert was sleeping, he began to softly hum and sing a little lullaby.
"Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree top
When the wind blows the cradle will rock
If the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
Mother will catch you, cradle and all
Baby is drowsing, cosy and fair
Mother sits near in her rocking chair
Forward and back, the cradle she swings
Though baby sleeps, he hears what she sings
"Baby is sleeping, Up in the sky,
On a soft cloud, It's easy to cry,
Angels keep watch as you will sleep,
So Hush-a-bye baby, Don't make a peep"
"Rock-a-bye baby, do not you fear
Never mind, baby, mother is near
Wee little fingers, eyes are shut tight
Now sound asleep until morning light"
"Daddy would catch you too…." Paul whispered sweetly. "Daddy loves you…"
Bert's hand found his that was still resting on her belly. Bert opened her eyes as she held his hand and smiled at him and down at the motherly curve that was her midsection. Paul's eyes locked with hers and he smiled.
"I knew you could sing, but I never knew you could sing so sweetly…." She whispered, her chocolate brown eyes lovingly glanced back at him.
"I love you…." Paul whispered, blushing at her hearing him sing to the Baby, and he got up from his knees a little and his lips met hers.
"Baby might know your voice better than mine!…" Bert chuckled and kissed him again, softly grabbing his face. "I..I love you…" she whispered, gazing into his eyes.
"I love you too...both of you." He whispered, and leaned in to kiss her, his hand protectively rested on the top of her baby bump. His lips softly brushing hers till he deepened his kiss slightly.
The kiss made her achy toes curl! "Paul don't kiss me like that….you know what that does to me!" She laughed.
Paul chuckled and kissed her again. He gently pressed her back against the back of the couch, still kissing her. He spent some time nuzzling and kissing her neck and kissed her cheek and found her lips again.
"Go to work, you!" She laughed and playfully pushed him away. Yet her lips managed to find their way back to him.
His gaze caught hers. "See you tonight…" Paul grinned and winked mischievously.
Bert laughed. "Not if I can't get up from this couch!...Oh my." She laughed and struggled to get her pregnant self up from the couch, till Paul helped her up.
"Thank you, Sweetheart…Oh my-!!" She cried as he had quickly but gently grabbed her and kissed her. His fingers, sensually rubbing on the back of her neck and through her dark hair, softly holding the back of her head, and the palm of his other hand placed flat, moving up and down her back. The kiss was long and certainly passionate and she was not expecting it. Paul kissed her neck. "That should hold you...until tonight…" He whispered with a grin.
"Or turn me on too much!" Gilbertha laughed. "I'll be dreaming all day about your kisses! And you…"
"Or that too." He shrugged, grinning and biting his bottom lip. "Like I said, we'll continue this tonight…If you want."
"Like you still want me when I'm as big as a whale!" She chuckled at him. "I feel so huge! No way I've put on just 20 pounds! More like 45 or 50!" Bert laughed.
"Doctor told you to put on no more than 20." Paul looked at her, holding her hands in his.
"Pregnant or not, have I ever been one to obey the rules?!" Gilbertha joked and laughed a little. "Paul,...I'm huge!...You really want me??"
Paul smiled. Sometimes he forgot she was pregnant, looking at her from the back. Till she'd turn around! He was wondering about being intimate with her again...if she truly wanted it.
Paul walked over and leaned in to kiss her again. "Bert...you're still beautiful. See you later…" He whispered. "Love ya…"
"I love you, Honey." She smiled and saw him leave for work.
Bert went to go get a little snack and then she and her mother-in-law Cora went out to Roshek's, a department store where Bert used to work as an elevator operator in the 1920s, and 1930s shortly before she married Paul,...to go shopping for the baby and to lunch at the little cafe. Cora bought a cute little yellow 1940s baby outfit, a rocking chair, a carriage and a cute yellow teddy bear for the baby. "I tell you what, with all this yellow, this baby's going to be a little ray of sunshine, no doubt about it. " Cora smiled softly.
"Mom, you're spoiling this little baby and she's not even here yet!"
"Having a girl, are you?" Cora chuckled and patted her daughter-in-law's shoulder. "Mother's intuition is almost always right…"
"Well, maybe it's a boy, I don't know!" Gilbertha laughed and her cheeks turned rosy. " Wouldn't it be something if you could actually find out what you were having before the baby's born?!"
"That would be something, Dear." Cora smiled. "How are you feeling about having the Cesarean done?"
"Oh, I'm fine with it. My doctor's explained a lot about it….I know Paul wishes he could be there….That would be something too, to have your spouse or family member with you. In the hospital delivery room, I mean…."
"Yes Dear." Cora smiled, nodding. "...Fortunately for me, I had my babies at home, so J. E. was with me for almost all of them...in fact he delivered Paul!"
" Really?!" Gilbertha smiled.
"Oh, yes!" Cora smiled, remembering that night 25 years ago. "His was a painful but fast labor...faster than I expected! I'll never forget it….my midwives were delivering another baby in town in Indianola that evening...and so they made it after the baby came….My J.E…." Cora smiled, sighing a little. "He was so sweet,….he surely put up with me..." she chuckled "….but he did a wonderful job. It was special. We thought Paul was going to be our last baby….Oh, when he first came out, he cried so loud till J.E. gave him over to me...then he shut right up!" Cora smiled and chuckled a little, remembering those feelings and that birth. "Funny how a mother never forgets the details…The pain maybe, but never the details."
Flashback to 25 or 26 years before, on March 6th, 1915. It was a cold and damp, snowy late evening on a little farm in Attica, IA.
A little blonde haired girl came running back to the farmhouse, her hair whipping in the wind as she ran. "Papa!...Papa!!" She shouted.
"Did you bring Doc Johnson, Lucy Mae?" He met her out in the kitchen.
"No Papa! He's gone on a call! Mrs. Johnson too….Oh Papa, what are we going to do?!" The little girl had such a worried look on her face. Tears streaked her pretty little face.
"You let me worry about your Momma. You go tend to your brothers." Her father said as he went back into the bedroom.
"Ooohhh...J.E.…" A much younger, then 30 year old Cora was laying in her nightgown in the bed, hanging onto her husband's arm. He was right there, helping her through the labor of their 4th baby. Labor contractions had begun after suppertime as she was cleaning up, wiping her three children's messy little faces...and Cora had begun sweeping and mopping up the kitchen floor when she started really feeling the pains. She wasn't in agony of course, but Cora had been through this a few times now and knew the signs of labor. She didn't expect to have the baby that night….but soon.
~Earlier that evening.~
"Now Herbert, I'll have you wipe off the kitchen table for Momma, please." Cora told her young son and handed him a wet soapy rag.
"But Momma….I want to go play with my Tinkertoy!"
"Herbert Franklin,..." She said calmly. "Chores first."
"Yes Momma."
"And Lucy Mae, please sweep the floor. You sweep and I'll mop."
"I help you too, Momma!" Her little 4 year old exclaimed, climbing onto her shoes, standing in front of her, her large pregnant belly kind of getting in the way.
"Thank you, Byron Oliver." Cora laughed a little, patting his little shoulders. "Ok...let's try it!" She mopped the floor with him holding the mop handle with both of his little hands, standing on her toes and they slowly moved together to mop the floor. Little Byron thought it was great fun! Cora laughed as she heard him laughing! She eased them both into a kitchen chair as she felt a twinge of pain. She had been feeling them all day long, but they weren't very bad. She went through her whole day, cooking, cleaning, tending to the children with barely a rest….She let out a breath and realized how absolutely tired she was.
"Are you going to be a big help to Momma when the new baby comes?!"
"Baby in your belly…." Little Byron patted his mother.
"Yes….Gentle, Byron…." She said softly. "Baby is coming soon, Sweetie…." Cora looked at him with a smile and then kissed his forehead. "Are you going to help Momma with baby brother or baby sister?"
Byron smiled and hugged his Momma and stayed like that. That made Cora smile. She stayed like that a moment with him in her arms as one of her pains was upon her. She sighed when it was over.
"Oh little boy!" She breathed, smoothing his head of brown hair..."I suppose we'd better get you to bed!" Cora sighed and carefully stood to her feet with Byron in her arms. "Herbert….time for bed." She told him in her soft and gentle way and reached her hand out to him.
"Momma….I am NOT tired!"
"Bedtime, Herbert Franklin." Cora said softly but sternly. That little boy certainly kept her on her toes! And tried her patience. He eventually held her hand and they walked into the children's bedroom.
"Momma, can you tell me a Goodnight story?" Byron's innocent eyes looked up at her.
"No story tonight, Sweetheart…." Cora shook her head and kissed his little forehead, a hand resting on her belly as she felt a contraction. "Momma has a lot of work to do tonight….." She ran her fingers through his little head of hair. Little Byron would be her baby no longer, she would make room for this new baby. Tears welled up in her eyes as she got a little emotional thinking about it all. She was thinking this new little baby would be her last.
"I help you, Momma!" Byron said, patting his mother's arm and the side of her belly.
"Byron, Honey…Don't." She took his hand swiftly, she had been feeling a contraction. She exhaled a breath. "You can help Momma by going to sleep,...ok? You too, Herbert. Goodnight…." She kissed Byron on his little forehead and tucked him into bed. She slowly came over to Herbert's little bed and bent over and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, Herbert Franklin."
"Goodnight Momma." He whispered. Herbert gave his Momma a little peck on the lips. He wasn't always a naughty little boy. Many times he could be quite sweet, and this was one of them.
She stood there a moment, and heaved a breath as a contraction had ended.
"Momma?" The little voice whispered.
"Momma's just fine, Herbert." She whispered back. "Goodnight…." She walked over to their bedroom door and closed it behind her.
Cora came out of the children's bedroom after putting both of them to bed and smoothed her back as she soon felt another twinge of pain. She had a feeling she should have her midwives with her soon. Cora let out a long breath as she smoothed her belly and then leaned with her hands clutching the back of one of the kitchen chairs. She stopped a moment with both hands placed there on her belly and took a breath.
"Momma….are you ok?"
"Lucy Mae." Cora smiled, sighing, and hugged her 8 year old daughter. "Momma is just fine, Sweetheart…." Cora smoothed her daughter's braids and helped undo them for her and a hand went to her back as another pain soon came. "Ohh….oh my." She breathed. "Lucy Mae?"
"Yes Momma?"
"I'm going to go change into my nightgown. Will you do me a big favor and go run and get Mrs. Garthwaite, or Mrs. White and Mrs. Buckley?...It's the Baby….." She smiled, nodding at her daughter.
"Oh yes, Momma!" The little 8 year old girl flew out the door, her blonde hair whipping in the wind as she ran.
Another pain gripped her back. Cora steadied herself against the kitchen wall. "Well,...Little Darlin'..." She chuckled a little with a smile, smoothing her motherly curve and talking to her yet unborn. "Don't be too hard on Momma now." Cora let out a breath. ".….but I have a very bad feeling you just might give me back labor…." She groaned.
Cora made her way slowly down to the barn to go talk with her husband. J.E. was still out in the barn milking the cow.
"John Edward….I put the boys to bed…." Cora said softly, entering the barn and stood near him.
"This early?!" He looked up and his mouth opened slightly when he saw what she was wearing. Her thick shawl and a nightgown. Her hair was in a lovely long braid, cascading over one shoulder. She looked lovely. The sunset peeking through the barn doorway provided a beautiful background.
"You've got your birthin' nightgown on…." He stood up from milking the cow and nearly spilled the fresh milk in the pail.
Cora nodded seriously and sweetly.
"You sure it's time, Dear?"
"John Edward, I don't think this baby's going to wait 4 days..." She chuckled a little, shaking her head. They were just 4 days shy of when the doctor predicted the baby would come.
"Do you want to get your midwives?"
"I sent Lucy Mae out to go get them." She breathed, smiling. "I'll most likely labor tonight and have this baby tomorrow or the next. We'll see."
"Well, my lovely Bride…." J.E. put his arm around her to walk back to the house together. "My Corrie…."
"John Edward, you haven't called me Corrie in years! Since we were schoolchildren, I recall." They laughed together softly at their cute little memory. They had known each other since little school children and had played together on breaks and ate together at lunchtime, outside the one room schoolhouse. "Remember when I splattered ink on the back of your neck?" He chuckled.
"I was so mad at you!" Cora laughed. "You dipped my braid in the ink and "accidentally" splattered the ink on my neck….." She laughed.
"Oh, I wasn't all bad…." J.E. chuckled and smoothed her shoulder, then kissed her cheek. "Remember the necklace I gave you?" He smiled."You still have it!"
"Oh!...Oh gracious me!" She heaved a breath and her hand went down. A familiar, warm trickle was felt through the fabric of her nightgown, between her legs, and it turned into a large gush, which surprised her. She gripped her husband's hand.
"You feeling the pains, Dear?" He held her hand, she stood there slightly bent over. "You ok?"
"Not just that, Dear." She breathed. "My water's broken...Honey, this baby is not going to wait at all. Oh...oh my." Cora gasped and a pain came upon her.
"Should I send for Doc. Johnson?!"
"Just get me inside. I'm not having your baby on our barn floor!" She chuckled a little and breathed deeply as he walked her back up to the house. Cora immediately went to their bedroom and J.E. started to follow her in but he soon saw their 8 year old daughter Lucy Mae running up the way to the farmhouse…...with no midwives. He went out to meet her and ran down the path and met her before she got to the little farmhouse.
"Papa! Mrs. White and Mrs. Buckley aren't coming! They're helping Mrs. Wingo in Indianola!" The little girl had been crying. She was worried. "Mrs. Garthwaite is out of town too…."
"Go to Dr. and Mrs. Johnson's. Tell them we will need them tonight."
"Yes, Papa!" She shouted and the little girl ran as fast as her legs would carry her.
~Later that night~
It had been several hours since Lucy Mae had gone for the Doctor. He too wasn't available either….Labor was progressing very fast. "Oh this is painful! My other labors haven't been quite this painful!...J.E.…Ohhhhh…" She moaned, writhing in pain on their bed. "J.E.! This is our last baby! I can't do this anymore!"
"Dear, you say that with every baby...and look at us, we just keep on having them…every two years. Like clockwork." He chuckled a little.
" Oh, I know I do...I know I do!" She breathed. "...oh, but I'm done!…I'm done!..." Cora groaned and then she gasped. "I can't believe I'm doing this without a doctor or a midwife...with just you!!" She was so irritated now and in so much pain. She leaned into her husband's chest and groaned as another hard contraction washed over her. "J.E. I want my midwives!...Please!" She begged.
"Dear, I told you….they're delivering another baby in Indianola as we speak. I called for them, they'll get here as soon as they possibly can…." J.E. sat there holding her and rubbing her back. "Everything is fine….You're ok."
"J.E….I don't think I can wait for them!...Honey, I really don't!" She moaned. "What if they don't make it in time???"
"Then I'l deliver the baby, Cora...Doc. and Mrs. Johnson aren't available either right now….."
"Dr. Johnson isn't available?!" She cried. "Why??!!"
"Dear, it's going to be fine." He calmly assured her. He was cool, calm and in control of the situation, inside he was certainly nervous. "I grew up on the farm….I've delivered plenty of cattle and horses. I can do this...We can do this together, Dear." He smoothed her sweaty forehead lovingly.
"John Edward Bardrick, I am a woman... not some animal on our farm!!!!..." Cora exclaimed angrily. "...Oh, J. E….I need you!" Her tone softened as another contraction hit. She groaned into his denim overalls he wore, working so hard in the fields all day. "Oh J.E….I need you…" she cried with tears in her lovely brown eyes. "I need you. Honey, I need you!"
Tears slipped down her cheeks and J.E. sweetly brushed them away. "What do you need right now? I'm right here, Honey. Need me to rub your back?"
"No...Yes...Oh, I don't know…." She moaned. "I feel cold…."
"Dear, you just had the blanket on…" J.E. told her calmly, but covered her anyway.
"I know…" She groaned. "I'm hot and then I'm cold. I can't help it…"
"I know. I know, Dear….its alright." J.E. whispered and held her, blanket and all. "Everything is alright…."
Her body was shaking during labor, uncontrollably. "Oh, J.E…." She breathed.
She felt his loving arms around her and her head rested on his shoulder.
J.E. gently kissed the top of her head. "I know...you're shaking, you're ok. Just like when you were in labor with Byron...It's alright." He whispered softly, smoothing her shoulders with gentle strokes. "You're doing fine, Cora Edith. I'm right here, Dear...I'm right here." He made his deep voice sweet and soothing and he held her. "I'm not going anywhere, Sweetheart…I've got you. You're ok." He whispered.
"I want the blanket off…." She groaned miserably.
"Ok Dear…" J.E. whispered and took the blanket away from her shoulders.
"Do you want to get up and walk around again, Dear?" She was sitting now on the edge of their bed.
"I don't know what I want to do, J.E…." She breathed out her reply and began to moan again.
"Fine…" He said quietly. "I'm here...Whatever you need." J.E. began to gently rub her back for her.
"Oooohhh….not so hard, Dear…." She moaned. "Please…Oooohhhhh…." Cora moaned and let out a breath, with her eyes shut, just concentrating. "Oooooooohhhhhhhhggggggghhhhh!!...you are rubbing my back too hard, John Edward." She breathed. Cora took a breath in through her nose and slowly let it out.
"I'm sorry….I tried to be gentle." J.E. whispered. He took his hands away from her and was still so calm and cool. "Whatever you want, Cora."
"I don't know what I want…." She replied sternly.
"That's ok." He told her. "Dear, you're doing just fine…." J.E. whispered and smoothed her dark hair, all along the length of her long dark brown braid down her back. "You're doing so good, Cora Edith." He whispered as he began to softly smooth her shoulders and neck and down her back.
"Ooooooooohhhhhhh!" She moaned through a contraction as he later put pressure on her back. She took a short breath and let out another moan. She breathed as she felt her husband softly bring his arms around her as he was sitting just behind her. She puffed out a breath as she felt him settle his face in the crook of her neck. She felt his kiss and breathed, turning her head, she soon gently found her lips with his. She gazed at her husband, letting out a soft breath.
"That's it….Good breathing, Dear."
She took a deep breath again, feeling him smooth her belly softly. Cora puffed out a long breath. " Loose lips…." She kept thinking and breathed that way. Cora closed her eyes and took a deep breath again and let it out again just like she had done.
"Doing great with your breathing." J.E whispered. "You're doing so good, Cora."
She leaned forward, holding herself up on the bed by her arms. "Ohhhhhhhhhhh…….OHhhhhhhhmmmmmmm…..Mmmmmmmm." She breathed out a moan and concentrated on her breathing as she felt a hard contraction wash over her.."Oooooooowwwwwwwwmmmmmmm!!!….Don't!….touch!...me!!…" She panted as he kept rubbing her back and now the pain was too intense for it to help any.
"Ok." He said quietly and took his hands off. "Ok!...I'm sorry."
"My back hurts so bad!" She groaned. Her husband tried his best to comfort her.
"Is that that back labor thing you were talking about, Dear?"
"Ouch!!...Oooooooowwwwww!...Ouch! Owww!...Ahhhhhhhh…..Hmmmmmmmm….." She tried to control her noises back into a long, soft, calm moaning, but there was so much pain in her back no matter the position she was in. "Oh, I think so, Honey!" Cora groaned. "I had back labor with Lucy Mae as well...Honey, it hurts so bad!!!" She started crying.
"You're doing just fantastic, Sweetheart!" J.E. whispered and put pressure on her back a moment. He then brought his arms around her again and kissed her cheek. She turned her head and kissed him on the lips in a loving kiss, although she was still crying.
"You're doing fine." J.E. whispered. "Just fine, Dear."
Back in the kitchen was an overwhelming scene for the little 8 year old girl. "Herbert!!!!! Byron!!!!!" Lucy Mae exclaimed. They had gotten out of bed and into the sugar bowl this late at night, a mess of sugar was everywhere! "Momma says white sugar is for guests! What in Heaven's name are you doing?!" The little girl sounded just like her mother.
"We want popcorn and milk! With sugar in it!
"NO!...It's bedtime!"
"Where's Momma and Papa?!" Herbert snapped at her.
"Momma's having the new baby, you little dummy!"
"I'm not a little dummy! You are!"
"Herbert…." Lucy Mae said through clenched teeth.
.
"No, wait…..I know what YOU are, you're just a big meanie...sister!" Herbert said and stuck his tongue out at her.
"Big meanie!" Little 4 year old Byron repeated his big brother. And mimicked him with his facial expressions.
"Herbert Franklin...Byron Oliver….Go to bed!" Lucy Mae told them both with childish authority in her little voice. "Go to bed….now."
"Momma helps us and you know that." Herbert told her.
"I want Momma!" Little Byron started to cry.
Lucy Mae puffed out an annoyed breath. "I have to help you….Now go!" And she ushered little Byron into the children's bedroom.
"No, I don't want to!" Herbert stated, when she tried to get him to go back to bed. "I want popcorn and milk!!" He shouted.
There was a scuffle and little Herbert pushed his older sister. Doing so, she fell back and knocked the milk pail and open sack of unpopped popcorn off of the table and both fell and spilled all over the floor.
"Look what you did!" Both yelled at once.
"You did it!"
"No YOU did!" Lucy Mae exclaimed. "Now I have to clean this up!" She sighed. She was not happy at all with her little brother Herbert.
"Bedtime! Now!" Lucy Mae told her little brother and grabbed his little ear, much like she saw her schoolteacher do to a naughty schoolboy. She wanted to be just like her teacher when she grew up. Being such a "little mother", the little 8 year old girl got her 6 and 4 year old little brothers back into bed. She roughly tucked Herbert into his bed though, and got into bed beside little Byron. Little Byron Oliver had the big cradle in his parents bedroom for the longest time….but now that would belong to the new little baby. "Now go to SLEEP!" She whispered sharply and closed her eyes.
Labor had not slowed any for Cora at all. It was moving along smoothly but quickly. "Oooooohhhhh...Hmmmmmmmmmmm…….Oooohhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm!!" She let out long moans and breathed as she walked around their bedroom awhile. Her husband walked with her and they stopped awhile, standing together, his strong arms supporting her. She swiveled and swayed her hips, standing a while and walked a while and he was right along with her. Cora draped her arms around his neck gently and stood with him a moment again, swaying together.
"I sound like one of our milk cows…." Cora breathed into his chest after a moan and couldn't help but chuckle.
J.E.'s deep voice chuckled a moment and smoothed her shoulders."You make all the noise you need to, Darlin'...if it helps you...I heard the midwives encouraging you about the noises you make...I think that was with Lucy Mae or Herbert."
"Nice to know you've been paying attention, Dear…" She breathed.
J.E. chuckled. "Well, you get pretty loud too...Nothing I haven't heard before, though!" He snickered. "Same noises it took to get my babies in there!"
"Oh, J.E...Shut your mouth!" She chuckled and felt his warm embrace.
"Don't be embarrassed, Sweetheart." He whispered. "Get as low or as loud as you need." He held her close to him. J.E. was dressed in his work shirt with the sleeves rolled up and his blue denim overalls, and Cora in her old nightgown she used to deliver all her babies in. No matter how many times she soaked and scrubbed at that nightgown after giving birth in it, she still couldn't get some of those stains out. She wore those stains proudly though.….J.E. smoothed her beautiful long, dark braid. "Doing good…" He whispered, rubbing the back of her neck and he kissed her forehead.
"I don't want to wake up the children…." She breathed. "HhhuuuhhhmmmMmmmmmmmm…." A low, soft moan came from her throat.
"Dear, you and I both know our boys can sleep through anything." J.E. chuckled.
"Where's Lucy Mae?" She breathed, her head resting on his shoulder and her arms around him, her soft hands smoothing his back. She concentrated and breathed again as she felt a contraction.
"Asleep, I reckon." He whispered and held her close.
She later knelt down by the bed where her husband was sitting and held herself up by her elbows, her massive belly grazing the soft sheets ever so slightly. Rocking awhile on all fours as she felt her husband smooth her back a few moments. Cora squatted down in front of her husband and placed her face in his lap. "Oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh…." She let out a long groaning moan and felt her husband smoothing her dark hair and down her braid and she breathed as he thankfully was now gently smoothing her back with the palm of his hand. "Hhhhhuuuuuuhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm…." "Just breathe…." She thought to herself. " You're opening up….You're opening up. there's plenty of room for Baby to come down….There's more than enough room for Baby. You've done this 3 times so far….you've got this. You can do this." Were her thoughts as she concentrated during each contraction. " The pain is worth it…." "Oooooooooooohhhhhh…."
"You're doing amazing, Cora…" He whispered and held her hands that were placed on the bed, her head still in his lap.
" This isn't my first rodeo, Dear." She drawled. Cora couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. "You know that." She breathed. J.E. chuckled in response.
"Oooohhhhh…...Hmmmmmmmm…...Ooooooohhhh….…..Oooooohhhhhhmmmmm." She moaned. Breathing through each pain. Through each moan that escaped from her lips.
"I say you win first prize….birthin' babies...in my book." John Edward softly whispered, smoothing his wife's hair and back of her neck and shoulders.
"Oh you're funny…." She chuckled a little, then another moan escaped her lips. Cora glanced up to see her husband's face. Her soft smile matched his. "I love you…." She whispered. Cora rose up to her feet and draped her arms over her husband's shoulders, her forehead rested against his and then she closed her eyes as she kissed him a moment. "Hhhhuuuuhhhhhh..." She breathed through the pain, seconds later, in his embrace. He smoothed her shoulder. "Doing good, Sweetheart." Cora heard her husband whisper in her ear. He helped her into the bed and they sat on the bed together facing each other, her arms around his neck. "Heard you when you were having Lucy Mae...and then Herbert….was with you with Byron….Each time, you're just amazing. I'm so proud to be with you and help you with this baby…." J.E. whispered, kneeling with his knees on the bed as she was rocking on all fours again. She was trying to go through several contractions before she changed into another position. "Hhhhmmmmmmmmmm!…." She breathed, feeling a contraction. "Ooooooooooooooooohhhhhh….."
"Oh, J.E." Cora whispered. "I'm getting too old for this, I think.…"
"You're doing great, Cora." He whispered kissing the top of her head. She had placed her face into his chest, still on all fours and grabbed at his shoulder. "Doing great, Honey….Think of the Baby. She'll be so beautiful just like her Momma..." He whispered and kissed her.
"I love you, Dear." She whispered.
"I love you too. More everyday." He whispered and smoothed her arms as he now sat on the bed behind her. He placed his hand gently on her back as she was in front of him, on all fours still, rocking and now swiveling her hips. "You getting tired?" He whispered.
"I'll be fine." She whispered, and eased herself into a sitting position on the bed and lay her head back on his broad shoulder. She breathed as she felt him lovingly smoothing her belly. "Hhhhuuuuhhhhmmmmmmmmm…." She moaned and breathed as he kissed her cheek lovingly.
"They that dances must pay the fiddler." J.E. chuckled a little.
"Oh!...Oh, I'm paying, trust me!" She groaned, in the midst of a contraction. "Ooooooohhhhhhmmmm….eeeeerrrrrmmmmmmmmmm..." She sounded miserable.
"I'd love to still dance with you…" J.E. whispered and chuckled a little.
"I knew that!" She chuckled. "Let me have our baby first…."
"Wish I could take your pain away." Her husband whispered and kissed the back of her neck.
"And in pain thou shalt bring forth children…" Cora quoted the Good Book, taking deep breaths and slowly letting them out.
"Thank you, "Pastor." J.E. chuckled a little.
"Ooooooooohhhhhhhh!...Hhhhmmmmmmmm….." Cora moaned through another painful contraction. She started to chuckle a little. "I'm no husband of...one wife…." Cora breathed and chuckled which made her husband crack up as well.
"You're doing great, Cora Edith." Her husband smiled. He was so amazed by her. It was like this was so easy for her.
"Hhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…." She groaned through her pain."I think I need to lie down awhile…." Cora breathed.
"Whatever you want, Dear." Her husband whispered. "Easy does it." He told her, helping her to lay down. He knelt by her by the bed, holding her hand, stroking her arm and her face. "You're so beautiful and strong." He whispered and kissed her sweat-glistened forehead.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhmmmmm.….." She breathed another low, calm moaning breath. "Ahhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm…..Hhhhhmmmmmmmm……..Aaaaaaahhhhhmmm…...Ooooooooooom……………………….Ooooooooooooooooohhhhhhh…."
Soon, Cora stood with her arms up against the wall after walking around a little again. Her husband stood with her, smoothing her whole back. He massaged her shoulders. He kissed her cheeks and forehead. He did anything he could to be there for her. This was a special time for both of them. Having what they thought would be their last baby….and this birth would be the only one where J.E. was there with her, from the start of her labor to delivery. He wished all men could help their wives in this situation. It was a special time together. Feeling this was bringing them closer to each other in their love and in their marriage. "I love you, John Edward….." Cora whispered as he held her. "You're sure you want to actually deliver our baby?"
"No doctor or midwife…." He shrugged. "So I've got to….I'm glad to, Beautiful." He assured her. J.E. was a bit nervous, but he stayed strong outwardly and was as cool as a cucumber. "This is a special time for us…." He whispered sweetly.
"Byron….Pssssttt! Byron!" A little voice whispered.
"Herbert! Go to sleep!" Lucy Mae whined.
"Byron!"
"He's doing what YOU should be doing! Sleeping!"
"Fine, Lucy Mae!" Herbert whispered. "But you can't play with my Tinkertoy anymore!"
"I don't care. I don't want to. Go. To. Sleep."
Later on, later that evening, little Herbert crept by his brother, woke him up and coaxed him into going into their parents bedroom.
"I don't want Momma to be eaten by the monster!" Byron exclaimed in tears, but he tried to stay quiet and brave.
"I want to lay on our bed again…" Cora said, slowly making her way over to it.
"For the rest of the time, Dear?"
"I don't know, Honey. I'll see how I feel. Being on all fours or squatting helps a little…."
"Here, let's just sit back awhile…." J.E. whispered and eased both of them down onto the bed, him sitting behind her. "I think this baby's a girl, what about you Dear?" He kissed her softly and she felt his strong arms around her.
"I don't know…." She groaned and began to moan again. "Huuuuuuuuuhhhhhhgggghhhh…." Cora felt his arms around her body, his strong hands covered hers, resting on her belly. "I just want the Baby out already…." She groaned, eyes shut, concentrating deeply on her task at hand. She moaned again.
"She's coming, Dear…" He encouraged her and kissed the back of her neck. J.E. smoothed her shoulders, pressing his lips to the back of her neck. "Won't be long."
"I sure can feel it…" she sighed. "I'm having this baby tonight for sure…." Cora breathed.
"See? Won't be long…." J.E. whispered, kissing her neck and massaged her belly and back. "This feel ok? Let me know, Beautiful…"
She kept her eyes closed, concentrating and breathed out a miserable groan. "Honey, I just want this baby out of me…."
The two little boys soon burst open the door of the children's bedroom, and sneaked away down the hallway to their parents' bedroom. They opened it and ran through the bedroom doorway. They stood there wide-eyed at the foot of the bed, now seeing their mother half sitting up, half laying against their father. She was held up by his strong arms and was now tightly gripping his knees with both hands. Burying her face into the crook of his neck, she let out such a long, frightening noise!….The boys stood there wide eyed, tears coming to both of their eyes. Of course, they did not understand and wondered what was wrong with Momma?!
"Herbert!...Byron!...I told you not to go in there! Momma and Poppa are busy!" Little 8 year old Lucy Mae Bardrick burst through their parents' bedroom doorway too, after waking up and seeing that both boys were gone. She tried to drag her little brothers away. Her little hazel eyes widened too as she looked at her parents, thinking she was in trouble for not watching her little brothers close enough.
"I wanna find out what's going on!" 6 year old Herbert exclaimed. He was always quite the moody and curious little boy. He heard strange sounds from his mother. He wanted to know who was hurting his Momma! He decided he was gonna kick them, whoever it was!...Little 4 year old Byron wanted Momma and was crying for her. He scrambled up into the bed and cried, clinging to his mommy. He only wanted her. He wanted to save her from the monster he heard.
"Oh, Byron Oliver!" Cora cried when she saw him crying. His tears were like a thunderstorm and his voice was like a loud wailing siren coming from his little open mouth."Mommmmmmm…...Momma!….Mommmm-ma!!!" He bawled, choking on all his tears and his little nose ran as he clung to his Momma's arm. "….Sweetheart,...Momma's not feeling good right now!…." She told him with tears in her eyes as he clung to her and cried. She smoothed his little head and back while he bawled and hiccupped and she was crying too. "Oh, J.E., please!...Take the children!...I can't deal with them right now!" She exclaimed and turned her face away from her young son, crying just as he was, and she moaned in a high pitch while in pain. A scared Byron was still bawling and held on tighter to her arm, till his Daddy took him and set the little 4 year old down on the floor. He then clung to his Daddy's leg and bawled, the tears just pouring like a faucet from his little blue eyes. Byron had his Daddy's blue eyes, that was for sure.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhmmmmm!…." Cora moaned again in a high pitch, her pains seemed worse now with all the commotion. "J.E...please!!! She cried.
"Dear….you just lie back and relax….Breathe...just breathe..." J.E. lay her softly down against the sets of pillows on their bed, smoothing her arms with gentle strokes. "Cora….just lie still and breathe…Relax...Take a deep breath, Dear."
"Take a deep breath?! How can I breathe when I feel...when I," She sharply breathed during an intense contraction. "I feel like my insides are being RIPPED OUT of my body!...So much pressure….down there." She panted. Cora let out a grunt as she breathed deeply. "I think I need to push, Dear." She breathed. "Soon."
"You're that close already?!" He exclaimed and saw she now couldn't even speak during the contraction she was having. He watched her there laying on the bed, panting, her arm across her face, trying to stifle a moan. She looked absolutely miserable. "Oh, Honey...it's time, soon!...I know it is!" Cora winced. "I know it is! I feel-...Oh gahhh!...Oh, I can't wait for them anymore!" She groaned and covered her lips with a fist and tried to just breathe but the moaning through her pain was uncontrollable. "Uhhgh…." Cora grunted. She breathed through a contraction and let out another grunt. She knew she was getting closer. She felt like taking off her nightgown, but all three children were there in the room. "Get them out of here, John Edward!…." She exclaimed and moaned again.
"Dear...I'll deal with the children and I'll be right back….I promise you..." Never losing his composure, he picked up a wailing, screaming Byron and ushered a frightened little Herbert and serious Lucy Mae out of the bedroom, to go talk with them a moment.
If it was just her and the midwives, she would have kept her nightgown on….but, this being just her and her husband, Cora couldn't stand having the nightgown on anymore, so she took it off over her head as quickly as she could, laying on her side on the bed, in the thick of hard labor, she moaned into a pillow. She felt so much pressure...She knew it was time soon to start pushing, but she was trying to wait for her husband to come back into the bedroom.
J.E. calmed little Byron down and stooped down and held both of his boys a moment. "Momma is ok, boys…" He told them quietly and calmly, holding little Byron and patting Herbert's little back. "Byron….now stop crying…That's enough, Byron...You're ok...Momma's ok. Momma's having the new baby now,...real quick.…It's time for you boys to go to sleep...I need you to be real good and stay in your beds.…..Lucy Mae...I need your help too...I need you to be a big girl and go take your brothers...put them both in bed,...and go boil some water for me. Can you do that for Poppa, Honey?"
"The baby's coming right now?" Lucy half asked very matter-of-factly.
"Yes, Honey, pretty soon...you need to hurry." J.E.'s head turned to the bedroom door as he heard his wife moan again. "Ooohhhhhhh…J.E.!" She wailed. Cora felt that her baby was coming quickly but couldn't audibly express it. All she could get out was high pitched moaning and grunting. She let out another grunt deep from her throat. Deep from within her.
"Baby's coming sooner than I thought…." J.E. exclaimed. "Go, Lucy Mae!...Hurry please!"
Lucy Mae quickly grabbed her brothers and put them into their room and locked the door. Thinking quickly, she grabbed a little pot from the kitchen instead of the large, heavy well bucket and ran outside to the well. The wet, sloshy, cold snow seeped into the bottom of her woolen stockings. She wasn't wearing shoes or her little coat or shawl. She just ran to the well as fast as her little legs would carry her. She pumped the little handle on the well pump with all her might and filled the pot full of water and trudged carefully back through the sloshy, wet snow to the farmhouse. The bottoms of her stocking feet were cold and sopping wet. She set the little pot of water on the cookstove and took a deep breath in and let it out. Lucy Mae dragged a chair near it and sat down and brought her little knees up to her chest and took another breath and put her head down. She hoped to make her Daddy proud, that she did exactly what he had told her to do. And she did it fast. Her little head turned to the door, hearing the scary, painful sounds that were coming from what was behind it. She was frightened for her Momma. She sat there with her head between her knees. Shivering now because of her cold, wet stocking feet. She was glad that she was sitting next to the warmth of the cookstove.
"Cora Edith...I'm right here...I'm right here, Honey...just breathe…." J.E. had rushed in and came right over and sat on the edge of the bed next to her. His wife was now naked, lying down flat on her back, her head against the pillows on the bed, her legs spread and her hands tightly gripped her thighs. She was ready to push if she had to. "Just breathe, Dear….Just breathe….In….and out…." Her husband tried to comfort and encourage her.
"J.E...my body is already….!" She went silent as an extremely strong contraction washed over her again.
"Cora, I'm right here….Just do what your body's wanting you to do then." His deep, soft voice soothed her and his hands stroked her hair away from her face. "Uuuuughh…" she grunted, panting.
"Ohhh...J.E...I can't…" She panted."I can't, I can't." Cora winced and moaned with a contraction. She felt she was losing control. "J.E., I can't do this!" She said sharply. All she could feel was pain.
"Honey, yes you can do this!" He whispered sweetly and kissed her forehead. "You've done this three times already and given me three of the most beautiful babies in the world…..You CAN do this. Don't worry, we've got this….. Push if you think you're ready...Breathe. Get your breathing under control." He was there to calm her down. He held her hand to let her know he was there and assured her she was doing just fine. "You feel like you have to push now?" He calmly questioned.
"J.E…." Cora groaned. It was uncontrollable….her body was already pushing! She gave a guttural cry as she felt her baby's head push out a tiny bit into the cold, dark outside world. She felt it move backwards a second. Soon, she felt the undeniable urge to push.
J.E. had a small lamp lit in the bedroom so he could see what they were doing. "That's it, Dear...tuck your chin…do what you need to do."
"Don't tell me what to do!" She sharply raised her voice at him! Cora exhaled and took another deep breath as another strong contraction and sharp pain gripped her body. "I don't see you giving birth for the 4th time!" She roared. She puffed out a hard breath.
"You're right, Dear." J.E. replied. He remained so calm, never raising his voice. He tried to keep her as calm and as comfortable as possible.
"Oh, J.E….I feel the head….already." Cora gasped and swallowed, her eyes went wide and she tilted her head back on the pillow, gritting her teeth from the pain. She felt her husband grab her hand and so she squeezed it. Hard. She held on so tight he thought she would break it! He said nothing about the pain in his hand...for he knew she was in so much more pain than he was at the moment! "Relax…." He said softly. She gave another inward grunt.
"This is our last baby...I'm not kidding…" Cora winced as her body bore down as she rode another wave of pain."Oooooohhhhhh!!" She moaned, wincing from the pain. She was still laying flat on her back, her head supported by the pillows on the bed. Sweat soaked the bed and pillows on the back of her neck and her back. She moaned as the pains climbed atop one another. "Baby's coming…" She moaned out as her head swayed on the pillow. "Honey!!!" Her voice drawled out in another moan. "Ohhhh..," She puffed out a breath. "Ohh,...Baby's coming!" Cora panted, her closed eyes from the pain. Another deep inward grunt was trying to escape her lips but she tried to stifle it. She gasped in a deep breath. "Oh J.E.!!...Ohhh!" She moaned and then let out an uncontrollable, long grunt. "Baby's coming...now." . She closed her eyes, letting out little uncontrollable pants and grunts.
"You're right, Dear...have a feel and little look-see...Dear, you're having our baby…." J. E. smiled proudly, misty eyed and he guided her hand down there. He was so happy with each baby that came to them. "Cora, I love you!"
"Oh, John Edward...I love you." She grunted, shutting her eyes, feeling that the baby was crowning against the palm of her hand.
"You need to push?" He asked her.
She gave another grunt and a small push but was struggling quite a bit. "Oh...Oh J.E.!...Oh, get him out!" She cried with tears in her eyes. "Get him out, get him out, get him out, get him out!" Cora was panting, her raw loins were stinging! Her legs shook. She felt so much exhaustion. She just couldn't do this anymore! She just wanted it to be over! NOW. "...Oh, I just want him out…." She moaned and panted. "Oh, I want him out, J. E.!" Cora lay there panting and crying, the stinging and burning sensation was unendurable! "Oh, how much more??" She exclaimed and panted, glancing down at herself. There was the baby's head against the palm of her hand just as she had felt. "Ohhh, I feel like I'm on fire!!" She panted, laying her head back again, raising both arms up by her head, each grabbing onto a pillow. Cora felt her husband's hand on her knee, smoothing one of her shaking legs, soft and gentle. "You're doing just fine, Sweetheart. Dear, you're nearly done." He whispered. "This is going so fast, you're almost done. Baby's almost here. She's almost here, Darlin'..." J.E. told her. Cora sighed in proud blissfulness, closing her eyes at hearing those words. Cora breathed and let out another low grunt.
"Come on, Cora….Give it another big ol' push, Dear!"
"I AM pushing!" She said through gritted teeth and kept pushing. Cora felt her baby move down a little more as she pushed, her hand softly smoothed herself and she felt the baby's head again.….finally, she soon felt the whole head and part of one of the shoulders come through."Huh!!" She gave another deep grunt that turned into a roar.
"This is going so fast! You're almost done, Dear! You're doing so great,..I love you, Cora Edith!" J.E. exclaimed with joyous tears in his loving blue eyes. He was so excited! J.E. began to chuckle as his wife was struggling with their baby's shoulders. "Oh, this kid's definitely a Bardrick! Those broad Bardrick shoulders! Don't worry, Dear, Baby's shoulders aren't stuck! Gosh all, they're huge!….You can do this. You're doing it!...A few more pushes, Dear! You are so amazing. I love you…."
Cora's eyes stared daggers at her husband a moment at "those huge Bardrick shoulders" comment. She closed her eyes, letting out a long breath and tried to relax and felt a contraction.
"Push again, Beautiful! Baby's almost here! She's almost here!...You're doing so good!"
She simply ignored him, let out a grunt and growled through the pain. Putting all her focus on bringing her baby into the world. "Catch him, J.E.!" She gasped, after growling and grunting once more as she gave one strong, final push. Cora felt that familiar slippery wet feeling as her baby's body passed through. She shut her eyes and breathed out with relief with her head back on a pillow when she finally heard those nonstop, loud strong cries. All her hard work was finally done.
"I was wrong!" Her husband chuckled!
"You're right, Dear, it's another boy!" J. E. grinned and soon lifted him up to her and onto her naked chest. She was in a daze, her eyes shut...breathing heavy, her hand softly placed on his tiny, little back. She could now hear his loud, squawling cries in her ear. "Four big pushes and he was out, Dear!..Imagine that! Four pushes and he's our 4th baby…..You did it!" J.E. whispered and gripped her hand. "You did it, Dear…" His deep bass voice was soft and smooth like butter. "We sure do make beautiful babies, Honey." J.E. gently kissed her forehead. "Look at that boy." He smiled, amazed at seeing his new son. Amazed at his wife for all the hard work she did to give him yet another beautiful baby. Amazed that he was there with her to see that baby be brought into the world.
Amazed that he helped to deliver his own flesh and blood!
"Oh,...J.E., we do. We do!...Oh..." She panted and her eyes were filled with tears, looking down at her baby. Their baby. He was covered in vernix, being fresh out of the womb, of course. He had thin dark brown hair and those newborn baby gray-blue eyes. He was such a handsome baby boy! Cute since the moment he came out into this world. "Oh, I knew it was another boy! I just knew!" Cora cried and wiped her eyes as soon as she locked eyes with her baby. Cora cried at every single birth she had. She just always got overly emotional during that moment, finally seeing that baby. "A mother just knows…Oh. Oh, my sweet baby boy!..." she whispered in tears and gazed at her baby, calming down now that he was in her arms. She threw her head back and cried tears of joy as she held him to her chest. "Oh,...My sweet boy…" She whispered, rubbing his little back and kissed his little face. "Another boy…." Cora smiled proudly at her husband.
"Lucy Mae, do you have that water boiling?" J.E. asked, coming into the kitchen.
"Yes Poppa."
"Good…" He told her. " Go grab your mother's kitchen shears and boil those please. That's what your Momma said to do..." He was rummaging around the kitchen trying to find something to tie off the cord with...and some old clean towels. "Your mother says we'll need a large bowl too….I hope this will do…." J.E. went back to his wife's side, gushing over their new little boy.
"Lucille Mae, Herbert Franklin, Byron Oliver and...now...Paul. Paul Iver…" Cora proudly smiled with tears in her eyes at her husband who kissed her forehead gingerly. She couldn't help but gaze at their baby as her husband helped clean him up. "Sure isn't no Paula Ivora!" J.E. chuckled. "That would've been pretty!...I was sure it was a girl, Sweetheart!"
"He is definitely a boy, Dear." She laughed. "He sure looks a lot like his Poppa….Those Bardrick genes are strong!" Cora gazed at her little Paul and then up at her husband. "Oh J.E….You've given me 1 girl and 3 boys…." Cora smiled proudly, her lovely chocolate brown eyes had tears in them that spilled over...and his electric blue eyes were glazing over with tears of happiness and his chest swelled with pride. "We have a new little farmer boy to help in the fields and with the animals someday…" she chuckled, her eyes beaming down with pride at her 4th baby. "Our last baby…"
"You gave them to me, Dear. I love you more every day for it." J.E. smiled. "Though…" He grinned, taking a seat next to her on the bed. "I'd say we need to try for one more in two years, a girl….or maybe a boy, John Edward the second..." J.E. chuckled. He brought his arm around her, smoothing her shoulder.
"I don't think so…J.E., I don't know why I keep agreeing to this!…" Cora laughed a little and breathed as J.E. kept smoothing her hair and kissing her. "But you're right, we do make beautiful babies, John Edward." She sighed, smiling as she felt him kiss her forehead. "Who am I fooling?" She chuckled and gazed at her husband. "I love having your babies." Her lips found his in a soft, loving kiss.
"Cora Edith Bardrick?…" he smiled at her, kissing her cheek.
"Yes, J.E.?..." she whispered sweetly, her lovely brown eyes closed, her cheek against his. Their 4th baby in her arms.
"I love you so much..."
"Oh, I love you too,...John Edward." Cora mumbled, and she kissed him again.
J.E. saw as his wife had delivered the afterbirth minutes later, putting it into that large bowl . " Lucy Mae?!" He called to her. "Do you have those shears?! We need them now."
"Yes Poppa!" The 8 year old girl carefully grabbed the small pot of boiling water with the kitchen shears in it and got it off of the cookstove. She drained the water off and went to her parents' bedroom door.
"She's a big girl, I think she can come in, Cora." She heard her father say.
"J.E.! Wait till I have my nightgown on!" She scrambled to put it back on so modesty wasn't an issue. She had laid their little baby on the bed momentarily and he was starting to cry his squawking little cry, until Cora picked him back up.
"….Lucy Mae, will you bring me those shears please?...Come in and meet the new baby, Honey..."
The 8 year old girl silently crept in with the little pot and gave the kitchen shears to her father. J.E. tied off the cord and cut it with the boiled kitchen shears. The 8 year old, but mature little girl had been out in the kitchen the whole time, hearing her mother have the baby and watching the little pot of boiling water. It was scary for her...but she was determined to be brave. Lucy looked at the baby and at her Momma...and then at her Poppa….and back at her mother again. The bedsheets were messy and bloody from the birth...but she thought her mother was so beautiful with her messy, long braid of dark brown hair cascading over one shoulder. The baby was covered in a thin towel….his little arms and legs wriggling. She heard his little newborn sounds and cries and watched as her mother soon quieted and soothed him through breastfeeding. He closed his little eyes as he breastfed. Lucy Mae thought he was the most beautiful baby ever.
"Hand me that little blanket, will you Sweetheart?….Thank you." Cora smiled at her daughter. Looking so grown up even at 8 years old. "Meet your brother…" Cora whispered, smiling.
"It's a boy?!" Lucy exclaimed. "I have another little brother!"
"Yes Dear…" Cora nodded, wrapping baby Paul in the blanket over the towel he was wrapped in, for extra warmth. She patted a spot next to her on the bed. "Come sit over here….We named him, Paul Iver." Cora whispered as her daughter came closer. She smiled at her daughter and then down at her new son. " My oldest baby….and my youngest baby." She lovingly whispered, smiled at both of them and kissed them both.
"He's a pretty little baby…" Lucy smiled. "Momma, how much does he weigh?"
"Oh I'd say about 8 or 9 pounds...wouldn't you, Dear?" Cora beamed over at her husband. J.E. nodded a little with pride, as he was cleaning up. He just finished removing the messy sheets and putting fresh sheets and blankets on the bed for his wife. "He sure felt like a 9 pounder, J.E.!" She chuckled.
"Who knows, could be 9." J.E. chuckled. "Midwives'll weigh him when they get here. We'll find out then."
"Could I hold him, Momma?"
"In a little while, Dear…" Cora told her softly. "When he's done feeding…."
"I'm sorry it hurt you a lot, Momma…" Her innocent hazel eyes looked at her mother. Overhearing all that she did, she knew what her mother had done was painful.
"It's very painful to have a baby, isn't it?"
"My sweet girl…" Cora smoothed her daughter's ash blonde hair and kissed her forehead. "The pain is worth it all….you'll find that out when you get married and have your own baby someday, hm?" Cora smiled at her. "I think you'll make a good little momma someday, Lucy Mae." Little Lucy Mae nodded at that comment nervously, with a slight smile.
They heard the knock at the front door. J.E. trudged out in his messy overalls and work shirt, and let the midwives in. "Evenin' ladies." He nodded to both of the midwives. "Baby was born about 15, 20 minutes ago….A boy….Paul Iver Bardrick." J.E. exclaimed proudly. "The Mrs. is resting now. Oh, she did great! Both doing real good, I reckon." The two women looked mother and baby over and weighed the baby and guessed on the time of birth and such. They helped them with the finishing of cleaning things up before they left.
J.E. lay his hand softly on his little daughter's shoulder and they walked out into the kitchen.
He crouched down so that he was eye level with her and opened his arms to her. "I'm so proud of you. Thank you, Honey. You did exactly what I asked you to do. You really helped, Poppa." He whispered and hugged and kissed his little daughter on the cheek. "I love ya, Lucy Mae."
" I love you too, Poppa." She shut her eyes tight and hugged her Daddy.
"Did you stay out here the whole time?"
"Yes Poppa." Lucy Mae nodded.
J.E. chuckled a bit. "You know….I stayed out here the whole time your Momma was having you, Girl." He smiled and patted her little shoulder. "How 'bout that!"
Lucy May giggled and hugged her Daddy, giving him a kiss on the forehead.
"Poppa, I wanna see Momma!!" Little Herbert stood at the children's bedroom doorway with little Byron, both dressed in their little nightshirts. "Byron does too."
"Well now, one quick look Herbert and it's time for you boys and your sister to get to bed." His deep voice was soft and smooth.
"Ok Poppa." He sighed.
"Heyep!" J.E. said and picked up both little Herbert and little Byron. "C'mon boys."
J.E. softly trudged back into the bedroom with both little boys in his arms.
"Hey, 'Momma'." He crooned and smiled at his wife. She flashed a sweet smile and gazed softly at their now drowsing newest addition to their family.The mother all cozy under the blankets now. "These two youngins' want to see you…" J.E. smiled at them both and brought them over to her bedside.
"Herbert, Byron…." J.E. said softly. "This is little brother, Paul Iver Bardrick…." Little Byron scrambled up next to Momma and the new little baby and the little 4 year old touched little brother's soft face.
"Gentle, Byron...be gentle, Honey." Cora whispered softly and smoothed little Byron's head. "We need to be quiet too….Baby brother's falling asleep."
"Ok Momma...Momma, I love you!" Little Byron whispered and kissed her cheek. He sweetly smoothed her arm with his little hand and patted his new little brother gently. "I like him, Momma."
Cora smiled and kissed her little Byron Oliver on the forehead. "I'm glad, Honey."
Byron grinned a cute but cheesy grin that lit up his little face. "You like him, Momma?!" He whispered.
"Mmmhmm!" Cora nodded, smiling brightly at her little boy. "I like him….and I like you. I love all my babies." She said lovingly and Byron rested his little forehead against his Momma's. "I love my Lucy Mae….and my Herbert Franklin….and my Byron Oliver…." She said softly, their foreheads still touching.
"And Paul Iver…." Lucy Mae grinned crookedly, finishing for her Momma.
"Herbert…." Cora smiled gently. "Do you want to come see your baby brother?"
"I see him…" He answered quietly as his Poppa brought him closer to her. "Is he going back in your belly, Momma?"
Cora chuckled a little and kissed Herbert's little forehead. "No Dear."
"Well…" J.E. chuckled a little and quoted a Bible verse. "Except a man be born again…"
"He cannot see the kingdom of God! John chapter 3 verse 3." Lucy Mae exclaimed, finishing the verse. "I learned about that in Sunday School!"
"Why not, Momma?" Herbert asked. "Why can't he go back in your belly?"
"Because he's ours, Sweetheart. Part of our family now." She smiled, smoothing his messy hair.
"How did he get here, Momma?"
"He flew in on Momma and Poppa's love." Lucy Mae smiled, winking.
"Lucy Mae!" Cora chuckled."My word…"
"Momma and Poppa?"
"What, Herbert Franklin?" J.E. asked quietly and patted Herbert's little shoulder.
"Can you fly him back on your love?" Herbert was feeling jealous of his newest little brother. He already had Byron to play with and didn't need a new brother! He decided he didn't like this new baby.
"I could never send any of my babies back." Cora smiled and kissed Herbert on the forehead. "Especially not my little Herbert Franklin….I love all my babies." She said again. Looking at Lucy Mae, then at Herbert, then at Byron, and she smiled down at baby Paul.
J.E. took the boys and put them to bed and Lucy Mae went to bed too. He came back into the bedroom to be with his wife and their newest little baby. "Here Dear, let me take this handsome boy…" J.E. smiled as she carefully passed their son to him and he held that 9 pound boy in his arms and recited a portion of Scripture he said after each of his children's births. Cora smoothed his arm, smiling on. She loved to hear him do this.
"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee,...and give thee peace." He whispered at last and kissed his baby son on his little forehead. "Paul I-VOR…" J.E.'s deep voice chuckled.
"His name is Paul Iver!" Cora insisted.
"Same name, Dear….Different spelling. Cora Edith, we are not about to argue about this boy's name!" He chuckled a little.
"You're right, because he's Paul Iver!" She smiled, laughing softly and rubbed his arm.
"4 down, 4 to go, eh?" J.E. chuckled. "I'm ready for more of that "dancin'."
"John Edward!" Cora exclaimed. "You rascal!"
His deep voice boomed in a little chuckle and Cora laughed a little with him. "It does take two to "dance." She admitted, chuckling.
"Well, there we go!" J.E. chuckled and put his arm around her and tenderly kissed her temple.
"Let's enjoy the 4 we have now...and let me heal for Heaven's sake!" She laughed softly. "You know I love having your babies." She whispered. "But 8 children?!" Cora chuckled, playfully slapping his arm.
"Growin' farm needs a growin' family!…..We need more boys, just saying!" J.E. chuckled, but then love and tenderness shone from his blue eyes. "I love you, Corrie...What a handsome boy….Paul Iver." J.E. smiled proudly.
~End of Flashback~
Present time, October 3rd, 1940.
"Oh, my Paul." Cora smiled, sighing. "He's always been my little Farmer Boy helping his Daddy in the fields and with the cattle."
"Farmer Boy! Like Laura Ingalls Wilder." Gilbertha smiled. "I read that book the other day."
"It's delightful isn't it?...Oh J.E. even read it….he loved it. Said it reminded him of his boyhood….Did you read her newest book she published in June? "The Long Winter."
"Oh yes! That was quite the book!"
Gilbertha exclaimed. "Imagine reading it when it snows!!!"
"That might just make you feel like you're there with them!" Cora chuckled. "Oh, I love Mrs. Wilder's books."
"I do too." Gilbertha nodded. "I've bought each one so far! They're so charming!"
Cora's mind drifted yet again to her son, telling her daughter-in-law just how his birth went.…All of those memories. "Oh, I will have to show you some more photographs the next time you and my boy are at our place again….Paul was a beautiful baby…."
Gilbertha smiled a little, to think of her husband as a little baby. She dreamed of their baby... Hoping and praying their baby would look like him.
"How has my boy been during this pregnancy, by the way?" Cora asked her daughter-in-law later on during their walk. "I hope and pray he's been treating you right."
"Oh, he's been quite sweet….a perfect gentleman as always." Bert smiled, thinking about her husband. "Of course he doesn't understand all of my side of things….but he tries. He just listens. He tries to make me comfortable. Sometimes he just...gazes at me. Smiles and gazes at me…." Gilbertha blushed.
"Like Father, like Son. " Her mother-in-law smiled. "His Momma and Poppa raised him right...Oh, he loves you so much, Dear….and I love you." Cora told her, wrapping an arm around her. "I'm so happy you joined our family. I thought you would make a wonderful daughter-in-law the day I met you, Dear."
"Aww, Mom…" Gilbertha blushed. "I was worried you didn't like me at first!"
"You were darling, Sweetheart! How could I not have liked you?!...You're the best thing that has ever happened to my son….I love you, Dear." Cora hugged her daughter-in-law. "And I love this baby already and can't wait to meet them."
"Me too, Mom." Gilbertha smiled. " Me too."
"Well, get a move on, Dear!" Cora joked with her daughter-in-law. "Go into labor tonight!" The two women had quite a good fit of laughter.
"October 6th is "Baby Day"." Gilbertha said confidently and determinedly. "We all have to wait till then."
"I swear though, Dear...your body's starting to get ready for labor...you let me know when you have that first real contraction."
"IF it happens, I will, Mom…" Gilbertha walked with her hands placed on her back. "I have my last doctor visit tomorrow before the baby comes, so they'll check me then...Paul has to work. I was wondering if you could come with? He's taken off work the day before and the day of my Cesarean so far."
"That's wonderful, Dear!...And yes, I'll certainly come with you. Then after we can have another nice walk like this...I love our walks and just getting to talk and get to know each other better, Dear." Cora smiled at her daughter-in-law.
"Me too, Mom." Bert smiled, trying to catch her breath. "Well, let's go back to the house and make that boy of yours supper!"
"Both of us cooking for him?! Let's not spoil him too much, Dear!" Cora chuckled.
Bert smiled. "Secretly, I can bet he loves your cooking better than mine! Not everything I make him turns out well all the time. Yet he still eats it!"
"That's Paul for you...He'll eat anything. His brothers are the same way!" Cora chuckled. "Now I'll have to have a word with that boy of mine! You're a wonderful cook, Dear. He should like yours more than mine."
"But you're his mother...he loves you!"
"He may be my boy but he's your man….You're his wife…" Cora reminded her daughter-in-law sweetly. "...and he loves you….he chose you, Sweetheart. The Good Lord gave him to me."
"Well...Thank you for giving him to me…." Bert smiled and hugged her mother-in-law. A mother gives you a life, a mother-in-law gives you...her life.
The next day had come. Paul went off to work and Bert and her mother-in-law cleaned the house from top to bottom and then went to Bert's last doctor appointment.
"I think you're in the nesting stage, Dear!" Cora chuckled at her daughter-in-law. "I tell you, you and that baby are getting ready."
"Well, we'll see what my doctor says…" Gilbertha nodded with a slight smile. She went in and had the doctors appointment and came back to her mother-in-law looking as white as a sheet.
"Dear...are you alright?" Cora asked gently. "What did the doctor say?!"
Gilbertha sat down next to her mother-in-law. "I'm sorry I just...I need to sit…."
"Bert, Honey, are you alright?"
"Um. I just need to process this all." Bert let out a shaky breath. " Um,... My doctor told me I'm dilated to a one!…" She breathed. "So there's that."
"We'll keep an eye on you, Dear. You could be going into labor soon." Cora smiled, rubbing her daughter-in-law's shoulder and back. "There's something else...isn't there?"
"They….they think they felt something...
Near the baby." Gilbertha announced shakily. "A uterine fibroid or something...they're really not sure what it is….." Worried lines came upon Bert's forehead. "I really thought I was going to go through this pregnancy with no problems…"
"Sweetheart…" Cora started to tear up, seeing the worrisome tears in her daughter-in-law's brown eyes. "Everything is going to be alright….this shouldn't affect your labor…."
"Doctor said, whatever it is, he can take it out during the Cesarean." She nodded and sighed worriedly.
"You've made it this far, Dear." Cora encouraged her. "You're almost done with your pregnancy! So it hasn't affected this at all, Dear….Everything is going to be alright…."
"What about the baby?!...I don't feel so good right now." Gilbertha almost bawled as her mother-in-law held her hand and prayed with her. They went back home and relaxed the whole day, except for Bert feeling incredibly sick from both ends, in the bathroom that night.
"Momma….is she alright?" Paul was worried for her. He had suggested for Bert to go to bed early and he was sitting in the living room with his mother. "Is something wrong? There's something wrong isn't there, Momma…"
"She's worried about the baby, Sweetheart...but I think that baby and her body's also getting ready, Dear…."
His gray eyes grew as big as saucers, the news slowly dawning on him. "Before the Cesarean?!" Paul looked a little scared and surprised.
"Maybe." Cora nodded. "We'll just watch her closely, Sweetheart."
"Bert…." Paul whispered later that night. "Gilbertha, are you alright?" His hand smoothed her arm in the darkness.
"Paul Iver…." She sighed.
"What?"
"That's the 10th time you've checked on me and asked me how I'm feeling." She sighed.
"Well, I'm just a little worried for you…"
"Don't be…." She whispered sharply. "I was just a little overwhelmed. I calmed down...Paul." She whispered. "The Baby and I are fine." Gilbertha sighed and she tried to get comfortable, next to him in bed. "Go back to sleep…"
"Big day tomorrow." Paul grinned at her. "It's amazing….by this time tomorrow night, we'll finally be parents."
Gilbertha beamed at him as she felt him wrap his arms around her and welcomed her lips with his.
"Everything's ready in the nursery." Paul smiled, smoothing her arm up and down. He was soft and tender towards her.
"Yes Dear…" She yawned and lay her head on her pillow and gazed at him. "Are you ready?"
Paul smiled and kissed her softly. "Yeah…"
"Goodnight…." She whispered, kissing him and closed her eyes a moment. "Baby and I are sleepy." Although groggy and sleepy, she giggled a little. "Oh, I take that back. Baby is wide awake!" Bert chuckled and lay a hand on her belly.
"Baby's really movin' there." Paul chuckled, touching and smoothing her motherly curve with her.
"Hey,..."Kicky"!" Bert chuckled along with Paul. "Settle down in there!" She laughed, her hands rested on her belly and her husband felt the baby too. He chuckled and smiled along with her. They couldn't wait to see this baby.
"We are going to have a time with this kid!" Bert chuckled as she felt their baby wildly kicking. She looked over at Paul. Her brown eyes beamed at him. The next thing she knew Paul's lips enveloped hers.
"You have your bag all packed?"
"Your mother and I will finish that tomorrow…" Gilbertha sighed and let out a yawn.
"We're almost through…." Paul smiled at her. "I don't think I'll ever forget you finally telling me about the baby. Just came right out and said it. Straightforward."
"Now you can't blame me there!…" she chuckled a little, laying there beside him, running her fingers through his hair. "I didn't know how else to tell you."
Flashback to one evening in May of 1940. It was Mother's Day.
"Barbeque pork chops, apples and onions and fried potatoes…." Bert slowly set Paul's meal in front of him with his tall glass of milk and another of water. She wasn't feeling well at all.
"Thank you. Smells great. You've never made them like this! You always make the mushroom gravy, with the mashed potatoes…." He took a bite of his meaty bone-in pork chop with the velvety barbeque sauce baked on it….and the sweet yet salty apples and onions with bacon in them...and he loved it!
Is it alright?" Bert smiled weakly at him and held her hand to her head. Her head ached and she felt nauseous.
"Everything's just wonderful, Dear." Paul replied, thoroughly enjoying his meal. "You need to make it like this again!" He noticed she was not herself. "Dear….you alright? You've been quiet at breakfast….lunch when I came home this afternoon….now. Did I say something to upset you?"
"No, Paul…" She whispered.
"Are you angry?"
"No…."
"Because it's….Mother's Day?" He said softly. He knew this day was hard for her.
"No Paul…Honestly...It's not that….I don't feel well. That's all."
"You're not feeling well? Are you going to eat?...I'm serious. You made a really good supper! I'd love it if you made this again! Especially this thing with the onions! What is it again?"
"Apples and onions…." She replied. "I read about it in Mrs. Wilder's book, "Farmer Boy" and I don't know, I wanted to try it. I thought it would be good with pork."
"Well it's delicious…"
"I added the bacon to it. How is it?"
"It's wonderful...Are you going to eat, Dear?"
"I don't know. I'm not hungry...but I should eat something….I'm not feeling well at all though….I don't think I can stomach anything…."
"Well…" He said quietly. "You head to bed then. I'll do the dishes."
"Goodnight…" She said quietly, a hand on her nauseous stomach and her other on her forehead. She gave him a quick kiss goodnight and went into their bedroom.
"You're sure I haven't said or done anything to upset you?" Paul whispered that night as they were laying down for the night that evening.
"No Honey...you've been absolutely fine." She whispered, smoothing his arm and she cuddled closer.
"Then what is it? Something's bothering you…"
"Paul, I just don't feel well…" Bert sighed and her hand drifted to her stomach. "I went to the doctor last week ….I thought I was going through "the change." Just wanted to check….It was quite a shock to me, but he told me-"
"Dear, you're awful young for that." He interrupted. "….but it's possible, I guess...Gilbertha, even if you are….its ok." Paul kissed her forehead. "Just a part of life…."
"Paul Iver….I'm pregnant…I went to the Doctor at the Finley hospital the other day..." It wasn't a loving, joyous announcement this time. She was just very bold and serious. They had been through so much through the years. They thought it just wasn't going to happen for them."Paul, did you hear me?...I'm actually pregnant…." She whispered."I had him do the test 5 times to be sure!"
There were several moments of silence as the news had left Paul shocked and speechless.
"Paul Iver?" She whispered and softly brushed his arm. "I'm pregnant….Already a few months along….Paul Iver?"
"I heard you…" Paul whispered, and Gilbertha felt her husband grasp her hand. "I love you, Dear…." He brought her hand up to his face and kissed it. She felt his tears. He cried as he kissed her hand again, pressing it to his cheek and he cried. "Oh, I love you…."
Paul smiled and wrapped her up in his arms. "Here we go again…" He sighed roughly and the tears streamed his cheeks.
"Are you upset?" Bert whispered, tears welling up in her soft brown eyes.
"No Sweetheart...I'm happy! We'll figure it all out together…. Gilbertha...I love you. Dear God, why'd you think I'd be upset about you telling me you're pregnant?! Bert, I love you!" He cried and lost himself in kissing her.
"Here we go again…." She cried a little but smiled at him.
"Here we go again." Paul lovingly whispered. "Everything is going to be fine."
"After what those doctors said, I thought it would never happen for us!" Bert choked back tears and felt her husband's embrace and his kiss.
"It happened, Sweetheart…." He whispered. "Bert, I love you!...I love you...Oh, Happy Mother's Day!"
"Oh Paul!" They both had tears streaming down their cheeks. But they were happy and truly felt at peace.
~End of Flashback~
The next day was a normal day. Bert and her mother-in-law packed the rest of her hospital bag. They went for a long walk that evening….Twas the night before Bert's Csection. It was scheduled for the next morning around 9 or 10 o'clock. They were all nervous...but excited. Bert put her worried thoughts out of her head and only thought about her baby. She couldn't wait to finally meet her baby. She didn't care if it was a boy or a girl...she just was excited to finally have her baby. Paul's baby. She smiled, thinking about it all that night in bed with her husband.
"I'm so excited to finally see our baby…" she whispered, sighing.
"Can we name the baby after you?" Paul smiled.
"I am not naming this baby Gilbertha Teresa…."
"Birdie?" Paul mentioned her nickname.
"Birdie Bardrick...No Dear, try again!" She giggled.
"Made you laugh though…" Paul chuckled, and kissed her.
"Boy or Girl…..You're going to make a wonderful Daddy…They'll be a Daddy's Boy or Girl for sure." Bert whispered. Paul's eyes adjusted in the dark and saw her beautiful smile.
"I'm not sure about that, but….You're already a lovely Momma." Paul smiled softly and Bert felt his hand again on her stomach.
" Your mother told you to stop doing that…" She chuckled, smoothing her belly and held his hand.
"You should talk! You're doing it too!" He chuckled."My Baby deserves to be spoiled…." Paul kissed her. "And,...you were correct. " He chuckled. " Can't keep my hands off you….I'm serious." Paul sexily whispered. "I still want you, Dear…"
"Paul!" Bert chuckled and felt his teasing kiss on her ear and her neck...and soon her lips found his in his kiss, dripping with passion.
"Paul…" She whispered, eyes closed, breathless when their kiss had broken.
"What…" He crooked, kissing her again. Bert felt his loving hands smooth her belly and the rest of her body. "You're still sexy…. Gorgeous woman!….Even more like this." He kissed her. "….I'll stop..." He whispered into her ear.
"Sweetheart...I love you…" She whispered. "Oh...I want you too…." Bert whispered, closing her eyes, sighing a moment and kissed him.
Wrapped up in passion, they found each other again as one. Paul was soft and gentle and lovingly careful, softly moving with her body and carefully smoothing every curve of pregnant form. They stopped before any orgasm happened….but it was satisfying enough for both of them.
"I love you…" They whispered.
Bert and her mother-in-law spent another normal, simple day together the next day. They took one of their walks together. Bert had insisted on being out in the lovely sunshine and Autumn weather. She and her mother-in-law walked and talked. Bert sighed happily, looking down as she cradled her belly.
"How are you feeling right now, Sweetheart?" Cora asked her daughter-in-law.
"I feel very, very heavy...in my pelvis….but still having Braxton Hicks...I think…I'm not sure…..They're….they're kind of uncomfortable."
"Easier to breathe now?" Cora smiled.
"A little…" Bert nodded. "I think the baby dropped a little…"
Her mother-in-law nodded knowingly and smiled. "I think so too, Dear...by the looks of it." Cora chuckled a little and hugged her. "I'm going to call it. You're going into labor tonight or tomorrow."
"I'm not having any real contractions yet…." Bert chuckled. "I knew you were going to ask that question next!"
"You'll tell me…" Cora smiled, patting her daughter-in-law's shoulder as they walked together.
"My word, you sound just like Paul, sometimes...just less nervous." Bert laughed and so did her mother-in-law.. "I swear you both look at me like I'm a bomb about to go off!" Bert chuckled. "...Going into labor or not, I'm having my Cesarean tomorrow, October 6th." Gilbertha boldly insisted.
That day came and Paul woke up to find that Bert was already up very early that morning getting ready. She decided to try to squeeze herself into a white button up shirt. She stopped a moment to fix a strand of hair. Her dark waves were flowing down her back and her hair was also up in a sort of quiff look in the front and crown of her head. Her hair parted on the left. Bert tried to put on her navy blue maternity skirt and it just barely fit. She felt so huge, trying to squeeze the buttons on her white shirt into their buttonholes! She could barely get the last two done. "Nothing fits me anymore!!...Paul… Paul, I'm borrowing your light blue dress shirt..." She told him, putting the shirt on. At least it fit...sort of. She could at least get it buttoned, and rolled and tucked the sleeves up above her elbows.
"Bert,...it's 5:30 in the morning…"
"Mmhmm!" She nodded. "Early bird catches the worm…..I'm up and getting ready, Dear. I'd like to look my best today." She smiled. "If I can…"
"I guess in this case, early bird catches the Baby. " Paul chuckled. "And you always look great…" He said sleepily.
"Thank you, Dear…" She replied, busy putting on dark mascara on her lovely eyelashes. "I'm borrowing your blue dress shirt, Dear….I can't fit into anything anymore…."
"Ok….When is your Cesarean?" He mumbled and was talking to her, half asleep.
"Oh, 10, 9:30 somewhere around there….it might have to be sooner." She smiled, knowingly.
"Like 7am...8?" He mumbled and lay his head back on the pillow.
"Perhaps…" Bert nodded and smiled. She sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed as Paul began to rub her back a little. It felt so nice to her and he didn't even know.
" Honey...why don't you come to bed and rest awhile before you go in and have the baby?…." He told her, still half asleep now rubbing his sleepy gray eyes. "I'm going back to sleep…" He muttered. "C'mon, Dear…" Paul yawned and she looked at him and saw his sleepy smile.
"I will rest in awhile...later…" Bert answered. "Paul??..." A wave of slight pain and tightening ran through her back and lower belly again. They had been coming every 20 minutes sometime during the night, she thought. So she had tried to sleep through it. Bert had a feeling these weren't Braxton Hicks contractions any longer.
"What Honey?" Paul sighed, half asleep.
"Dear, I don't mean to alarm you but,...I think...I think I'm having contractions…."
"Ok…" Paul sat up and his hand rested on her shoulder.
"All you have to say is "Ok!"..." She chuckled at him, turned her head and kissed him on the lips. "Sweetheart...I love you…" Bert whispered and her lips formed a smile. Gilbertha kissed him slowly once, twice and again a third time their lips met. "Happy Baby Day." She whispered, smiling at him in the dark.
"Do we need to go to the hospital?" He asked nervously. Paul was waking up a little more and realizing what was going on.
"Not yet, Dear…" she chuckled at him and kissed him.
"Your hospital bag is all packed? You have everything you need?... Toothbrush? Bed jacket?"
"Yes Dear." She smiled.
"Things to make you pretty?" Paul said quickly. "Oh gosh, prettier!" He exclaimed and kissed her.
"Yes Dear!…" Gilbertha chuckled. She smiled and her lips brushed against his, barely kissing him.
" Lipstick!...I'll go get your lipstick!" He interrupted their kiss and rushed about the bedroom in the dark trying to get dressed and grab things he thought she might need. He threw on a pair of slacks, a white dress shirt, burgundy pullover sweater and he fumbled around trying to tuck in his necktie. He grabbed her lipstick and other items of makeup for her. A book for her to read. A sweater.
"Honey...I just put on lipstick….I don't think the baby will care much what I look like anyway!" Bert giggled…."Paul Honey, I have everything I need...I think...I think I'm staying almost a week at the hospital, not a whole month, Paul!" She chuckled.
"How does this look?! Do you like this one?" Paul asked quickly and held up an outfit he thought she'd like to leave the hospital in.
"For me or you to wear?!" Bert chuckled, teasing him. "Yes Dear, that dress is fine." She smiled, sighing. "Paul Iver, please calm down...You're running about like a chicken with its head cut off!" She laughed. "Do something for me…."
"What do you need me to do right now, Gilbertha?!...I'll get whatever you need."
"I need you to calm down...and kiss me…" she whispered. Bert rose up from the bed and went over to him. Her thumb gently tilted his chin downward so she could kiss him. He kissed her back. "And don't call me Gilbertha…" she whispered and lightly chuckled. He stood there breathing hard in his nervousness and kissed her again.
"Oh….I love you, Paul Iver Bardrick…"
"I love you…" he whispered and kissed her forehead. "You. " He smiled, kissing her. "You look beautiful today. More beautiful than I think I've ever seen you….I mean it."
"Thank you, Dear…" she whispered and rested her head on his shoulder as he hugged her, smoothing his hands up and down her back.
"Baby's trying to kick…I think you're out of room, Little One..." Bert chuckled and smoothed her belly where she could feel the baby. "I can feel her move when I'm not having a contraction. Right there." She smiled and laid her hand gently upon that spot. Bert smiled up at him when Paul placed his hand over hers. It was quite a loving moment Bert wanted to just soak in. Her lips brushed against his and he kissed her back.
He gazed at her with a soft smile. "You think we're having a girl?" Paul whispered with tears hanging in his mysterious gray colored eyes. "Really, a beautiful baby girl?"
"Or a Baby Boy…" Gilbertha beamed. "I don't know….but I'm leaning towards Girl." She smiled. "We'll find out today, 'Daddy'."
"I've always wanted a little girl…" Paul said softly. Gilbertha's whole face just beamed at him with his sweet confession.
"Well then, I hope we have a little baby girl…." She whispered. Gilbertha smiled so sweetly at him.
"Dear, we never really picked any names out…" Paul whispered, holding her. "Gosh, I can't even think of any!…."
"I know…" She chuckled a little. " I can't think of any right now, either…but, we can decide together later on after the baby's here..." Gilbertha tilted her head as their lips met….their arms around each other and his hands smoothing her back, her hands explored his jawline and ruffled through the short hair on the back of his head as they kissed. His lips found her neck.
"Am I interrupting something now?" Cora stuck her head into their bedroom. It was around 6:15 in the morning. She was up and ready for the day too. Paul stopped kissing his wife and glanced over at his mother, and his cheeks and ears reddened slightly and he smiled. His hand protectively and softly smoothed his wife's belly, resting it softly on top of her baby bump.
"Mom...I was just about to come talk to you…." Gilbertha smiled.
"Yes, Dear?...How are you feeling this morning?...Dear, you look absolutely lovely. That's a pretty shirt. Such a lovely color on you!"
"It's Paul's!" Bert chuckled. "I can't fit into anything anymore! I couldn't even fit into my maternity dress! Was hoping to wear that to the hospital. Oh well." She sighed.
"Oh Dear." Cora chuckled. "You still look lovely. Now, how are you feeling?"
"Well, I've started contractions about 4 o'clock this morning maybe..." Gilbertha nodded.
"Happy Baby Day, Sweetheart…" Cora smiled at her daughter-in-law. "You tell us when you think you need to head to the hospital…Are we going to Mercy or the Finley Hospital?"
" Finley…" She smiled at her mother-in-law. There was an unmistakable proud gleaming in her lovely brown eyes.
They went about their day as normal. Bert started to cook breakfast for Paul until he refused. "Bert...you're not cooking for me when you're in labor. You said you don't think you can eat anything so I won't….I'm not even hungry. I can't eat."
"Dear, don't be silly….Just eat it." She told him. She started making him some bacon, sausage, buttered toast and a couple of fried eggs. "What a day like today! I'm making you a special breakfast…." Bert smiled so brightly at him and turned to her mother-in-law. "Mom, do you want anything? I'm feeding you too "Grandma"." She beamed.
"I will make my own, Dear….but thank you." Cora smiled at her. "You go rest some, Dear. You allow me to cook breakfast, young lady...I mean it! Go!" Cora chuckled. "Go sit down! Off of your feet right now!"
"Well, I'm going to go take a little rest on the couch then."
"That's fine…" Paul nodded. "How are you feeling?"
"Achy…." She replied, reclining on the little couch as she tried to make herself comfortable. Gilbertha was quite calm and Paul was just staring at her. " What Honey?" Bert laughed a little at the look on his face. "Sweetheart...I'm fine. Just peachy." She smiled her little Mona Lisa smile.
"I'll be right back…." Paul told her and he left quickly.
Gilbertha glanced at her mother-in-law as if to say, "What's with him now?!" And Cora smiled and shrugged.
"Alright, Sweetheart." Gilbertha chuckled a little, shaking her head, and smiled, picking up a book to keep her occupied for a while. Her contractions turned into every 15 minutes apart. Paul soon came back into the house. He had gone to the florist's shop.
"Happy Baby Day, Honey…." Paul smiled, and gave her 3 yellow roses. He explained their meaning to her. Yellow in color to show how excited and joyful he was about the baby and the 3 roses to say "I Love You".
"Oh, Paul...How lovely." She whispered.
"I love you, Bert…" He whispered and kissed her forehead. Paul sat down next to her on the couch and put his arm around her. "Any more contractions?"
"Every 15 minutes now…." She breathed in as one started up and she rested her head on his shoulder. "Oh, that one was definitely real one….."
"Anything I can do for you? Make you comfortable?"
"Just hold me, Dear…" Bert whispered, her face lay in the crook of his neck as she was experiencing the contraction. Bert was just concentrating on breathing in deeply and calmly, like she learned in her antenatal classes. He started to rub her lower back. "Thank you…." She lay her head on his shoulder and looked at him.
"I love you so much, Gilbertha Teresa…." Paul gazed at her, nose to nose with her. His hand gently resting on and softly smoothing her belly. He couldn't wait to meet this sweet baby.
"I love you too, Honey…" she whispered with her eyes closed. Her lips slowly and softly found his. She reached her hand up to his face and their kiss deepend.
The little telephone rang, interrupting them and Gilbertha actually reached over to answer it, in between contractions. "Hello...this is Gilbertha…"
"Oh Bert! It's Rose!"
"Hello Dear…" Gilbertha smiled, talking with her little sister. "The doctor said you are due next year in February, oh that's lovely. Maybe a Valentine's Baby!…." Bert smiled, starting to breathe deeply as another contraction came upon her later. She lay a hand upon her belly where the pain and tightening were and she breathed, determined to stay calm. "Oh, oh yeah...I'm fine...just...just a little contraction. " She chuckled a little. "….yes…I'm fine...I'm having the baby today." Gilbertha smiled proudly. "Rose, I'm fine…." She breathed out as the contraction ended. "I swear...I'm fine...Every 15 minutes, sweetie. I can talk through them! I'm fine!….Rose, I'm alright!" Bert chuckled a little. "….Yes...yes, I'm going to call my doctor in just a little bit….yes, you and whoever else wants to come can come after the Baby's born….Yes, it'll take about 45 minutes and I'll have my baby...Yes they'll numb me from the waist down but I'll be awake for the whole thing, start to finish. No. No. I'm not scared at all!…I think it'll be quite interesting…..Yes I think this is labor too, I just think I'll wait a little bit and be sure...but they'll still do the Cesarean…." Gilbertha explained and then talked awhile about her sister's life at the moment. Or just listened as Rose talked and talked and talked. " Lovely...yes…I'm excited for you, Rose." Bert smiled. Rose and her husband Adriel were expecting their first baby, now. Hoping to name their baby Adriel Jr. if they had a boy.
Time clicked on by as Gilbertha listened to her sister talk over the telephone. "...Oh, Rose,...sweetie...I'm having another contraction...Yes Rose, I'm fine…" She breathed deeply, trying to listen to her sister.. "Rose…" Paul was rubbing and putting a little pressure on her lower back. He seemed to know just what to do to help her through each contraction. "Of course they hurt, but I'm fine. I'm going to have to let you go….I love you too, Honey….Thanks for the prayers! Goodbye Sweetie!" She hung up the telephone and exhaled a breath, putting her head down and holding Paul's hand as another contraction came upon her. "Here comes...another one, Dear…." She breathed.
"How far apart are they now?" Paul whispered, rubbing her back and his fingers smoothed up and down her arm. "Bout every 12, 13 minutes?...I've been trying to time them for you….Just let me know what I can do for you, Bert…"
"Ooohhh…." She gave a low, soft moan and breathed into his chest, sitting there, holding his hand. "I'm just trying to stay calm and relaxed…" she breathed.
"I just want to help you, Dear…" He whispered, smoothing her pretty black curls. He held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead and then gently kissed her lips.
"You're doing fine, Dear…."
Paul kissed her gently, smoothing her back. "You are…" He smiled at her. "You're doing excellent...you're so calm…."
Gilbertha just smiled at him and soaked in the moment in his embrace.
"Paul I'm having...another contraction…." Bert breathed 10 minutes later. She felt him kiss her cheek and pressed his cheek to hers and he just held her and smoothed her back. She breathed deeply and let out a breath when the contraction ended. "That one hurt a little more…." She chuckled a little and let out a breath. "Don't worry...I'm fine."
"Do we need to go to the hospital?" Paul whispered, holding her in his arms. Time went by and soon they were standing up, he was swaying with her from side to side while she was feeling a contraction. She stood there awhile with him, taking deep, long, calming breaths….in and out. He stayed there, smoothing her belly….feeling her body at work. "Honey?" He clenched his teeth as she felt a contraction. He felt he could feel her pain along with her. He hated seeing her in pain. "Bert Honey...why don't we...head out now?..."
"I want to wait awhile..." Gilbertha breathed and kissed him. "Paul,...I love you."
"I love you too, Dear…." Paul whispered. "I can't wait to meet our Baby….This is finally happening, Sweetheart." He whispered sweetly and started tearing up. "I can't wait to meet our Baby Girl…."
"Or our Baby Boy…." Gilbertha smiled and looked at him, the tears hung in Paul's sweet gray eyes. "Your baby." She smiled at him. "My baby…"
"Our Baby…" he began to get choked up. Paul saw those lovely happy tears in her eyes forming. "I can't believe it...Our little baby."
"I know, Sweetheart…" She whispered while they held each other. "I love you…" Bert whispered, in a kiss. She looked at him.
"Paul...what day is it?!" Bert suddenly asked and her eyes widened.
"Sunday...why?" Paul asked.
"Honey, what about church today?! Do you think we can go?" Bert asked. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, October 6th, 1940. Gilbertha had forgotten it was a Sunday! Since Paul's mother was in town, they were all going to go to the Methodist church together.
"We can't go to church when you're in labor!...Honey, if we miss one service….I think God will understand!" Paul said.
"Oh, why did I schedule this for a Sunday of all days?!" She fretted, when she felt another contraction coming on. Her fingers gently curled around her husband's biceps and she stayed there breathing into his chest. "I need to go call the doctor…I think..." She said quietly after the contraction ended.
"Your contractions are 10 minutes apart…for about a minute long...I've been checking…." He whispered, holding her. Paul kissed her forehead. "Why are we waiting around? Let's just go!"
"I think you should call the hospital and let them know you're coming...Dear, I think this is the real thing, Gilbertha." Cora told her. "Don't worry about church today, Dear. I think the Almighty understands….In fact, He's allowing this to happen. What a beautiful day, to be born on a Sunday." Cora smiled. "God is so good."
Gilbertha smiled and nodded, heading to the bathroom. After that, she went and sat down in the armchair and called her doctor.
"Hello...Finley Hospital. Dr. Clark Stevens speaking." The young dark haired Doctor with distinguished thick rimmed glasses answered the telephone at his office. "Oh yes, Mrs. Gilbertha Bardrick...yes ma'am how are you feeling? Alright...are you having any pinkish discharge?...Ok, ma'am. Yes ma'am….is it much or little? Ok….any flow of waters?….No. Ok, well we can do that if needed when you get here. How far apart are your contractions, ma'am? About every 10 minutes...Lasting a minute….Alright...yes ma'am. You can come in pretty soon. Yes ma'am." He smiled. "Yes ma'am you're having a Cesarean birth and then your hysterectomy….by Dr. Donovan Ward." He said, glancing at the paperwork. "Excellent surgeon, yes ma'am. " Dr. Stevens nodded, smiling. "Yes ma'am. I will see you soon and we'll check you, see how far into labor you are. Best of luck….See you in a little while. Goodbye Mrs. Bardrick. "
They waited awhile and Paul sat with her, his hand on her belly as she breathed deep and slow during a contraction, her forehead leaning into his broad shoulder. "Here's another one…" Gilbertha tensed a little and breathed, feeling his loving arms around her. "Oh Paul…" The contraction stopped and she calmly exhaled. "I-...Oh, I think we'd better go, Paul…"
"It's….it's time to go…" Paul nodded nervously. "Now….We're going now….."
"Yes Dear…" Gilbertha smiled at him.
"To the hospital…" He nodded and gulped back a nervous lump forming in his throat. "We're going...we're finally going." He breathed, getting choked up as he embraced her. "We're going to go….have a baby…" Paul whispered sweetly and gazed at her.
" Yes Dear!" She whispered, happy tears forming in her gorgeous brown eyes as she kissed him. "Oh Honey…" she started to cry and he started to cry. He quickly grabbed her mink coat and helped her put it on...It was a cold but beautifully bright Sunday, October morning in 1940. A lovely day to have a baby! Paul grabbed her hospital bag and practically ran down the long front steps of their charming brick house on Cleveland Avenue.
"Paul Iver, wait for me!…." She chuckled at him, standing in the doorway to their home. He was already putting her bag in the car. "There's no need for us to rush exactly, Sweetheart."
"I'm just so excited!" He called. She saw him jogging back up the front steps in his dress clothes. He was wearing his gray slacks and dress shoes, white shirt, burgundy sweater, dark tie and a gray suit jacket. He looked so handsome. Paul lovingly grabbed her face and slowly kissed her. Gazing at her afterwards. "I love you…"
"I love you…" Bert smiled. "Honey, your coat!…" she told him just as he brushed past her to get it.
"Momma…" Paul called to her, cooly and calmly, grabbing his car keys from the kitchen table and his woolen coat. He was the spitting image of his father, J.E. Bardrick.
"Yes Dear?" She came from the guest room.
"We're headed to the hospital, Momma." He told her proudly while quickly putting on and straightening his coat. Paul smiled and the tears hung in his widened gray eyes. Paul's mother grabbed her coat and her little purse and stopped a moment and turned back. She gazed at her son. He was just standing there, overwhelmed. Paul ran his hands through his brown hair and just stared. The doorway to the Baby's room was open and he stood there looking in at the pretty yellow room.
"I'm really...gonna be a Daddy now…" He said to himself and looked back at his mother….and he looked in shock back at the room.
"Yes Dear…I know..." Cora said softly, walking over to him and smoothed her son's shoulders. Tears hung in her eyes and she smiled at her son, rubbing his broad shoulders. "Oh Paul Iver. Let's go….Can't leave Gilbertha out there by herself."
Paul nodded, breathing heavy with nerves and some anxiety. This was actually happening to them! He was overjoyed, excited and nervous all rolled into one.
"Paul Dear...are you coming?"
"Yeah Momma…" He took a deep breath and they both walked outside. Gilbertha was waiting for them at the top of the steps. "Really, Dear, we don't need to rush!…My pains aren't that bad." She insisted. "Seriously….Paul Iver! I can walk just fine!!…" Paul held her hand, and a hand of his placed on the small of her back as they carefully walked down that long set of front steps and to the car. He opened the car door for his mother and walked around to the passenger's side door with his wife and helped her get in.
" How are you feeling?" Paul whispered, holding her hand. She squeezed it as she was experiencing another contraction. Paul kneeled by her side by the car door till it was over.
"I'm alright, Paul…" she whispered, smiling as he got up and kissed her forehead. Gilbertha gazed at his lips and leaned in to kiss them. "Let's go have a baby today, shall we?" She smiled, tears coming to her eyes and she wiped them away with a hanky. "Oh Dear…" she swallowed back tears and dabbed at her eyes. She grabbed the lapels of his wool overcoat as she softly welcomed his lips with hers. "I love you." She whispered. "I can't wait to have your baby…" Gilbertha smiled so brightly. "Paul Iver,...I'm finally having your baby!!" She cried, and the happy tears just flowed. Paul grinned tremendously her way and couldn't wipe that proud smile off of his face. He walked around to the drivers side, chest puffed out and strutting like a proud peacock the whole way. Gilbertha covered her lips and chuckled at him.
Paul couldn't stop smiling at her the whole drive to the hospital, holding her hand in one of his as he drove. Every time he looked at her, he smiled. She had endured a contraction in the car. Gilbertha momentarily let go of his hand and gently squeezed his knee during it. She let out a long breath during it.
"Are you ok?" He smoothed her arm a little.
"Just peachy….really I am..." Gilbertha breathed as the latest contraction ended and she smiled at him. "I'm alright Paul." She whispered.
"You're so calm…" He said softly. Paul sweetly kissed her forehead.
"I'm alright, Sweetheart." Gilbertha smiled at him. "Honestly, my pains aren't that bad." Bert insisted. She breathed, shutting her eyes as another contraction started up. They were now in the Finley hospital parking lot. "Dear??" He asked.
"No...you go…" She breathed, laying the back of her head against the car's headrest.. "I'm fine, Paul…" Gilbertha muttered, smoothing her belly and resting her hands upon it, going through the contraction. "I'm alright." She insisted with a smile.
Paul got out and reached to get his mother's car door before jogging over to the passengers side to help Gilbertha out of the car.
"Paul, Dear...I can get my own door this time…" Cora insisted and did just that. "I love you...both of you." Cora hugged Paul and then hugged her daughter-in-law, getting a little emotional. "This is it, Dear." Cora caressed her daughter-in-law's cheek.
"I know, Mom…" Gilbertha smiled, tears welling up in her brown eyes. She held her mother-in-law's hand that was softly placed on her face.
"Are you nervous?"
"Not really…." Gilbertha breathed. "More excited to finally meet our Baby." She couldn't help but smile at Paul. Her adoring brown eyes beamed at him. Time seemed to stand still.
"Well...Let's not spend all day in the parking lot, kids!" Cora chuckled. "We have a baby to have!...Come on." Cora walked with them inside to the hospital lobby where they were met by hospital staff. Paul carried the little hospital bag and held Bert's hand as they walked in together. He couldn't stop smiling at her. Such a bright, proud smile. This was the day they had been waiting so long for.
"Hello, we've been expecting you!" One of the nurses in her white uniform told them. Paul and Gilbertha were asked a few questions….but only a few….and Gilbertha was about to go into the maternity ward.
"I love you, Dear…." Paul was so sweet to her. His gray eyes had tears in them...but they were happy tears. "I love you…" he embraced her.
"I'm having your baby…" she swallowed back tears and kissed him. "I almost can't believe it…." Bert whispered, gazing at him.
"Are you scared?" Paul whispered sweetly.
"No, Dear….I'm excited. Paul Iver, I love you…." She whispered and her lips met his in one last kiss before she left them."I just didn't know if this day would ever come...Paul, Honey...I'm so happy!" She just couldn't stop the tears from coming. Dabbing at them with her hanky wasn't helping. "Oh Honey…" she whispered, and kissed him, long and sweet. A wheelchair came for her to wheel her to her hospital room in the little maternity ward and she sat down in it.
"Dear…" Paul trudged over as the nurse was ready to wheel her back. "I love you….Gilbertha…" Paul softly kissed her forehead and gave her the bag she had packed for the hospital stay and lastly, a little wallet picture of himself. "Think of me…."
"Paul Iver...I told you not to call me Gilbertha." Bert chuckled, smiling at him, the joyful tears still in her eyes... "Sweetheart, I love you…" She whispered and smoothed his cheek with one hand and the back of his neck with the other...and kissed him….again. He held her hand a brief moment and then let go of it as the nurse wheeled her to her little hospital room...and Paul and Bert were separated. Paul took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He wished that he could be with her. He had to stay back to answer more questions and to handle the financial side of things and to fill out paperwork.
Gilbertha was wheeled to her hospital room and she sat there in the wheelchair a moment, staring at Paul's picture. She realised how much she loved him and how much he loved her in that moment. She wished he could be with her as she labored….and to see their baby being born. Gilbertha knew she had to do this alone though. Just her, the doctors and nurses. The nurses made her as comfortable as they possibly could in her little hospital room. She was given a small pamphlet of the hospital's, and so she started to read it.
We of the Maternity Services of the Finley Hospital welcome you. We sincerely hope your time spent with us will be happy and rewarding. So that you will feel comfortable with the routines necessary to our department, we have outlined them for you. They have come about because of the need to protect you (and through you, your baby.) For example, all but your most essential contacts with "outsiders" must be eliminated so your baby receives the best possible chance during the first few days of life, since he has built up very little resistance, as yet. (Most of these regulations are based on the laws and regulations of the State Department of Health.)
WHILE YOU ARE IN THE LABOR AND DELIVERY AREAS—
You may have one visitor at a time while you are in the labor-room wing.
"One visitor...at a time?!" She gasped, hopeful that she could see Paul and her mother-in-law again, each for a short time….but she thought...perhaps it was not possible for them. She was only laboring for a short while more, and they would soon take her in to do her Cesarean Section. She knew they were not permitted to be with her during that.
Gilbertha sighed and continued reading.
You should not get out of bed without the permission of the nurse.
You should not eat or drink anything without the permission of the nurse.
All ear-rings, pins and hair rollers should be removed from your hair before going into the delivery room as these may prove hazardous.
Do not chew gum without the permission of the nurse.
If you wear dentures, removable bridges or contact lenses be sure the nurse is aware of this before you go into the delivery room.
"I just put these in!….My hair and makeup were perfect...for once…" Bert sighed. She took off all her pretty makeup and took out her hair pins and changed out of Paul's dress shirt and her navy skirt and her heels and into a little hospital gown and stockings and she got into bed, holding Paul's picture. She kissed it and held it to her chest. "Oh my Sweetheart…" she whispered softly, thinking of him. She missed him so much already.
Her doctor soon came into the room. "Hello, Mrs. Bardrick….how are we doing this morning?"
"Oh, I'm lovely…" She smiled.
" Well, it's a lovely day to have a baby today, isn't it?" Dr. Stevens smiled and turned back the covers to examine her. Bert relaxed herself and raised her arms up by her head, laying in the hospital bed.
"Yes sir." Gilbertha smiled. The doctor pulled up the hospital gown she was wearing and checked her to see how far into labor she was and to check the baby's position. He asked all the questions he needed to know and so he was soon gone from the room. She labored a while longer alone, trying to stay calm and breathe through each contraction. She knew soon they would prep her for her Cesarean. Nevertheless, she missed Paul and wished they could be together.
A nurse came into the room to tend to Gilbertha.
"Why, Julaine McManus!!" It was so nice to see someone she knew!
"Going to be Mrs. Milton Sweeny next year!" She smiled at Gilbertha. She was Paul and Bert's friend, and fiancee to their friend Milton Sweeny. Milton had been the best man at their wedding. "Hello Bertha!...I thought that was you when I read your file! How are you, lady?"
"Oh I'm fine, Julaine!" Gilbertha smiled. The two women talked about Julaine's and Milton's upcoming wedding which was to be held in August of 1941. Also the news that Julaine would soon take up another job with a cleaning company. To save up money for the wedding, of course.
"You know how it is when two women start gabbing…." Julaine laughed. "I better do my job while I still have it….I'm just going to give you a little shave down there and give you an enema….and then I've got to give you your saddle block anesthetic, friend, so we can get you ready for your Cesarean section."
"Oh, Juls….I'm sure that's more of me than you wanted to see…" Gilbertha laughed.
"Oh we're both girls…Ready for your makeover?!" she chuckled. "...You excited for your baby?" She asked as she did her work shaving the pubic area. "...And what is it with you and Paul not telling Milton and I?!"
"We were going to eventually…" Gilbertha smiled.
"Girl, I understand...I'm teasing you!" Julaine smiled. "Now the anesthetic. Sit up a little, please…Stay perfectly still... I'm sorry, Bertha, this will be a bit painful….But hey,...you won't be able to feel anything from the waist down in a bit...You're a trooper. You hardly seem like you're in labor! Are you feeling any pain at all with your contractions?"
"Of course I am, Juls...It hurts,...it really hurts an awful lot, trust me!...But I don't care….I'm just excited to finally have my baby…." Gilbertha smiled, laying back down in the rolling bed.
"I'm sure you are...I'll be with you….no worries." Julaine smiled and wheeled her into the delivery room. She continued to get Gilbertha ready for the surgery, giving medications to dry up secretions in her mouth and upper airway. The lower part of her abdomen was shaved and also washed, a catheter placed in her bladder, an intravenous needle inserted in her arm to help distribute fluids and medications. Sterile cloth drapes covered her and were placed under her for the delivery. Her arms were also strapped down to the table at her sides so she couldn't move during the procedure. They were nearly ready and waiting for the doctor to come.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Donovan Ward…. How are you feeling today, Mrs. Bardrick?" He was a handsome, distinguished older gentleman.
"Ready to have a baby…" she smiled and looked up at her nurse. "It's a good thing I'm having a Cesarean. This kid's going to be huge!...I think this baby is at least 10, 11 pounds! Maybe more even!"
Julaine smiled at her and smoothed her shoulders. Bert looked up at the Doctor again. "Well, I guess I'm ready with all my...bells and whistles,..Dr. Ward…." Gilbertha grinned at both of them and cracked a joke, which sent a laugh out of the doctor and nurse….and Bert. Bert was the life of the party in that delivery room that morning with her infectious laughter! You couldn't help but smile and laugh too after hearing her laugh.
"We'll begin now..." the Dr. smiled and prepped his tools. There was a cord set to tie off and cut the cord, leather gloves and things of that nature. "If you feel numb that's completely normal. You'll feel some pressure and movement during the procedure but you shouldn't feel any pain at all, alright?"
"Sounds good, Dr. Ward." Gilbertha replied. She was beginning to feel quite numb, but stayed fully awake. "Kinda like being at the dentist…" she chuckled.
"You'll agree you get something so much better out of this…" The Doctor smiled. "Are we ready, Mrs. Bardrick?"
"Yes, Doctor Ward. Get to cutting!" She chuckled.
"...Mr. Bardrick is here too…" Julaine smiled softly and held the picture up so Gilbertha could see it. Bert had nearly looked around the room to see if he was truly there...and he wasn't, of course. She sighed, and gazed at his picture, daydreaming that he was really there a few moments, standing there proud and tall and smiling at her. She blinked and he was gone….as then the Doctor had made his first incision, bringing her out of her dreaming. Paul, of course, had never been in the delivery room with them. Oh, how Gilbertha wished he could be there with her during this beautiful moment!
"Just making the cut in your abdomen… you're not supposed to feel pain with it at all…." She heard the doctor tell her as she stared up at Paul's picture and the bright white lights on the hospital ceiling.
Paul and his mother were sitting in one of the hospital waiting rooms. It was a room for Dads called a "Stork Club". It was a small room that smelled thickly of cigar smoke. Cora could hardly stand it! She kept coughing into her little white hanky and stepped outside a few times for fresh clean air. …..Some men in the room sat there….some men paced the floor….some men checked with the nurse every few minutes on their wife's progress. Paul, along with his mother, just sat there. Waiting. And waiting. And waiting...And waiting.
"How-how is she?" A young, nervous father-to-be was up at the front desk. "Anything yet?"
"Mr. Langworthy, for the 5th time! We will call you over when she's all through. Now please! Go sit over there!"
Paul couldn't stand the waiting either and sighed a long sigh after a while.. "She told me the Doctor said it would take about 45 minutes, maybe an hour, start to finish, Momma…"
Cora nodded, and held her son's hand. "Fast way to have a baby. At least our wait won't be too long…." She held her son's hand and lovingly patted his arm. Paul was numb and quiet and Cora saw tears were forming in his eyes.
"I'm...I'm...going to be a Daddy...I'm really going to be a Daddy…" He cleared his throat. Paul's fist curled gently at his lips and he sat there hunched over in his chair.
"Yes Dear…" Cora smoothed her son's back and arm, feeling the soft fabric of his burgundy pullover sweater. "You've been waiting for this for so long…you both have..."
Paul simply just nodded, blinking.
"I hope I'm a Daddy...just like Dad." He looked at his mother.
"I'm sure you will be, Dear…" Cora smiled.
"How is Dad doing?" Paul asked quietly.
"Veda is with him, Dear. And Herbert." They were living in Pershing, Iowa now….near Knoxville. Paul's brother Herbert was a single man still living with them...and their sister Veda was maturing into a fine young lady. 15 years old now. She was doing all the cooking back at home and helping to take care of their father. "You don't need to worry, Paul. He's doing ok." Cora was worried some for her husband, though...but she wouldn't let Paul know that. It wasn't the time.
He sighed and gave a quiet reply. " Good."
Paul couldn't stop thinking about Gilbertha...all alone in that delivery room.
"I wish I could be there with her…." Tears were in his eyes and he clenched them shut just like his clenched fist at his lips. "Oh...Momma…" He sighed...and felt his mother hold his hand. They decided to pray over Bert right there in the waiting room. "At least look on the bright side. This birth will be quick and Bert won't be in any pain."
"I know. I'm glad for that, Momma….I just wish I could be with her through it."
"I know, Dear. Maybe someday...things will be different...and husbands can be in the delivery room." Cora smoothed his arm.
"That doesn't help me now, Momma…"
"I know, Dear…" Cora sighed and smoothed his arm. "I'm sorry…"
"How did you feel...being away from Dad?"
"Dear...I had all 5 of you at home….your father was with me...with you...Paul, he delivered you…"
"Really…" Paul was astonished, hearing that.
"Yes Dear...I told Gilbertha about that on one of our walks."
"Was he with you for each of us?"
Cora sighed a little and smiled. " He sat out in the kitchen the whole time for Lucy Mae's birth!….With Herbert," She started to chuckle. " The midwife had him send for the doctor and he ended up sitting down to supper and a cup of coffee there!"
"You're kidding, Momma!" Paul chuckled.
"No!" She laughed a little. "They thought they had enough time….but well, your brother was definitely on his way!" She laughed a little. "With Byron, your Poppa was with me while I labored, but the midwife had him leave the room when it came time to actually have the baby. Your father was so nervous and jittery." Cora chuckled. "With you, my midwives were busy and so was the town doctor that night...so your Poppa did what he needed to do. Yours was a painful, quick birth….but lovely because your father was there…It was special. We thought you were going to be our last." Cora smiled. "...With Veda, why I don't remember, Dear. I had a rougher time with her and the doctor gave me something….well now I don't remember….I woke up to your sister all bundled up beside me and your father sitting next to the bed….so I assume he was there." She smiled and sighed. "With the difficult birth I had and my age, my mother and my mother-in-law both insisted it was time for me to stop." She patted his knee a moment. "Oh, I would've loved to have had a couple more….but it is what it is." Cora sighed.
There was a little old radio in the hospital waiting room, Cora turned the dial to a station that was playing music. A song sung by Lulu Belle and Scotty called "Did You Ever Go Sailing?" was playing then. It was sung by them in this year of 1940...but it was originally written by Albert E. Brumley.
" Did you ever go sailing down the river of memories
To a little log cabin that is nestled among the sycamore trees
Where the sunshine is cheery and nothing in the world grows dreary
That's my cabin at the end of my river of memories.
There's an old ramshackle shack where in dreams I wander back
And listen to those Southern melodies
T'was the place where I was born on a bright October morn.
And it's nestled at the end of my river of memories…."
"Oh, it is a bright October morning, isn't it?" Cora smiled, getting choked up by the sweet, happy, floaty little tune. "This song isn't even about a baby and I'm getting choked up...thinking about the baby!…." Cora cried and dabbed at her tears with her handkerchief. "Oh, Paul Dear…"
Paul smiled, but got choked up and teared up along with his mother. He rubbed his eyes a little with his thumb and pointer finger and held his mother's hand. She was dabbing at her eyes with her little white hanky.
" Did you ever go sailing down the river of memories
To a little log cabin that is nestled among the sycamore trees
Where the sunshine is cheery and nothing in the world grows dreary
That's my cabin at the end of my river of memories…."
"Oh Paul…" Cora cried. "This is a memory in the making, Sweetheart…"
"... When the twilight shadows fall many childhood voices call.
Call me back again to the days that used to be
And in answer to their prayer I will soon be sailing there
To that cabin at the end of my river of memories."
"...Alright, Mrs. Bardrick, I'm going to make the incision in your uterus, break your bag of waters….and we'll have this baby, ok?" Doctor Ward told her, explaining everything he did before he did it. "Cutting into your uterus...We are...breaking your water...and, Nurse I need suction, please…" He told the other nurse that was accompanying him. "Thank you...How are you feeling Mrs. Bardrick?" He glanced her way.
"I'm doing quite fine, Dr. Ward." Gilbertha replied. It was odd being awake for the procedure, and yet she couldn't feel any pain. They had cut her open, moved organs around...and she felt no pain.
"Mrs. Bardrick, you may feel some pulling and a bit of tugging and pressure...but you shouldn't feel any pain at all. Doing ok?"
"Yes sir…" she was shaking just a little bit from the procedure. "I feel cold….but otherwise I'm fine." Julaine smoothed her shoulders and arms. "That's normal, Bertha...you're doing just fine….Ready for your Baby?" She smiled at her. Gilbertha smiled a little at Julaine. She saw her upside down as Julaine was standing at her head, the other nurse was standing by the doctor on the other side of the cloth drape.
"Yes…" Bert felt the tears slide down the side of her cheeks. She lay there perfectly still and calm. "Oh yes…" she whispered with her eyes closed.
"Here we go...you'll feel a tugging and pulling, ma'am." Dr. Ward told her. Gilbertha almost lost her breath as she felt the tugging and pressure. There was a hard pressure and wiggling as the Doctor and Nurse were delivering the baby. The moment was very intense but very brief. Gilbertha took a deep breath inward and felt a little bit nauseated during it. She felt a weird sensation like someone was laying heavy on her stomach. But it was over soon and she could breathe again.
"Looks like we have...a baby girl…." The Doctor announced. Gilbertha's heart went in her throat with joy and she felt Julaine hold her hand that was placed at her side. Bert squeezed it tighter.
"Is she ok?!...She's not crying….What's wrong??...Why isn't she crying?" The silence was deafening as the doctor was working on that tiny baby girl. Bert shut her eyes tight and lay there, thinking the worst. That her baby girl was dead and gone, just that quick. Tears crept out of her closed eyelids. Gilbertha felt ill. "Is she alright??" She swallowed tears."How is she??"
"She's healthy, Mrs. Bardrick…." Gilbertha heard the doctor tell her and she let out the breath she had been holding in. She breathed with relief and started to cry. "Look up at her...she's a serious one!" The doctor said. He had already cleared the baby's airway and she was breathing and healthy…. Gilbertha looked up, and there was her baby girl in the doctor's hands looking around and blinking her little eyes. The doctor was able to make the baby make a little noise and got her to cry...and it was music to Gilbertha's ears! Baby Girl let out a little squawk and Bert nearly started to bawl from absolute joy.
"Oh, she looks like her Daddy!" She shut her eyes and wept tears of joy and relief. After all those years of waiting, after all they had been through,….she finally had her and Paul's baby….That sweet, beautiful baby girl...just like they had thought. She was perfectly healthy. All their prayers had been finally answered!
"A beautiful little girl she is…she's got some shoulders on her though." Dr. Ward replied, smiling, as he was tying off the cord as that was done in those days, and cutting it.
"Bardrick shoulders…." Gilbertha chuckled and smiled."Just like her Daddy….She looks just like Paul..." Bert kept saying, joyful tears in her eyes. She was so emotional, she couldn't control it.
A nurse took the baby and cleaned her up and weighed her and ran the normal hospital tests. " Little Girl Bardrick is 7 pounds and 9 ounces 18 inches…" Doctor Ward was removing the placenta when a nurse brought the Doctor's attention to something.
"Doctor Ward, look!…"
Gilbertha's heart went into her throat again, with fear this time. She thought it must be the uterine fibroid she was told she may have had.
"Mrs. Bardrick…."
"Yes Dr. Ward…" she choked out. "Is it a uterine fibroid?...Cancer?!" Bert fought back tears and waited for his answer.
"No ma'am…" He smiled. "Neither of those…." Doctor Ward said softly.
"Oh good…" She breathed, choking back the tears and shut her eyes. "What is it?"
"Mrs. Bardrick...open those pretty brown eyes….you'll feel another sensation of tugging and some pressure...you have another baby…."
Bert's eyes snapped back open and stared at him. She could hardly believe her ears! "I beg your pardon?!"
"Didn't you know it was twins?...Some mothers just know." This was at a time period where ultrasound was not available, of course.
"No sir!" Gilbertha cried. Tears hung in her lovely brown eyes. "Oh, I'm crying…" She whispered. She looked on as she felt more hard tugging and pressure as the doctor delivered and lifted up a beautiful baby with lots of coal black hair. Black hair, reddened skin, the little baby looked like a cute little Gypsy or little Native American baby. There was Gypsy blood somewhere in the Walbrun/Schoeberl family line….The Doctor cleared the airway quickly and the baby began to cry quite loud and roughly and their little arms and legs were flailing and kicking.
"That must be my crazy kicker...or they both were!" Gilbertha chuckled and the tears hung in her eyes. She became distracted though as her daughter was brought around so Bert could see her a moment.
"Oh, hello,...sweet baby girl!" Gilbertha whispered and shed dozens of tears of joy. Unlike her sibling, the baby girl had fine brown hair and looked a bit smaller and different, Gilbertha thought. This tiny baby girl was absolutely beautiful. She was able to kiss her baby girl and then she was taken to the nursery. The baby girl started crying loudly then!
"Misses her Momma already!" Julaine smiled at Bert. She smiled too and Julaine dabbed at the tears coming from Gilbertha's eyes. "Oh Juls…" she whispered, smiling. Gilbertha still heard those strong cries from the other baby as the doctor was working on them. Tying off and cutting the cord and all.
"Is it another girl, Dr. Ward?!...Oh, twin girls?!" She said dreamily.
"A healthy baby boy!" The Doctor smiled. "He's a strong one! Keeps wriggling and kicking and fightin' me!" Dr. Ward chuckled.
"Oh Dear…" Gilbertha chuckled, tears coming out of her eyes. "He sure has my big mouth!" She laughed. All she heard was her baby boy's squawking cries.
"Looks a lot like you too…" The other nurse smiled and brought him over to her side. He kept crying and his little hand fell on his Momma's cheek. "Oh no,...he looks like his Daddy…" Bert insisted proudly. She could sort of see both of them in this little baby boy though. "My babies look like their Daddy….Oh, he has my dark hair though!...He's so precious." She cried, becoming emotional. "Gosh...A boy!" She cried tears of joy for this baby too.
"Oh...It's Momma….Hello Sweetheart…" she told him. Her heart leaped in her chest, seeing her baby and feeling his hand and face on her cheek, tears came to her brown eyes and she drank in the moment. He still cried loudly and his little hand was still stuck to her face…."Oh Dear…" She chuckled and tears slipped out of her brown eyes. Gilbertha kept talking to him and he cried and cried and heard his Momma's voice as she talked to him sweetly. It was almost like he kissed her cheek and they took him back to clean him up and get his information, swaddle him and send him off to the hospital nursery. "He's quite the big boy! 9 pounds 11 ounces….and 21 inches…Broad shoulders just like his sister. Might have to sign that boy up for basketball or football someday." The nurse Julaine said. "I bet his Momma could teach him basketball!"
Gilbertha lay there beaming, smiling at the nurse... and her baby boy.
"He gets to go meet Daddy too!..." The other nurse cutely smiled and took him back. And again you heard his loud squawling cry.
"Congratulations, Mrs. Bardrick."
"Thank you, Dr. Ward….There's not another in there,...is there?" She chuckled.
"No ma'am...just two…" He chuckled. "Oh...wait….a minute..."
"Dr. Ward, I just had two babies...I'm tired, I'm done….My two is enough for one day!" Gilbertha chuckled a little. "Look again! You're sure there's not another?!"
"I'm simply teasing…" The Doctor chuckled and smiled at her,laughing with her. "There's only two…..How do you feel? Emotionally and physically?"
"Emotionally, so happy and blessed!….." She cried, and took a few deep breaths. "Physically, I'm a little bit...I don't know...groggy…"
"That's ok….You otherwise feel fine after the procedure then?"
"Yes Dr. Ward…." Gilbertha smiled and nodded a little.
"Alright...we'll put you under all the way and do your hysterectomy. You're absolutely sure you want this?"
"Yes Doctor."
Paul and his mother waited and waited and waited along with all the other men who were waiting for good news of their wives and new babies. Paul saw a little book on the end table by his chair and so he opened it and started reading through. It was called a "Father's Book." Filled with expectant and new fathers' reflections on their experience in the "Stork Club," as these waiting rooms were often called, these Father's Books gave insight into men's feelings of helplessness while they waited, the camaraderie they felt with fellow fathers and fathers-to-be, and the rush of relief, love, and pride they experienced upon hearing the news of their baby's safe arrival.
Though,...one entry read, " How many fathers are out there who have left this room sick to their stomachs with anguish—knowing they'll be going home alone with no wife and no baby. I pray for anyone who is ever faced with this situation."
Paul swallowed, running his hand over his face and gulped….he couldn't fight back the tears. He was sick to his stomach now after reading that.
"Dear….Don't read that…" Cora choked back tears herself and Paul closed the book and set it back down on the end table. He put his head in his hands.
"Gilbertha is going to be fine…and so is the baby..." Cora held her grown son's hand. Her voice was shaky and there were tears in her eyes….and in his too. "Everything is going to be fine, Dear…" she whispered and they decided to pray over Gilbertha and the Baby again. Paul hugged his mother, smoothing her back. "It's going to be ok, Dear…" Cora whispered, still a tad choked up. "It will be."
"I just wish I could be there with her, Momma!" Paul cried, ran his hand over his face and took a deep breath. "I'd be there if I could! I'd hold her hand…" He choked.
"I know you would, Dear…" His mother soothed him. She took her Bible out that she took with her and opened it to the book of Numbers. "Maybe this will be a comfort to us, Dear…" Cora took a breath and calmed herself as she read:
" Numbers chapter 6 verses 24-26.
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee,...and give thee peace."
"That was beautiful, Momma." Paul whispered, tears hung in his eyes.
"Your Poppa recited it at each birth we had…" Cora smiled, remembering.
"I'd like to do that for our Baby…" Paul said quietly.
"How beautiful, Dear." Cora was touched. "What a beautiful tradition to carry on…I think Bert will love it."
"Mr. Bardrick….Mr. Paul Bardrick."
Paul looked up and stood to his feet and put on his suit jacket and the little nurse came over to him. "Your wife had a baby girl!…" she smiled at him. "She's all ready in the nursery if you and your sister here would like to see her through the glass."
Cora chuckled and smoothed his shoulder. "I'm his mother actually….I guess I look young for 55…" she smiled, smoothing her dress. "Oh, I'm the Grandma!…" she put a hand to her chest and then her lips, getting choked up. They both followed the nurse into the little hallway where the large nursery window was. Paul stood there, with his mother beside him. A little nurse stood there on the other side of the glass, holding the little pink bundle.
"She's in the wrong color, Darlin'!" Cora chuckled and spoke to the nurse on the other side of the glass. "Pink for boys, blue for girls…."
"They've officially changed the colors." The nurse in her starch white nurse's uniform and hat replied, smiling down at the beautiful baby girl. "Blue is for boys and pink for girls now. Pink being considered more feminine….This little sweetheart is so pretty in pink, isn't she?" The nurse smiled and held up the baby girl so they could see her better. She was crying petitely, blinking and moving her little head and arms around, squirming underneath her swaddle blanket.
"Oh now, if she doesn't look like her Daddy…" Cora smiled brightly, smoothing her son's strong broad shoulders. Paul gazed in at his baby daughter, separated by the large glass window. And he cried. Both hands to his mouth and nose and the tears streaked his cheeks. "She's beautiful….oh my gosh."
"Oh Sweetheart…" Cora rested her head on her son's shoulder, holding him. "You've cried enough today…" she smiled gently.
"They're happy tears, Momma...I just can't help it." He coughed. A fist gently pressed to his lips, crying as he looked in at his daughter and saw her for the first time. He tried to swallow but his throat was as dry as the Sahara desert. He looked at her, so small and beautiful. He wanted to protect her, always. Paul wished he could hold her...right at that moment. He already loved her, more than he loved himself.
"Does she have a name? Or is she still Baby Girl Bardrick?" The nurse asked, smiling at the little pink bundle.
"Not as of yet...My wife and I will decide together later." He let out a long breath. "I have a daughter…"
"She definitely looks like her Daddy…." Cora smiled at her son and smoothed his arm.
"Looks good on her, doesn't it…" Paul chuckled, sticking a thumb in his pants pocket. He touched the glass a moment, almost feeling like he could touch her. "I need a moment by myself, Momma…" he said quietly, smoothing his mother's arm before he brushed past her and stood in the hallway against the wall. He took a couple deep breaths and cried again...thinking about his daughter. This beautiful tiny baby girl he didn't even know the name of yet. He thought of being her Daddy, raising her up in the Lord and someday...giving her away. And he cried. "Oh Dear Lord...I want to be a good Daddy to her…." He prayed and cried.
Cora stood there just gazing proudly at her granddaughter when another nurse came into the nursery holding a little blue bundle. "Mr. Paul Bardrick….again…." The nurse smiled. The two nurses stood side by side holding up the unnamed girl/boy Bardrick twins.
Cora's soft eyes went wide and she almost jumped up and down from excitement! "Twins!...She had twins!" She looked around for her son."Oh Paul…" He must not have heard his name called again! "I'm the Grandma!" Cora exclaimed excitedly. "Oh, I'm the Grandma!" She started crying but was so excited she clapped her hands a little and looked in at the baby boy. "He looks like Gilbertha...Oh!...Hold on!...Oh, hold on, I'll be right back!" She practically ran down the little hallway and found her son in the waiting room, sitting in a chair.
"Paul!...Oh Paul!…." Cora stood there just crying. "Come quick, Dear!...Come back here!"
Cora couldn't even explain as Paul bolted up out of his chair and ran back. He was worried for his wife and daughter, thinking the worst had happened to them. "How's my wife?!...My daughter?!...What's wrong?!"
He stopped in his tracks and his gray-blue eyes grew wide when he saw the nurses holding up the pink and blue bundles, side by side.
"You have a son, Mr. Bardrick!…" the nurse smiled.
Paul backed up a step and stiffened up a little, looking on at his daughter...and his son. His knees started to buckle under him.
"Dear, do you feel faint?!" His mother held him by his arms softly. She feared he would faint!
"If there's a triplet back there….I may just do that, Momma…" he chuckled.
"Your wife only had two…" the nurse giggled.
"Oh, I would have loved all three if they came to us…." Paul said softly...his deep voice was soft and smooth like butter. He sounded just like his father, J.E. Bardrick, in that moment.
"Honey, you sounded exactly like your Poppa just now." Cora sighed with tears in her eyes and she smiled at him. Paul smiled at her in return…He looked back at his babies on the other side of the glass window.
"Oh my goodness...Twins…" Paul remarked looking in the glass closer at his little boy. "He looks like her! He looks just like Bert, Momma...I've got a boy! A girl and a boy!" He felt like dancing a little victory dance right there in the hallway like a football player because, secretly...he had wanted a boy too...but he just stood there sappily grinning with his hands on his hips, his chest swelled with pride, gazing in at those two beautiful little babies. He sure was dancing on the inside!
"How is my wife, Nurse? How is she?!" Paul spoke to the nurse on the other side of the glass through a little hole cut for that exact purpose. "How is she doing?" Tears hung in his gorgeous gray-blue eyes and he stood there gazing at his babies and then back at the nurses. Such an overwhelmed...but proud look on his face.
" She did splendidly with the Cesarean….Everything went as planned and no complications. She's in surgery for the hysterectomy now….We're gonna let these little ones get some rest while Momma is busy. Once she's out of surgery you'll all go back to her hospital room...And be one happy little family…." The nurse smiled. "You can relax in the waiting room some more….we'll call you...They'll probably want to eat right away once they see their Momma!" The nurse chuckled. "She'll be ok to try and breastfeed once the anesthesia wears off."
Paul and his mother Cora smiled, looking in at those two wonderful little babies one last time before they went back into the waiting room.
"Paul Iver…" Cora smiled, wrapping her arms around her son. "Oh congratulations, Sweetheart!" Paul softly rubbed his mother's back as he hugged her. "I love you, Son!"
"I love you too, Momma." He told her, in her embrace. "Momma….am I dreaming?!"
"No, Son!" Cora smiled. "This is real life!"
"Pinch me…"
"Oh Son...This is real life….This is real life!" She choked up and hugged her grown son. "Son, I love you. " Cora whispered. "I love you and I'm so proud of you."
Julaine was wheeling Gilbertha back to her recovery room a short while later.
"Juls?"
"Good afternoon, Sunshine…" Julaine smiled down at her. "Just rolling you into your recovery room now, Bertha…"
"Am I alright, Juls?" She felt a tad confused while waking up from the anesthesia.
"You did splendidly with everything. You feeling good?"
Bert nodded. "How are my babies?" She couldn't wipe the smile off of her face, thinking about them. She had wanted only one baby….but now she had two.
"Your two beautiful babies are absolutely, positively wonderful." Julaine beamed at her friend.
"Does Paul know?" Gilbertha questioned. "Has he seen them both?!" She asked proudly and couldn't help but smile.
"Yes, the poor guy almost fainted…." The nurse chuckled. "He is so happy, Bertha!"
"Oh I am too, Juls!" Gilbertha cried. "I am too! Overjoyed!"
"As well you should be….those are two of the most beautiful babies I've ever seen…." Julaine smiled at her. Gilbertha just beamed with love and pride.
The nurse had wheeled her into her little recovery room now and it was quiet. "Has Paul named them? We couldn't really think of anything...I love the name Charlotte ever since we went through Charlottesville, Virginia on our honeymoon. We toured the South...….but Paul has mentioned once about Cora and Rose, after both Grandmothers." Gilbertha beamed.
"Beautiful,...but he said you and he would talk about it and decide together….but I think Charlotte Rose is absolutely lovely." Julaine winked at her. "Did you have a boy's name too?"
"We couldn't really decide on a boy's name either….this time…" She sighed, remembering Paul Iver Jr. and for a moment, the tears came. "We'll figure it out together, I guess!" She smiled.
Gilbertha was wheeled into her recovery room and it was dark and quiet and she rested. She awoke much later to the sounds of a baby crying….or were there two?! She woke up more and tried to sit up but the nurse stopped her. "You need to stay lying down for awhile….how do you feel, Mrs. Bardrick?"
"Oh, I'm feeling wonderful! My babies, are they ok?"
"They're just fine…" The nurse smiled, rocking one of the little rolling cribs one of the babies was in. The nurse went to the other little crib and picked up the crying little newborn. "This little girl needs to be fed though, I think." She smiled.
"Am I able to, laying down like this?"
"Yes, no problem….I'll help get you two started." The nurse in her white uniform unwrapped the beautiful baby girl and placed her close up next to her mother and helped them. "She'll latch on, no worries!"
"I didn't picture how hard this was." Bert chuckled a little, but she was nervous. Baby girl wasn't latching on.
"She's really having a hard time, huh." The nurse stated. She told Bert she would be back with something that could work. "Now this is just a mix of evaporated milk, water and a carbohydrate….but cow's milk works well too in the place of the evaporated milk." She gave the bottle over to Bert and positioned mother and baby so they were comfortable to feed lying down. With the baby girl's head resting up on Momma's arm. "There we go. She's doing good now…...You can try to breastfeed your boy too...but you might like to bottle feed both of them. Then you can feed one baby and Daddy can feed the other." The nurse smiled.
"Can their Daddy come in now?" Bert asked, smiling down at Baby girl as she was eating.
"Of course." The nurse smiled. "I'll go call for him."
The little nurse soon came back with Paul and his mother.
"Hi, Honey…" Paul said sweetly as he came into her hospital room. He sat down in a chair by her bed and lovingly gazed on at his wife and baby daughter and looked over at the little cradle next to the bed that held their squirmy baby boy. " How are you feeling?"
"Just lovely, Paul…." Bert smiled softly and glanced over at their boy as he started to fuss. She rang the little bell for the nurse so she could have help tending to him.
"Here….I'll take our girl…." Paul's heart swelled with love and pride as he carefully picked up their baby daughter and tried to feed her the rest of the bottle. He was nervous. Bert thought he was doing wonderful and almost cried as she saw the love and pride in his eyes he felt for that tiny, beautiful girl.
"Am I doing alright, Momma?" He gazed at Bert with that beaming, proud smile and glanced up at his mother. Cora smiled and nodded.
The nurse came in to help Bert tend to Baby boy. "Do you want to try to breastfeed?"
"We can try….but if he takes it like his sister, then I think we'll bottle feed them both." She glanced at Paul "That might be easier." Bert looked at Paul again who nodded in agreement.
"They'll still be fine with a bottle?" Paul asked the nurse, assuming it was like when they had to bottle feed their calves when they had the ranch. Paul glanced down with pride at his precious baby girl and looked over at his boy who his wife was trying her best to breastfeed at the moment.
"He's doing better than she did…" Bert sighed a little. "But he's still having trouble!"
"Bert, Dear…" Cora said softly. "Don't you fret. You can bottle feed them!….Don't make things harder on you!"
"Many mothers are switching to bottle feeding." The nurse explained. "Here, I'll fix up another bottle.
"Is there something wrong with me?!" Bert fretted as her baby boy lay beside her fussing. "I know you're hungry, Little One….Momma's trying to help you." She said sweetly, stroking his little face with her finger. "I wish Momma could do it right…" Paul smiled as he saw how she was acting with the baby boy. So motherly and sweet. Trying to soothe him as he was terribly fussy and hungry. Bert thought she wasn't doing well already, but in his eyes, she was perfect.
Finally Bert had gotten to bottle feed their baby boy. "Now you're a happy boy!…Everything's just hotsy-totsy. As perfect as could be." She smiled sweetly, gazing at him. "I love you, sweet boy…." She gazed at him and over at her daughter. "And my girl…" She beamed. Bert adored both of them already.
"What are we going to name these two precious babies?" Cora finally asked.
"I love the name, Charlotte…" Bert suggested.
"Pretty…" Paul nodded. "I thought Cora Rose would be pretty…..and sentimental." Cora after his mother, Rose after Bert's.
"If we're getting technical, this baby would be Cora Rosina! That sounds awful!" Bert exclaimed.
"I think Charlotte Cora-Rose is absolutely lovely." Cora smiled, her hand resting on her cheek as she gazed at her beautiful granddaughter. "Just lovely…"
"Mother will probably be upset that her name's not first!" Bert chuckled, although sounded annoyed by that thought.
"Charlotte Rose is lovely too." Cora nodded.
"No, it will be Charlotte Cora-Rose!" Bert insisted. "What do you think of that, Paul?"
Paul smiled down at his baby girl he held, sleeping in his arms. He was distracted as while she slept, she held his finger with her little fist.
"Paul?"
"I wouldn't mind if she never let's go…." Paul said softly to himself.
" Paul Iver…" Cora said gently. " Is this baby girl,...Charlotte Cora-Rose?" She smiled.
"I like that." Paul smiled at his baby girl and up at Bert. "Charlotte Cora-Rose Bardrick…."
"Bert, you can name your boy…." Cora smiled at her. "What'll it be, Bert?"
"Bert…"
"Bert…Bert….Bert?..Bert?" Came Paul's whisper. "Bert?!...Gilbertha?!"
"What?!" She mumbled, being nudged awake by her husband. "Paul, what is it?" She mumbled and rolled over in their bed. "Did I take all the sheets again?"
"You were sleep talking, Dear…." Paul whispered and smoothed her dark hair. "You were having a Baby dream again…."
Gilbertha sat up and let out a sigh, covering her face with her hands. "First I dream we lost a baby….now I dream we had twins! Twins, Paul! It felt so real!!"
"Bert Honey….Honey...its alright." Paul gingerly put his arm around her, smoothing her shoulder.
"My Grandfather Walbrun was a twin…."
"Yes Dear. You mentioned that." Paul whispered, and lovingly patted her arm.
"And not just a twin! Twins with the same first name! Joseph Junger and his twin was Joseph Alter. Joseph "Younger" and Joseph "Older".
Paul smiled a little. "That's so cute, Sweetheart…"
"That's probably why I dreamed about twins…"
"More than likely…" Paul mumbled and kissed her temple.
"What year is it?"
"What do you mean what year is it?" Paul chuckled and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Bert, are you ok? Dear,...its 1955…." Paul was 40 years old now and Gilbertha was 45.
"Was there a World war?!" Gilbertha exclaimed, running her hands over her face. "I didn't dream that too, did I?!"
"Hon, no one dreamed WW2…." Paul replied solemnly. "I had an assignment in the Pacific Theater….and I was in Korea...Remember? I was a military policeman…."
"I remember…." She sighed a deep breath. It was all coming back to her now. She sighed remembering the war, and shortly after. "We ran Paul and Bert's Motel in Loveland, Colorado after the war…and now we're in First View, Colorado." They had a large successful cattle ranch now.
Gilbertha let out a rough sigh, running her hands over her face and through her dark hair that was beginning to show flickers of silver. "It felt so real, I forgot details or mixed up my dreaming with things that really happened….."
"Dear, its fine….It was just a nightmare…." He said softly and Gilbertha felt his loving arms around her. "Just a nightmare, Dear…"
"It wasn't like the miscarriage dreams….Or when I dreamed we lost a baby….it wasn't like those at all." She breathed, tears coming to her eyes and her head found his chest. "It was beautiful, Paul…"
"Oh?...Oh,..I'm sure it was, Dear.." He whispered tenderly. "I didn't know you still wanted a baby so much…."
"I don't know why I dreamed that…I can't believe it was all a dream..." Gilbertha sighed. "I'm not saying it wouldn't have been nice…...It would have been. I wanted children…." Tears welled up in her brown eyes and she found her husband's embrace.
"I wanted children too, Sweetheart…" He whispered and kissed her. "I'm sorry it just never happened for us…." No matter how hard they tried, a baby just never came. They never got pregnant as far as they knew.
"I'm sorry, Sweetheart…." Her voice broke and she sighed a long sigh.
Her husband sighed a breath. "I still think...that one time…after we got married...It was different." He whispered and kissed her forehead. "Just maybe we do have a little one up in Heaven…"
"Paul,...it happened so fast….and I bled so much, so quickly….You couldn't tell for sure what it was….if it was just a heavy period..."
Paul kissed her. "It doesn't change a thing." He whispered lovingly. "….I love you…"
"Paul Iver….Oh Paul, I love you too!…" She whispered tearfully, kissing him as he wrapped her up in his embrace. She straightened up and dried her eyes. "Well that's enough of that…." Gilbertha breathed and chuckled a moment, trying to wipe away the tears on her cheeks.
"Why don't you try and go back to sleep…" Paul whispered.
"I can't…" She sighed and took off her light summer nightgown.
"Hmmm...Is this an invitation??…." Paul grinned and pulled her naked form close to him making her chuckle and sigh.
"Why else would you sleep in the nude?" She replied saucily, chuckling a little, and her lips and her hands found his lips and his body. "Oh,...You're not as quick as you used to be, my handsome young man!…." She teased him. He used to be hot and ready for sex even before she awoke most mornings. She smoothed his hair-covered chest. She thought her husband was still so handsome and sexy. Bert melted as she kissed him.
"My lovely "old gal." He teased, chuckling a little and kissed her neck. "You're hardly old….Still as tall and as lovely and as pretty as the day we said ' I do'…"
"Not as thin as when we got married…You either!" she replied, boldly telling it like it is...just like a Walbrun. She chuckled a little bit as she patted his torso and he softly laughed with her.
"Bert, you're always pretty thin...most of the time. You've gotten curvier and get me going even more…" He grinned sexily and his lips found her. She still looked great for being in her 40s.
"Most of the time!!" She chuckled. "You're supposed to say 'Honey, you're so lovely and trim and you have the body of a 20 year old…." Bert laughed. "Me and my farm worked muscles…." She chuckled. Bert was slightly muscular and toned nicely, yet feminine and most of the time was quite thin and trim. She helped her husband with a lot of the farm work.
"You still look like you're in your 20s or 30s…if I didn't know you I'd swear you weren't 45 at all..."
"Buttering me up are you?" She laughed. Bert lost herself in his kiss and welcomed him into their marriage bed, spending their time together quite early that morning, trying to do it quietly. "Paul...Dear, I love you…" She sighed, closing her eyes as she kissed him. Gilbertha held him closer, feeling his weight on top of her as he entered her each time. "Oh Paul!…" she mumbled in his kiss. He smiled at her, gazing into her brown eyes. This was always their favorite part of their morning.
"Would you still marry this old boy if you knew we couldn't have babies?" Paul whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her.
"Yes Dear…." Bert whispered, holding him. "I'd still have you….Oh, I still have you! I love you so very much!….Oh Paul Iver."
She kissed him and sighed, breathily, feeling him fill her again. Gilbertha kissed him again. "Oh Paul!" She sighed. "Paul...I love you." She breathed as she welcomed him in again and again. Tenderly, in and back out again and again. He was lasting longer than he used to and connecting with her emotionally more.
"I love you, Beautiful…" Paul whispered.
"I love you…." Gilbertha mumbled as her lips found his again. "Mm…" she grunted, finding his full lips again and sighed trying to keep quiet as she suddenly finished. She lay there gasping at his touch, his continued thrusting movement and her orgasm. "Paul…" She panted while he stopped finally as he finished and his full length was still within her. "Oh Paul…Sweetheart!!" Gilbertha whispered in a gasp, panting. He gazed at her blissful smile. She felt his weight upon her and she hungrily kissed him.
Paul grinned and kissed her and lay there later on with her in his arms, gazing at her. Connecting with her more. She felt him kiss her lips again and melted in his arms.
She breathed and lay with him awhile, spooning, until she rolled over and kissed him, sighing. "Well...Might as well get some clothes on and I can get a head start on breakfast before our company wakes up." Her brother Eddie, sister-in-law Helen and now 19 year old nephew Dale were visiting them.
"Let's just stay like this a while longer…" He whispered with a kiss.
"I'd stay all day if we could…." She whispered and gave him a peck on the lips. "Mr. Handsome...We've got tons of work to do!" Gilbertha smiled, laying there with him a few seconds more.
"You're right, Dear…." Paul smiled. "You're right!" He got up and put on a light robe over his naked body and headed into the kitchen after she had gotten dressed. Gilbertha tied her apron over her work dress and got started on making their breakfast, plus three extra plates. "We'll have to have Johnnie and Freckles out here next…" she was saying. Her youngest sibling and his pretty wife who was from New York, her name was Eleanor….but she was so cute and had lots of freckles, that Johnnie had nicknamed her Freckles.
"Can't believe they've got two little ones now." Paul remarked. "Joseph John...and a new baby girl, wasn't it?"
"I know, Honey….I can't wait to see that new baby and hold her!"
"Elizabeth Marie?" He asked about the name.
"Elizabeth Mary, Dear. Isn't that lovely?!" Gilbertha smiled at her husband. "They're calling her Betty though…..Oh, Paul...I can't wait to hold her! I'm sure she's gotten so big already by now. A few months old. They grow so fast!"
"Elizabeth Marie…." Paul sighed out a long sad sigh, laying a hand on his wife's shoulder and planted a kiss in the crook of her neck.
"What Dear?" She closed her eyes and stopped cutting up potatoes to fry and she sighed.
"Oh, I was just thinking….could've been a lovely name is all...Had we…"
"Charlotte Rose, Cora Rose..….or Paul Jr. if we would have ever had a boy….so many names we talked about….and liked." Gilbertha sighed a little and tears welled up in her brown eyes and ran down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Sweetheart…." Paul whispered tenderly. He didn't mean to make her cry.
"Oh...Paul…" She cried, wrapping her arms around him and he kissed the crook of her lovely neck. "...I'm sorry I made you start to cry. I didn't mean to, Sweetheart…" He whispered. "I didn't mean to…"
"I'm just...sad...that I couldn't give you a baby….I didn't know it still hurt this much." She cried a little and felt her husband's arms envelop her. "Oh..I'm so sorry, Paul…." Gilbertha sighed with her eyes closed, feeling more tears creep out from her lashes.
"It wasn't your fault, Sweetheart…I've never blamed you...It just...never happened..." He whispered. "...Do you still want a baby? Maybe we could adopt…" Paul suggested. "I think we're in a good place now where we could do that…"
"Could you imagine us in our 40's...with a baby?" Bert chuckled, sniffling and wiping away tears. "I don't know, Paul…Maybe it just wasn't meant to be at all, Dear…..They are a lot of work and responsibility...We have so much work with the ranch….I couldn't help you...and take care of the house and a baby….or older children."
"Oh, I'm sure you could do it."He smiled at her. "Just a thought…." Paul whispered and caressed her cheek and softly kissed her on the lips. "I want to make you happy…"
"Thank you, Paul…" Gilbertha smiled a little... "But I just don't know, Dear…" she sighed, putting potatoes in her cast iron skillet to fry them. They would have steak and eggs with fried potatoes. She gave him a loving hug and a quick kiss and smiled at him with tears in her eyes. "Besides...I'm happy with you, Sweetheart." She smiled that signature Mona Lisa smile. "...I'm proud just to be good old Aunt Bert and Uncle Paul!…." Bert chuckled and hugged him, wiping away tears.
"Mornin' Unc!!" 19 year old Dale came in and sat down at the kitchen table. He called all of his uncles "Unc".
"Aunt Bert??...You ok??" Dale just adored his Aunt Bert and noticed she had been crying a little and was concerned about her.
"I'm just fine, Dale…" Bert smiled and wiped away a tear from her cheek. "Don't worry over your old Aunt Bert…" She chuckled. "You hungry? I'll fix you up a big plate!"
"So hungry I bet I could eat a horse! I caught a whiff of your good eats, woke up and followed my nose, Aunt Bert…." Dale chuckled.
"Well, I cooked up some steaks, fried eggs and fried taters. Sounds good?" She smiled and wrapped her arms around her stocky nephew's shoulders as he was sitting down and gave him a squeeze for a hug. "And you don't even say Good Morning to your good old Aunt Bert, huh?!" She teased him.
"Sorry,...Good morning!" Dale chuckled. "And that sounds amazing by the way...Already got my bib on, Aunt Bert!" He grinned at his Aunt Bert, tucking in a red and white handkerchief.
"Oh Dale!..." Bert laughed. "You character!"
"Eat your fill, Dale!" Paul said, taking a big swig of his black coffee. "We're putting you and that rascal Dad of yours to work. We've got a lot to do….You a coffee drinker?" Paul asked, pouring him a cup.
"Sure Unc!"
"So what do you want to do with your life, Dale? Any plans?"
"Well...I worked with Dad in the carpentry business...I thought I could do that. Dad told me I wouldn't make a pimple on a carpenter's *! So there went that dream…..Then I tried enlisting in the Korean War when I was 16….but Maw had a fit. She went off like a Roman candle!"
"Well, of course I did!" Helen exclaimed, coming into the kitchen as she heard their conversation. "There was no way in God's green earth I was going to LIE about my only son's age so he could be used as cannon fodder in some country's war….Korea...I hadn't even HEARD of Korea!"
"Well, after I recovered from polio last year I went back to the recruiters office. Sent me to Des Moines for the physical….kept me for two whole days and then flunked me.. They really wanted me since I can speak German...Polio shot my military career in the *!"
"I'm glad you didn't go, Dale!" Helen told him.
"Maw, you were right...Some of my buddies went over and got killed in Korea….That could've been me too…I really would've liked a piece of the action though!"
"Dale, you're just like your father!" Helen exclaimed, scowling.
"Boy's like the old man, you're darn right!" Eddie exclaimed, sitting down at Paul and Bert's kitchen table and told of his experience enlisting for World War 2. He was in line to enlist and they stopped just a few men ahead of him. For whatever reason they stopped accepting married men and they sent him and other men on their way. Eddie had been crushed. He really wanted a piece of the action.
"I tell you what!...If I had gone, I would've fought like another Alvin C. York! Hell, I'm a deadly rifle and pistol shot….Master in all the martial arts, boxing and wrestling…."
"Now, now, enough gloating there, Eddie…" Gilbertha chuckled, and set his plate of breakfast down in front of him. "Morning little brother…." She smiled and gave his broad shoulders a squeeze. "Don't tell me, next you are going to say how much of a deadly knife thrower you are!"
"Damn right!" Eddie told her. "I always put that sucker right where I want it….Once scared this one to bits when we went squirrel hunting…." He motioned to his son, Dale. "I was throwing and sticking the knife in the trees there…"
"I fell asleep at a tree and Dad stuck his knife 2 or 3 inches above my head!" Dale grumbled and changed the subject. "Say, Unc...you were in Korea, right?"
"Yup…" Paul nodded, standing with his wife with his arm around her, leaning against the kitchen counter, taking a big swig of his black coffee. "Was an MP…"
"Tell me about it sometime, Unc!"
"Maybe later, Dale…" Paul said seriously, taking another swig of his coffee. "Now we've talked about WW2 and Korean War awhile….What is it that you want to do with your life, boy?"
"I don't know, Unc….I was thinking about going to Barber college."
"Barber college?!" Eddie half laughed.
"I'm serious, Dad!"
"Sounds like a good job, Dale….How bout you give your old Uncle haircuts at a discount?" Paul chuckled and took a swig of his coffee. "You can do anything you want…..You're steady and pay attention to detail….You can do it, kid! I have faith in you."
"Thanks Unc…." Dale smiled at his Uncle Paul. His words meant a lot to Dale.
"Who knows? Maybe you'll meet the lady of your dreams at the Barber College in Cedar Rapids." Bert smiled at her nephew.
"Aunt Bert…." Dale chuckled with a smile.
"One never knows!" She smiled. "All the Walbrun men are handsome….someone's bound to take notice of you!"
"We'll see Aunt Bert…." Dale chuckled. "We'll see...I wouldn't mind settling down….I'll take what the Good Lord gives me. Good and bad..."
"That's the way to be, Dale….." Bert smiled. "No matter what, the Almighty has a plan and His hand is in everything. He can help us through this crazy ride we call Life."
So, I think I'll end this long story. I could have written more such as WW2, my great grandpa Eddie cheating on my great grandma, great great grandpa Lay's heart attack and death and so much more but all things must come to an end eventually.
My Great Grandpa Eddie left my Great Grandma Helen for a woman with 9 children when my Grandpa Dale was 16 years old. Maybe he had a mid-life crisis and wanted to know he was still attractive. It was mentioned that my great grandma Helen had "grown cold in the bedroom towards him" or something to that effect. Maybe she didn't feel beautiful or herself. No matter the reason, it still doesn't make the affair right. Helen almost divorced Eddie….but he came back to her when my grandpa was 18, and wrote a long apology letter telling her he loved her, knew he was wrong and was deeply regretful of what he did. That he needed her and that Dale needed him as his father. Helen took him back, they had a stillborn baby that they lost after that. They stayed married until Eddie passed away in August of 1970. Helen later married Eddie's fishing buddy, John Lawerence Streletzky. Helen passed away in 1984 or 1985...and Johnnie passed away in 1989.
Paul and Bert of course never had children. My Grandpa said they were a most wonderful aunt and uncle to all their nieces and nephews. They did so many things as a couple and just made it work I guess... I hope and pray they truly loved each other. They lived in Dubuque in the 1940s, both working, Paul worked at CARADCO (Which became Jeld Wen Windows and Doors) and Bert worked for Neisner Brothers Department store and later for a man who owned a grocery store, Merlin Apel. Paul was a Military Policeman in WW2 serving an assignment in the Pacific Theater and was also stationed in Korea in the Inchon Harbor Bay area. Bert may have been in the WAAC. I had found an Army listing which ranked Bert as a PFC and Paul as a T SGT, but have not found anything else on her, Army related. After WW2, They ran Paul and Bert's Motel in Loveland, Colorado and Paul also had a Cafe. Then in the 1950's they set up a large successful cattle ranch. My Grandfather and his parents Eddie and Helen visited them in 1955. Paul and Bert later sold that place and ran a Dairy Farm in Big Lake and they also lived in Motley, Minnesota in the 1960s and 1970s. Their time on the farm in Minnesota, Bert did most of the farm work as Paul was later disabled and became a traveling salesman. Bert had her own palomino horse named Mister Ed she used to ride on the farm in Minnesota. They also lived in Galena, Illinois but I am unsure of when and for how long. Paul passed away in 1985 and Bert passed away exactly a year and 1 month later on April 22nd, 1986. They are both buried in the Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bert was cremated. Not sure about Paul.
Dale went off to Barber College in Cedar Rapids where he met a lady named Dolores Ann Ressler. She was studying nursing. They met at a bus stop where it started raining and Dale put down his coat for her and used a newspaper for an umbrella. Dolores was all dressed up and on her way to a dance. On July 21, 1957 they were married and had 5 children. Cheryl (deceased), Helen, Dale Jr (except Grandpa was Dale Frederick and Uncle Dale is Dale Edward), my mother Christel and Carol.
My great great Grandpa Fred J. Lay had a heart attack in April of 1947 and never fully recovered from it and passed away at 5:45pm on July 25th, 1947. Great great grandma Frances passed away in 1986…if my memory serves correct. My parents, sister and brother live in their home. My parents got the house in 1989, a year before I was born. We have lived there ever since.
