Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Jane Marie is here!
We were so excited to have my pregnancy confirmed. We had been married for nine months and wondering if I would ever get pregnant. It was a very happy time. Everyone got involved, gave me all kinds of advice and literally took care that I ate the right sort of food, etc. The Conrads were ecstatic but aghast when I told them that I had to go to Germany to have the baby. We talked and talked of names...big decision. One evening, Joe said "let's name a girl after my mother" and that's what we did. A boy would be named after him although he preferred to name him after Grandpop but that's another time. Jane, I flew to Wiesbaden, Germany two weeks before you were due. Chaumont did not have a hospital so all of the pregnant ladies got to fly in some sort of air force cargo plane. What great cargo, huh? We checked in at a hotel that costs me twenty-five cents a day. This was during the occupation of Germany and of course, we were in the American zone. We were scheduled to see the doctor a day after we arrived. I was told that first pregnancies usually went full time so figured I was there for the long haul. Looking back, I remember all of those "fat" ladies at the hotel. I had gained twenty-three pounds but still didn't look that big. Three days after I arrived, I started cramping and they insisted I go in. I got to ride in a cadillac ambulance to the hospital. LOL! My first cadillac! Well, I probably went in too early but the nurses kept me. I remember women who seemed to be in great pain and here I was reading a magazine thinking that this isn't so bad. Clueless! Then a couple more hours, my tune changed. Needless to say, you were born at 2AM after twelve hours. You weighed 5lb 8oz., 18 inches long. Such a tiny little girl. Dad finally arrived driving eight hours from France. He was so happy that you were here...such a proud papa! I stayed in the hospital three days and then we left for the long trip back to France. Before we left there, we had to stop at the American Embassy to add you to my passport. Wiesbaden gave you an American birth certificate and also a German one. Do you still have it? The ride back to Chaumont was tortuous. My butt was killing me and I couldn't get comfortable. You were good and slept all the way. I'll continue this later.
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4 comments:
Glad my sister made it!! :) How come the AF didn't fly you back to France? When I was pregnant with Ryan, my reserve unit flew to Germany for our two week summer duty. We went in a C-130 part of the way and a C-141 the rest as our unit either worked on, flew on, or put passengers on cargo planes. It was a heck of a trip! I think Dad was with me the whole way because I was the ONLY one who didn't get sick! 12 hours of labor- boy have I been lucky with my longest only being half that. Babies under 7 pounds today are considered premature. Jane was always little- I felt like a tank around her! :)
I think the AF would have flown me back but your dad brought the car over so that's the way we traveled. I think I was in hard labor 8 hours but was in the hospital 12 hours. 5 pounds was considered premature then so she was just over. Actually, you weren't that much larger when you were born but that's another story. Bill was the largest baby.
Funny, I was just reciting this story for my story corps thing the other day. But I was thinking you were in Germany a good little while before I showed up! Yes, I still have my German birth certificate. I hated it that I had to give up my dual citizenship when I turned 18! Wasn't I going to be Deborah Anne before Dad decided I had to be named after his mother?
Deborah Anne was my first thought. Dad seemed to go along with it and then one day, he mentioned naming you after his mother. Actually, it was fine with me because I like your name so much better. As you can see, I never did have a child named Deborah.
I arrived in Germany three days before I went into labor. Some of the ladies had been there over a week and were surprised that I was leaving already. You know these Rices don't mess around. Let's just get the job done!
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