Mom's Letter: April 6, 1961

April, 6

Dear Mother and Dad,

I just finished baking some about 8 doz. cookies and I wish you were here to help me eat them. I'm not eating them as I still have lots of weight to lose but I think the children feel I have forgotten how to bake. I'm really sorry I haven't written more. Last week Bruce was home all week and in bed with a severe cold for most of it. I made the girls their Easter dresses and that kept me busy and then a couple of weeks ago I made me one so I have really been on the go. The twins dresses really turned out cute. I wish you could see them. We had Shelley blessed Sunday and I did so miss you. She is cute and we do so enjoy her. She is gaining so fast but she is still very anemic. She has now the blood count that the twins had when they came home from the hospital but she is a good baby and is developing so quickly.

The children enjoy her so much. As soon as she starts to fuss Stacey will tell me "baby cry - rock?" which means, Mother the baby is crying, shall I rock her for you. She will rock the bassinette back and forth for me until I get her something to eat. Brett is such a little hellion. All of the children, of course, have a period of adjustment after a new baby and it is always easier after that period is over but it has been remarkably easy this time. Maybe it just gets easier as you have more. I felt highly complimented the other day. A couple of the girls in the neighborhood came over to see Shelley and they are about 8 years old. I was playing with Brett and Stacey and this one girl said "you really enjoy your children, don't you?" I thought that was really cute for her to have observed and decided that. Bruce gave Shelley a beautiful blessing and I do wish you had been here to stand in the circle with him. She looked so cute and then just after the meeting the family came up and had something to eat with us. Just as we were getting things ready, Bob and Stella came up and brought us a dozen cupcakes. She is the cutest thing and we surely love and appreciate them. It seems so good to feel as if I feel energetic enough to try and do all these things. I felt quite good during my pregnancy, but I just did't have the vim, vigor or vitality to do very much. I am really feeling good.

Thank you so much for the darling little dress. It is so cute and I was so thrilled with the nightgown. I had only four and that day all of them were dirty and I hadn't given her a bath yet and I was going to have to wash them and get them dry before I could bathe her. It came right at the right time. and she looks very sweet in the things. She hasn't lost any of her hair yet, but it is getting a little lighter. It curls tightly when it's wet just like Roark's used to and then when it gets dry it straightens out and stands out. She has little bright eyes and a really cute little pug nose. She seems to be an active baby like Roark was, waving her arms and kicking her little legs most of the time. She is trying to smile now and to goo a little but she hasn't quite made it entirely. We play like she talks to the children and they get such a kick out of that.

We have had such beautiful weather the last few days altho it is still a little brisk We still haven't had enough water and it is supposed to be a dry summer.

I am so sleepy I will close and lie down for a little while. This getting up one or two time a night is getting through to me. No, it really isn't. Today is the first time I have needed a rest in weeks and it is just these last few nights that Bruce hasn't taken turns with me. He doesn't feel too well and he is so busy in school. I do love him so and I wish he would get better. Maybe I just don't have enough faith. Please write when you can. I do so enjoy your letters and I will try to write once a week now as I am back to normal with my sewing done and Bruce back in school.

Love,

Beth & Bruce etc.

Mom's Letter, March 12, 1961

Dear Mother and Dad,

It was so good to hear from you. We received the blanket and thank you very much. It is so pretty and Shelley is such a pretty little girl. Not really, I guess but she is such a sweetheart. She is cute and she is surely getting a double chin. I tried to nurse her for about three feedings but I just didn't have enough milk left as it had been four days since my milk came in by the time I tried to feed her. It is really easier on me this time not to nurse he as I know how much she is getting and when she fusses it is easier for me to determine if it is hunger that makes her fuss or not. The indications of a severely anemic baby are restlessness and being irritable. She is really quite good so I don't think she is too seriously anemic altho we still have to keep her away from other people for a couple of weeks or so. The children are so cute with her. When I bathe her Stacey has to get all the clothes out and Jeanne and Jayne have to help me put them on and Brett just has to have a hand into everything. As soon as she opens her mouth I  have five children telling me she is awake or crying or hungry or all of them. But it is wonderful how the children seem to love her and enjoy her. I play like she is talking to each of them and they like that. She is getting so much more alert and is awake more if the time now. It is amazing how natural it is to have a small baby and how enjoyable they really are. She shows no inclination to sleep through the night yet and I am getting tired.

Bruce is having one of the most serious attacks since his original one and he certainly doesn't feel well. He actually isn't sick but very tired and he jut doesn't have it. He has gained a lot of weight and I think if he would lose it would make hime feel better. I am feeling really good. It seems good not to hurt every time I move and I am looking forward to being able to exercise. I would like to get dow to about 112 lbs. I can never remember being that thin and for my built if I exercised I think I could carry it quite well. Ha Ha! I can't imagine it but I am going to try.

It is quite hard on the other ladies in the court who have lost their babies and I feel so sorry for them. This one we expected within four weeks of each other and it has been about two months since hers died and I think she has had a hard time with my having our baby home. We have such wonderful neighbors and I do so appreciate them and our families. Brett and Roark want to go to Stella and Bob's now as the twins talk so much  about how much fun they had. Dean and Keith have called regularly and I think maybe I will be able to get closer to them. Auntie seems happier than I have ever seen her. She goes to school four nights a week and it is doing her a world of good. I talked to Shirley for quite a while the other day and they said they wanted to come up so we are looking forward to seeing them. We are really blessed with family and it makes us very humble. Two fellows in the ward donated blood for us and Keith is going up the first of this weeks. That saves us $75.00. The blood is $25.00 a pint.

I bought the twins material for their Easter dress yesterday. I tried to get Shelley a little Carter outfit yesterday they didn't have one at the store I went to. Thank you so much for all you do. I wish you had time to write more. How long do you think you will be now. We certainly hope you will be home for Bruce's graduation in June of 1962. That is only 15 months away but you have gone gone for a year now. Do you think you can make it. Why don't you get some of those men on the ball and get their work done like you do? Really though, it is such a wonderful thing that you're doing, it is very selfish to wish you back here. How well we felt the spirit of sacrifice and love we felt in the mission field. Too often her we get wrapped up in ourselves rather than in service to the Lord.

Now the baby is here and I feel so good it is so much easier to play with the children. Jeanne and Jayne are so eager to help. You always had so much patience with me and my helping I hope I can be that good with them. Well, I go on and don't say much. We just finished our family night an I'm exhausted. This family hour for us is funny. We need a family night. By the time each of the children has told what he learned in Sunday School and each has told what problems he has and we figure out how to solve them it has taken a lot of time. Then we have to sing some songs, have a special message of some kind and then a story and refreshment so it sometimes goes on and on. Stacey has always showed more inclination  for music than the other children and she will come up to me and say, "'ing mama, 'ing." While I feed Shelley we sing and tonight when we asked her what she did in Sunday School she came and stood in front of me and sang and then sat down. After each of the children told us what they had done then she would come up and sing for a while. We can't understand a word of what she sings but she really thinks she is sharp. She is so grown up and has really matured. Brett still isn't too well for some reason or another. Last week he had a strep throat and we got him medicine and that seemed to knock it but he was running a fever again today. I can't figure out what is wrong and neither can Bruce. He is really a sweet little boy and then again he is a hellion. He wants so hard to be able to play with Roark and Scot. Most of the time they are very good good and let him play but them sometimes he just wants to play with the twins and Stacey. Roark and Brett play so wild and noisy I'm always afraid some one is going to get hurt We have had some snow and rain but it is getting quite warm so the children have been able to go out quite a bit and that is so good for them.

I'd better close and feed Shelley. Please write when you can and take care of yourselves. We love you and certainly miss you. Here are some pictures of the twins a friend took and them on of the family and one of Shelley Dad N. took with his Polaroid camera. That would surely be ice to have and we have appreciated his taking these pictures for us.

Love,

All of us

Note:  Mama said that Dad's attacks were gall bladder. It took him years to get it removed, I remember he had surgery while we were living in Clearfield.

Mom's Letter, February 27, 1961 New Baby Scare

February 27, 1961

Dear Folks,

I haven’t written sooner because things have been happening around here and I thought I would wait until things settled down.  I just brought the baby home from the hospital and she is such a sweetheart.  For some reason on this little one we have had a blood incompatibility.  It is similar to the RH problem but not quite as serious.  As it was she became very yellow and by the time the doctor checked her she was so yellow they had to do an exchange transfusion on her and then (this was Thursday afternoon) they had to another one Friday morning.  It wasn’t the doctor’s fault, he couldn’t stop it, it is just a condition we feel all of the children (except the twins) have had but this little one was just worse and if they hadn’t transfused her she very undoubtedly would not be with us.  She is such a sweet little girl.  The nurse in the hospital said she hated to see her go that she was so good and only fussed when she was hungry and then she would curl up like a little kitten and go to sleep.    I just nursed her and she is fast asleep now.  I didn’t think I would be able to nurse as it has been over five days now but I’m trying and then I will give her a bottle if she acts as if she needs it.  Brett is the only one home right now and he was with a neighbor until he saw our car.  He came running and wanted to “see my sister – our March baby!”  I had told the children about her small hands and her little nose and her black hair and her little ears and Brett had to see everything.  He was so thrilled and excited and he just jabbers on and on.  We went to see the twins last night and they are having such a good time.  Stella and Bob and all the children are spoiling them rotten.  They bathe every night for a long time and the boys carry them around all the time.  Phyllis is just a beautiful girl and she is so good with them.  Stella and Bob and the girls bought two rattles and a bib for the baby and then a new half-slip for me.  I can’t get over how nice they are.  I was so thrilled because just yesterday when I got ready for church I thought how I would love a new half-slip.  I got one for my birthday 5 years ago and haven’t really needed one but now I do and I am so pleased.  I went to Sunday School as I couldn’t think of any reason to stay home and because I feel so good.  I haven’t had one thing to even complain about.  I told Bruce I ought to act sickly because if I get tired in a couple of weeks no one will believe me.  I am very careful and I do rest and do next to nothing so I am being careful but I do feel far, far better than I have in several months.  Auntie has been very good and I really love and appreciate her.  She has managed very well and I think it has been good for her.  She has eaten better, gone to sleep later, got up earlier, and worked harder than she has in a long time and I really don’t think she is any the worse for it.  She has gone home today and I think she will just come up every few days but I surely don’t know what we would have done without her.  Yesterday (Sunday) Aunt Lyda brought down the roast, gravy, rolls, and a pie and then bananas.  Maxine made a salad and a friend made another pie and another friend made another salad.  Saturday the court always prepares the dinner and one girl brought in a casserole, one brought a salad, one brought a cake and the same girl that brought the casserole brought some hot cross buns.  You know, it is almost frightening how much we have been blessed.  These transfusions cost $150 for the doctor and she had two of them.  The doctors don’t charge, or course, and it is almost embarrassing to erase $300 from a conscience in one swipe.  Our doctor for me doesn’t charge and Mother and Dad N. are helping with the hospital bill.  The baby was really quite serious and I had Auntie put her name in the temple Thursday morning and she is fine now.  She will be anemic for several months and we can’t have visitors for about a month but that is purely a precautionary measure.  She is strong and healthy and we do so love her and are so thrilled with her.

We got an awfully nice letter from David that I’ll send to you after Auntie has read it.  We sure do wish you were here to see your little granddaughter.  She is squeaking away in her bassinette for some reason all in her sleep.  Well, I go on and on and I think I will lie down for a while.  Take care of yourself and write.  I still think we’ll name her Shelley but I’m not sure.  Oh, to answer some of your questions.  I bought me an awfully cute blue and white striped duster.  The baby has the traditional 6 undershirts and only 4 nightgowns but I hope to get a couple more.  Auntie bought her the cutest dress and bonnet and shoes.  It is a darling outfit.  I bought some flannel the day I went to the hospital and Auntie is going to have it hemstitched and then crochet around it.  The baby has practically no little dress sets and I just love the little Carter outfits.  She hasn’t the bootees the twins had and I guess I should not be so proud and put her in some of the old stuff but until she gets older I just hate to put her in anything that is not nice and in good condition.  She is still yellow and will be for a while so she won’t be able to wear yellow for Roark couldn’t at first and then it was one of his best colors.  Right now she is in a little Carter white with blue print nightie and she looks so sweet.  Oh, how I wish you were here!  We love you and hope you get home soon and are all well and I know you are happy.

Love

Bruce

Beth Ann

Roark

Jeanne

Jayne

Brett

Stacey

Shelley

Carpenter's Square Quilt

I finally finished my Carpenter's square quilt. After John made our head and food board I decided I needed to make a quilt to compliment it. Mom told me years ago I needed to make him a Carpenter's Square quilt because of all the wood work he does. She had the corner block mostly drafted from a class she took with her quilt group. It is an old block from the 1890s, even though it looks very modern. I read somewhere that an old Carpenter's Square quilt was rejected from a book on old quilts because it looked too modern. They were often done as a two color quilt usually in red and white. This old quilt was my inspiration.

I decided I wanted to try a three color block using different blues, greens and white.  The two blocks on the right were my trial blocks to check color ( I decided to go with true greens and blues, not the popular limey green and a lighter blue, and figure out how to piece the block. Luckily mom had made some notes because while the block is similar to a Log Cabin quilt block the order I had to piece the 1 1/2 inch strips (1 inch finished) got tricky so as to give the block the illusion of interwoven strips, especially because I used two different colors for the strips. 

I had to redraft the four middle blocks so all the strips connected in a continuous grid. If you look closely there is one block turned the wrong way. 

After longer than it took John to make our bed I finished the blocks and sashing. I won't bother going into the details for the sashing. It just took a little planning and math to connect the strips and make sure the quilt would fit on the bed.  I was ready for the border. 

As I was designing the quilt I tried to figure out a way to get a little red in it. I thought about making one of the center squares red, but that broke up the symmetry of the quilt. I finally decided on a 19 inch border to give me the drape I needed for the side of the bed with 1 inch finished strips echoing the squares but adding a red strip in the middle, with mitered corners. I had never done a mitered corner before but "Google" and I figured it out. 

The quilt was too big (96x96) for me to quilt on my machine so I had Melissa from Sew Shabby Quilting in American Fork quilt it for me on her long arm machine. I had seen some quilt blogs where she did the quilting for published quilts. I wanted the quilt custom quilted which means the quilter uses the piecing to determine where she quilts and doesn't uses a computerized all over pattern. 

While the quilt was being quilted I made 2 Carpenter's Star pillows to complete the wood working analogy. I did quilt these myself. One with a cross hatch and the other with a radiating circle. They were fun and rewarding to make. I love the way the blue and green give the appearance of shadows in the star. Both the Carpenter's Square and Carpenter's Star blocks required exact piecing to get color, corners and points right. Mistakes could not be ignored they had to be unpicked set right. It was good for me have to do it right. Plus I was making it for John to compliment his craft man ship so I had to do it right. 

And I even remembered to label it before the binding was finished. A finished quilt.

Mom's Letters: New Baby

Note: There was only the second page of this hand written letter in blue ink (all of the other letters have been type written) in the file telling of the birth of the new baby. It appears mom wrote it in the hospital the day after Shelley was born on February 22, 1961.

. . . baby girl. then he very philosophically said "Oh well, we'll have a boy baby next time." When Bruce was going down to get Auntie he asked Jayne what she would like Mama to have and she said "A girl," and then when he asked Brett and he said "two boys."

This is now Thursday morning and everything is just fine. She has a double chin and the sweetest little face. I am going to nurse her as soon as my milk comes in. Roark wants to name her Shelley but I don't really know yet. Stella [mom's step-brother's wife] called last night to let the twins say good night. They are having a good time. Auntie is doing quite well with Stacey. She has been awfully good to me. I really love and appreciate her. She bought two doz. diapers. Aunt Lyda [Aunt Maxine's mother] is making another doz. I appreciate you buying flannel. I bought some flannel to have hemstitched Tuesday. Now to get it ready for hemstitching. You know Auntie can do most anything if we draw a picture for her and tell her what to do but she can't do things on her own for some reason.

I'm feeling very good this morning and am ready for breakfast.

I have so enjoyed your letters [in pencil] (my pen won't work). I'm glad you're feeling better. How is the swelling and how is your weight? Both of you?

Bruce was so thrilled he got to deliver the baby. He does so love his school. The time just flies. He will be through this quarter in four weeks and then he'll be off a week. He's still on pediatrics and really enjoys it except for the sick kids really depressing him. He's far more sensitive than I ever realized and I do so love him. It's such a blessing and a joy to have one who is so considerate and we enjoy being together so much. He is down to the County Hospital today on the "well baby" clinic checking the babies the mothers bring in for regular check ups. He says he gets some of the cutest little things in and he really thinks its great.

Roark is becoming quite a checker player. Bruce has taught him and Bruce will play with 8 men and let Roark have 12. He used to play with 6 to Roark's 12 but Roark got so he could beat him so now it's 12 to 8. Bruce is a good father and I'm proud of him.

Well, now to get cleaned up before breakfast. We love you and wish you were here.

Love,

Bruce, Beth Ann and children

Note from Jeanne:  before disposable diapers, a new mother could either buy cloth diapers or make her own. White diaper flannel was sold by the yard that was about 18 or 24 inches wide. She would tear or cut it into  squares and then the raw edges where the flannel was torn would have to be be turned under or hem stitched so it wouldn't fray when washed. The squares could then be folded in certain ways to fit the growing infant. Of course large safety pins or diaper pins and plastic diaper covers finished the diapering process.  Wash day meant pouring the soiled diapers from the diaper pail, it always smelled of ammonia, into the washing machine. A pre wash cycle was used to rinse the diapers and then they were washed in hot water with bleach. Then they had to be driied and folded. Many mothers hung their diapers outside on the clothes line where the sun would bleach them further. By the time the child was potty trained the diapers were worn out and only fit for rags. A new mother needed at least 3-4 dozen diapers and would have to wash them every few days, you never, never, never wanted to run out of clean diapers. Can you imagine how many diapers mom had when Roark, me, Jayne, and Brett were in diapers at the same time?

I used cloth diapers for Matt, Chris, and Annie. Disposable diapers were becoming more accessible when Thomas was born but seemed very expensive. I mostly used them on Sundays and when we traveled.  Disposable wipes were another luxury that came out around the same time.  Before then we also had stacks of baby wash cloths to clean the little bums. Going out meant we had extra diapers, wet wash cloths in a small plastic bag, and a large plastic bag to put the soiled diaper and wash cloth in.  (This was also before plastic grocery bags.)