. . . 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.)
Fascinating. I have never heard of having diapers hemstitched. I also hemmed diaper flannel (I remember it being 27" wide) for at least three children and made many dozens of diapers. I later got a nice Bernina sewing machine and bought a rolled hem foot. It would have made hemming all those diapers so much easier! I would love to use it for that purpose (it would be so efficient!) but modern moms who use cloth diapers don't utilize our old square-then-folded shape. My mother (who had a baby 14 months older than Taylor) taught me a new way to fold cloth diapers that was so much more convenient and easier to clean than the traditional way. I loved using cloth diapers. We did not have a dryer and I hung them outside on the line to dry. They dried quickly in the sun, and smelled great! I always made brand new fluffy diapers for a new baby, but the old diapers still had lots of wear, and I once passed them on to a mom in need.
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