February 14, 1968: Another baby

Letter postmarked February 14, 1968 (Part 1, written February 12): [I got a little behind on the letters due to a short illness followed closely by some business travel. Hopefully I'll post something at least daily until we're caught up.] The CCZCC extends its winning streak to 25. It could . . . go . . . all . . . way.

Dear Mother and Mike,

I got your letter today and I sure enjoyed the part about Steven and how he's growing. I can hardly wait to see him. David Wayne just goes into convulsions whenever and wherever we see a baby so I know he'll have a fit over Steven. Which reminds me - I took David Wayne shopping today (we were just bored) and we looked at baby furniture, toys, clothes, etc. Everything David Wayne saw, he wanted to buy either for Steven or for "our" baby. My reaction to the prices was somewhat different and I told Dave tonight that I'd changed my mind on having this baby - we can't afford it!

Speaking of babies . . . we found out about 30 minutes ago that the Dirrs are expecting in September. Dave informs me that this makes the third time this has happened to a Texas examiner stationed in L. A. - they won't be able to get Texans out here at that rate. The Dirr's puppy was run over on Saturday and it died. I was so sorry to hear that even with all the trouble the little thing caused.

I read to David Wayne the part of your letter about him spending the weekend once in a while with you. He was delighted, to say the least. The parents of David Wayne will be most willing. I wonder if he will be will to leave "our" baby, though. I've brainwashed him into thinking that I need his help so he may not trust me to take adequate care of a baby by myself.

We don't know, as of yet, our exact departure date. Dave says three or four more weeks - which sounded fine until I looked at the calendar. I will be home only three or four weeks before the baby is due. Don't talk to this old fat, pregnant, slow woman about having plenty of time to fix up a nursery. HA! I cannot remember what all I had for David Wayne in the way of clothes. I have done absolutely nothing in preparing for this baby - not even one diaper! I do remember that the handle of the diaper bag needs to be repaired and it is filthy. I wish you could get Mike to get my baby bed for me before I get home. If I could just get it to your house then I would feel better about getting it home. As for a chest, we're going to buy David Wayne a new one to match his bed and use the one in his room for the baby clothes. Paint? I'll do good to get it washed.

Dave says, "Don't worry about fixing up the room. I'll take care of it." But you know men. What would he know about it - he thinks the curtains in the room now will be fine and he says all we'll need is the baby bed in there. I'm not really worrying about the nursery though. I'll just do as much as I have time for and feel like doing and the rest will take care of itself.

I'm not going to attempt to go see "Dr. Doolittle" here. Patsy wrote me that in Dallas it is just as expensive as L. A. and you also have to make reservations weeks in advance. I hope that we (you included) can go after we get home. I have all these plans for "after we get home" but I fear that I won't feel like doing much. You know, I don't even know what to do about going to the hospital - I have plenty of gowns but not one that buttons down the front (also mine are sorta flimsy from hospital wear). Dave said he wants to buy me a new robe and that's fine, but when is he going to buy it? On the way to the hospital? It really hasn't hit him yet that there is only a few weeks left and all he has on his mind is just getting me home safely. I have lots of time now to get ready but I can't buy things here and then haul them back to Texas. Gee, this is going to be a wild next two months.

[I guess it didn't really sink in for me until this letter, but Mom and Dad didn't have much time at all to get ready for a baby after returning from Los Angeles. Like Mom mentions, they didn't want to buy a bunch of stuff in L. A. and then haul it back with all the other stuff we had accumulated. It must have been crazy trying to get everything ready after we got back to Texas.] [We'll end Part 1 of this letter here.]