WALKING & TALKING BABY FACTORY

She was sitting with another girl on the front steps of Messick High School that fall morning of my 10^th grade year…my first at Messick.  She was beautiful.  I knew right then and there she was the one.  She still is.

The details of what led to what are for another time because the focus of this is as the title says.  As we began to make plans to spend the rest of our lives together she kept using the term: “I want to be a walking, talking baby factory.”  I would smile and shake my head approvingly…but I really had no idea what she meant.

So we got married.  11 months (to the hour) she delivered Susan Gayle Byrd.  The pregnancy had been perfect and so was Suzi.  Sandi had beamed as the perfect mother-to-be.  She “wore” her pregnancy with pride and joy. She even delivered Suzi and both of Suzi’s brothers by Dr. J.E. Holmes’ suggested “medial hypnosis”…no drugs, no knockout stuff. 

As her parents and mine waited at Methodist Hospital for word of the birth, waited for a chance to see Suzi and to see Sandi, we didn’t know what to expect.  Or, sure, her mom and mine had been through birthing before:  hers a total of 4 times, mine 3.  But this was Sandy (later changed to Sandi because an “i” was easier to scratch into the bottom of hobby ceramics than a “y”):  The walking, talking baby factory.

Finally we were told we could look at Suzi through the nursery windows.  With great pride I led the procession to the windows and to our first glimpse of Suzi.  We “ooohhh-ed” and “aaahhhhh-ed.”  We took pictures.  We beamed with delight.

Then, suddenly, from behind us we heard laughter.  We all turned around in unison to see Sandi, the walking-talking baby factory, on her side on a hospital gurney, head propped up on her arm, laughed and asking: “You all look so silly.”  There she was, about 15 minutes after delivery, laughing at us.  Turns out Dr. Holmes, the medical hypnosis, and Sandi had all done so well the doctor wanted to send her, and Suzi, home right then and there.  The trouble was the hospital had rules even Dr. Holmes couldn’t avoid.

Dr. Holmes was our family physician.  Dr. Holmes delivered me and my two brothers.  Dr. Holmes delivered all 3 of our children.  And Dr. Holmes, working with the walking, talking baby factory delivered 3 beautiful children.