Johanna Rae's Birth Story

Monday, June 11, 1979

Lanny and I bought the grocery store in August 1978. It was new and exciting and we were working hard 6 days a week and Sunday mornings too and the days flew by. One day, about 3 months after we bought the store, I found I was needing a nap every evening when we got home. Not just needing a nap but if I sat down, I was taking a nap! One day it hit me! I finally realized that my body was changing and, yes, I was pregnant! Lanny and I were both delighted (although just a bit daunted -- can we afford? what about daycare? who will work? et al) and looked forward to finishing our family. The kids were all happy and excited too, especially Erica, who went to kindergarten and took part in show and tell for the first time EVER by announcing that her Mom was going to have a baby! It was supposed to be a family secret – we weren’t going to tell anyone for a while!

This new babe was due around the 25th of June. I continued to work at the store and I was healthy and well and in pretty good physical condition from moving cases of food and carrying groceries out to customers' cars, lifting, bending, stretching, etc. – in addition to keeping up with 3, 6 and an 8 year olds!

Monday, June 11, in the middle of the afternoon after helping unload the weekly grocery truck and stocking the shelves, I realized I had that ol’ familiar back pain again. Lanny and I finished up work and closed at the regular time, or maybe I went on home a little early but we fed the kids supper and talked to them about what was probably going to happen this day and they were all excited.

We were living in Mrs. Speed’s house, the gray one on the highway, across from the school. I probably ate supper, too. I suppose I knew if I called the doctor, he would say, “don’t eat” so I didn’t. Didn’t call the doctor. Nothing much ever kept me from eating. Feed a cold; Feed a Fever, is my midwives' tale! I was bound and determined to eat while I had the chance. Being an old hand at this baby business, I knew once I was in the hospital I wouldn’t get anything to eat until after the babe was here. Then I might have to beg to get a piece of toast or a dish of applesauce!

Gramps and Granny were called to come, as they would take Kristy, Erica and Craig home with them. Gramps and Lanny sat and watched a baseball game while we (I) waited for the labor to progress. Granny and I were getting a bit anxious but the back labor was still manageable and the men suggested that we wait to go until after the baseball game. So we did. Finally, my folks loaded three little ones up in the car and off they went and Lanny and I were off to the hospital probably at about 9:30 or 10:00 p.m.

Same routine. Get into this gown. The nurse checked for dilation and felt contractions. They could see I would make good progress (and probably so as not to make a real late night out of it) the doctor was called in. Again, the doctor broke the water and I was taken to the delivery room. This time, the delivery was different in a couple of ways. For one, Lanny was in the delivery room with me. This was one great show of courage! And secondly, Dr. Wilker delivered. Although there have been times I have disagreed with Dr. Wilker or his practices he was excellent in the delivery room. He focused on me and the babe and the delivery. He wasn’t just in the room to talk to the nurses and trade stories with them and to get the job done. He and the nurses worked with me and encouraged me and really seemed to look forward to this new babe.

It didn't take long. This labor and delivery was pretty quick and manageable. Johanna Rae was born at 11:16 p.m. After this beautiful babe was delivered I heard someone counting - 1, 2, 3. I wondered what on earth? Was I having triplets or something? After the babe had cried her first cry and most of the hustle and bustle was over, the staff finally told me that the cord had been wrapped around Johanna’s neck 3 times! Fortunately, it was long enough that it didn’t tighten down. Praise the Lord. And thankfully the danger was all past before I realized there was any danger!

This babe weighed in at 7 # 7-1/2 oz and was 20” long. Johanna Rae had a small birthmark on the top of her right foot and a tiny, deep red one on her right thigh. She was blonde haired and blue eyed and beautiful! We were thankful that this little ‘Anna, as I first called, had made her way into the world as quickly and easily as she did.

It was late and Lanny would be at the store at 7 a.m. the next morning for route men so he kissed his precious new daughter and headed on home in the rain. He hadn’t been home long when the wind took to blowing and a tornado warning was issued.

Down to the hospital, I heard the tornado siren and was mildly concerned but worn out and content nursing my babe -- and so I didn’t worry.

Lanny, at home, finally became concerned and decided to go to the basement as the wind howled and the rain poured down. The entrance to the basement was outside, and around the house. So out he dashed, battling the rain and the wind. The wind blew so hard; Lanny couldn’t get the door lifted open to get down the steps to the cellar! He finally gave up and went and sat in the car, drenched, and the storm blew over. The next morning, I learned at the hospital that there had been a tornado in the area but not much damage – and that the night shift should have moved my babe and bed out into the hall!

Two days later, we brought Johanna home to Orient, to her two big sisters and brother. We all took to this new baby immediately – we, her family, and most of the community. The first day home, the kids held her and snuggled her so that she was exhausted and I couldn’t even wake her up to nurse her. Johanna was jaundiced after a couple of days so we put her in the window in the sunlight and gave her plenty of water. I didn’t want to give her back to the hospital to sit under the bili rubin lights and it wasn’t long until she regained her normal pretty color. And now we were a perfect family of six.