Grandma’s Story-1

My grandson, Connor Patrick Buchner, gave me a little book for Christmas. It contains questions for me to answer so when I leave this earth, he can have a bit of my life story. First, I'd like to say, our grandson is very special to me and my hushand, Bob Buchner. We don't share a drop of blood or any genetics, but we couldn't love him more. He came into our lives rather unexpectedly in 2005 - 05-05-05 - to be exact and he has brought us nothing but joy and love ever since. So if he cares enough to want to know about my life story, I must oblige. The first question in this little book, is rather simple and basic- 1. When and where were you born? I was born on March 9th, 1945 at, I believe, 1:20pm in the afternoon at the Midwood Hospital, a rather small local community hospital in the Midwood section of Brooklyn. Our family Doctor, Dr. William Carrington, was affiliated with this hospital, and since he was the one who was scheduled to deliver, your grandmother, Rita Mary O'Donnell Fries' second child, this was where your greatgrandfather, Charles A. Fries, Sr. ( you knew and loved him as your Poppi )drove her when her labor began. I'll have to locate my Baby Book to give you my birth weight and lenghth as I don't remember it right off the top of my head. I know I was basically an average size baby - not too big and not too small. I believe I was well received as my mother gave birth 2 years earlier to her firstborn son, Charles A. Fries, Jr. so itvwas nice to balance things off with a girl. One little story my mother told me about her birth experince with me was a bit " insulting". At the time of my birth, ie, 1945, women mostly gave birth in hospitals (especilly women who lived in or near cities) and they also usually remained in the hospital for several days or more after giving birth. Also, diring this period of history, babies were typically kept in a nearby nursery under the watchful eyes of nurses. They would be brought to the mother's bed when it was time for them to be fed. The Mom wore a bracelet that had her name on it and her baby had a braclet or anklet with his or her name on it to insure that each mother was given the correct baby. The first time the nurse brought me to my Mom, I was screaming my head off (I've never liked to go hungry and in my own defence I was probably starving!). My mother told me my face was as red as a beet and all contorted and scrunched up and frankly, she thought I was a bit too ugly to be her beautiful newborn baby girl. The nurse quickly grabbed the baby back out of my mother's arm believing she handed my mother the wrong baby!! She checked my anklet and then informed my Mom that I was indeed her little baby. Once I was given my bottle and settled down, my Mom realized that I was indeed her beautiful little daughter! Thank God ( Another historical fact - formula and bottle feeding became a favored method before the tremendous benefits of breast feeding became wildly publicized.