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Trella Hemmerly – 1945-01-29

Monday, January 29, 1945
Marion City Hospital
Awakened at 5:30 by aide who put us on bed pans. no results but then brought wash water & that was refreshing. Brought the babies in at 6:00. David is nursing fine & my breasts are quite full. He nurses about 10 pulls & then rests about 10 seconds & usually burps himself after nursing about 15 minutes. He like to nurse 25 minutes & then he’s through!
Slept until breakfast was brought in around 8. Then enemas – my first sicne the baby was born. Didn’t feel that the results were very good.
We rated baths today – only get them every other day to conserve labor & linens. Had to take them ourselves though. But the clean hinders & clean bedding sure make you feel like a different person. Was just getting ready to make myself presentable for my son when he was brought in. But he’ll probably see me look worse in my lifetime & his.
After the feeding I tackled my hair. That’s the day’s biggest job. Got made up & nails done and rested a little before lunch. Brought mail just as we got our trays & I couldn’t resist opening the one from the Romines immediately. It looked like a diaper hung on a real line with hand whittled clothes pins & was decorated at the top with what I suppose is Ray’s idea of how David looks (he’s really much cuter). The verses were very clever.
Finished lunch & Dr. Morgan was in & punched around on my stomach. Asked if I got my laxative last night and if it worked. Told me “Yes, after an enema.” He promised regular diet starting today & that’s what I had at lunch. Thank goodness. Soup & baked potatoes gets very monotonous.
Wrote letter to Mary & one to Kathy.
Felt urge for a bed pan so the room was nice and smelly when Wally came in about 12:25. We finished opening the cards & had a piece of candy from the box he brought last night.
David went to sleep during his 2:00 feeding. First time.
Vonnie’s sister – Mrs. Sayre from on Greenwood St. was in right after they took babies back to nursery until about 4:30. I made out seed order. Wally came in around 3:15 & then came back later in his work clothes with mail. A letter from BBB [Bernard Brooks] written at sea – our first since he sailed. Also one from Aunt Sylvia [Shuster]& one from Lowell [Haldeman – Walter’s brother]. Several cards – who is Dorothy Bridges?
They always bring wash water during visiting hours and then you look like heck until you get more make up on. Also brought bed pan and I couldn’t do any good until I knocked my glasses case off & it scared me. – Oh what a relief. Since 8:30 last night is a long time.
Supper and then the babies. Told the nurse my nipples were cracked on top & she said she’d bring something for them. I’ve had to start using pads on them to take up the excess of one while David nurses the other.
Mother & Daddy came in shortly after. Says Kathy at Margaret’s. Been playing train all day. Weather terrible – car windows freeze over. They left early.
I got Wally’s Masonic Bible out – given to him last Friday night – & studied the accounts of Solomon’s Temple. The pictures are beautiful. And read the rituals. Bed pan, babies to nurse & then to sleep about 10:30.