Book Entry 19: 1958 My Baby Brother is Born

1958

My Baby Brother is Born

When Phillip was born mom and dad bought me a wonderful new doll.  I named my doll Jeff.  I decided my doll would be a boy.  That decision was easy because mom let me dress him in Phillips nightgowns and diapers.  As Phillip outgrew his clothes I got to keep everything I wanted that would fit Jeff.  I had a lot of clothes for that doll.  I would mimic mom.  Everything mom did with Phil I would do with my doll.  We bathed our babies together, we powdered them together, we fed them, burped them, and took them on walks together.  I treasured that time.

I remember dad bringing home the crib.  It wasn't new by any means.  Mom started telling me of all the babies that had used it.  She listed about ten cousins and friends.  She showed me teeth marks across the top railing.  When I asked why we didn't have my crib she said mine had been borrowed when I used it and moved on to other babies after me.  I guess it bothered me because next she told me she had used a dresser drawer for my older brother, David, until they were able to borrow one for him.  Dad joked and added, "Yep, when he cried too much I just shut the drawer." 
After a good scrubbing that old crib looked pretty good.  Blankets were folded just right, a teddy bear sat in one corner, and there were several diapers "waiting" in the other corner of the bed.  There was not a nursery, the crib was carefully placed in the corner of my parent's room.  Our house was small and room was precious.  In order for the crib to fit a dresser had to be moved to the front porch.  My mom was the queen of "make do."  I don't remember her ever complaining, instead she would step back and consider all the ways of making something work.  She was constantly moving and turning the furniture making sure she was using every available inch and getting the best results possible.

There was a closet that separated my parent’s room from mine.  It was not just a closet…it was a secret passageway.  I would sneak into my parent’s room where Phillip was sleeping in his crib and pinch him to make him cry.  Then I’d get back to my room as quickly as I could and wait for mom to go pick him up.  I loved to hold him and lots of times she’d let me take care of him when he didn’t really need anything more than company.  I pinched him a lot those first months so I could be the comforting big sister.  If mom had known I was pinching him I’m pretty sure I would have gotten pinched myself!