Laurel's Arrival

I have a rather clear picture of the evening when Laurel was born. It was a Sunday (I’m pretty sure) and we must have taken Muriel and Palma out to the Rosels that day and left them for a week (two weeks?) star because they weren’t on hand. Jean and I went out for supper at a restaurant in the El Cerrito Plaza — it was opposite a candy store (perhaps See’s) and either during the meal or thereafter we commented on some of the customers going to the store.

It was during the meal or shortly thereafter that Jean experienced her first labor pains so we went directly to Alta Bates. Since these were the first signs, and thinking back to the time involved in Muriel’s and Palma’s births I expected a long evening and night at the hospital. This was not the case however and Laurel was born by nine o’clock or so. I think it was the easiest birth of our three daughters for Jean and it was a birth without medication. Laurel was the smallest at birth, a little shy of seven pounds — Muriel had been close to eight pounds and Palma was several ounces over.

It was a great help to have Muriel and Palma at the Rosels during the time of Laurel’s birth and first days at home. A day or so before they were to come back home, Palma was running, fell down and scuffed her knees. That is about the extent of my recollection of their stay but I well recall other times when they were at the Rosels when we were visiting there as a family.

Once I recall Ray filled a bucket with some soapy water and gave the girls am old-time pup to play with. He showed them how to put the hose in the water and then to move the plunger up and down. I can still see Palma busily working the pump, with her little arms stretched over her head as she raised the plunger up.

These afternoon visits to the Rosels were often on Sundays and I’d help Ray with pruning jobs etc., such as the grape vines on the arbor between the house and the garage. Once I remember Ray uncovered some moles in the back of their lot on one of these occasions and his showing them to the girls. Then after supper there was the drive back, after dark, and the process of getting everyone to bed.