Family Stories - Jack and Joan Try Again

Family Stories

Jack and Joan Try Again

The Lucky Baby

     The new doctor recommended that Joan and Jack wait a few years before trying to have another child.  It took Joan quite a while to recover, both physically and emotionally from the lost of the first one.  But, in 1952 the doctor told them that it was finally time for them to try again, if they wanted to.

  Yes, yes they did want to, and by the beginning of 1953 it was confirmed that Joan was pregnant again.  This pregnancy was very different, from day one.  The most noticeable aspect had to do with luck.

   It was an understatement to say that Joan was unlucky, especially at games of chance.  It confused Jack.  Since Joan was a bookkeeper he knew she was good with numbers.  She ought to be able to keep track of cards and such.  But her dice rolls were never good.  Jack thought maybe she wasn't good at poker (a game they played with their friends on a regular basis) because she had no poker face.  Nope.  The cards just didn't come her way.  If they went to Vegas, the group could count on Joan loosing any money she had on the slot machines.  Just unlucky.

   That changed with pregnancy number two.  Suddenly Joan started winning at poker.  She started winning at any game of chance she tried.  Joan set the money she won at the poker games with their friends aside to pay for the baby.  In the end, that poker money pretty much paid the hospital bill.

   Since Jack and Joan had lost the first one, their friends were overjoyed that Joan was pregnant again.  They happily contributed to Joan's poker winnings.  The ladies organized an epic baby shower, which both embarrassed and please Joan.  Most of the women in the group had already begun their families (except for Roxy who turned out to not be able), so there was much joy.

   The months rolled along and Joan stayed healthy.  Although she didn't talk about it, she didn't really relax until she passed the point at which she lost the first one.  The whole group (plus family) was relieved that the pregnancy was going so well.

   The actual due date was the end of August, but by the 15th of that month Joan was feeling that she had been pregnant long enough!  It was August hot in the San Gabriel Valley (with no air conditioning) and she felt as big as a whale.  The 15th was a Saturday and was the night of a regularly scheduled poker game.  They talked about not going, but they knew that it was probably the last time they'd be able to go until after the baby.  Despite Joan's discomfort, they went.

   Since Joan was so uncomfortable she chose to not play, instead talking and relaxing.  Her back hurt.  Jack was having good luck at the cards and didn't pay attention to his wife or to how much he was drinking.  I think he knew it was probably the last time he'd be able to really "tie one on", so he did.

   Some time after midnight the game broke up and Jack carefully drove the two of them home.  When they got there Joan put the coffee pot on.  This confused Jack.  When he asked why, Joan informed him that she had started labor.

  "Why didn't you tell me?!!!"

   "You were having such a good time and I didn't want to ruin the evening for everyone."  Which is such a Joan answer.

   While the coffee was a good idea, it made Jack a wide awake drunk.  He knew he was not sober enough to drive Joan to the hospital, which is where she clearly needed to go.  So he called his friend Dick, who lived close by.   Dick had been at the poker game as well, but was much more sober, so he drove them to the hospital.  Dick promised to keep his wife Roxy (and the rest of the group) informed.

   Now back then, husbands did not go into the delivery room.  They waited.  And worried.  Occasionally, a nurse or doctor would have mercy on them and give them news.  Joan's labor was progressing very slowly, so she spent the first few hours alternating between resting and walking.  She was allowed to walk down to the waiting room where she could visit with Jack and the growing number of friends.  By 10 a.m. almost the entire group was there.  The nurses told them to go home eventually, though Jack could stay.

   Joan always described it as a difficult, long labor which was a bit unusual since it was her second birth.  That baby was me.  I suspect I wasn't quite ready for my big entrance.

   But eventually, when Joan was almost out of strength, I was born.  It was 5 p.m. on a Sunday, August 16th.  Mom always said I was the prettiest baby she had ever seen.  No problems, just a long labor.  Joan stayed in the hospital for 3 days (the norm) and had lots of visitors mostly family and friends.

   Joan never had luck like that again, but,  she was never as unlucky again either.