Donald:
Waiting is fullness
"Nathan, I have no idea whether or not you're ever going to read this, much less understand what it means, (unless of course you someday have a child of your own) but I remember myself reading with intense interest the things my mother wrote about me as a young child, and I trust you will share a similar interest. I knew from the outset that you were to be a boy; I had a dream just before your birthday in which I saw you being born in bed. i saw your face very vividly. I also consulted the I Ching and received the first hexagram Ch'ien.
As far as choosing a name was concerned,rather than giving you my name (which my father had done) I thought of giving you one of my favorite nicknames - either Sonny as a first name, or Hedley as a middle name. Well, your mother didn't care too much for that idea, so I came up with Dylan - after Dylan Thomas who was an obscure poet from Wales, who was who Bob Dylan, a famous singer and songwriter of our generation, took his name after. And so on.
Actually, I was more in favor of letting you decide - or come across - your own name. The American Indians, for instance, found their personal names after fasting in the wilderness for several days - but the state of Pennsylvania requires that something be put on the birth certificate - so there you go.
Putting your crib together was quite an experience. It wasn't as easy as it looked - it took an evening and a few choice words - and when it was finished I saw for the first time my first bed - and yours too! I'm sure there'll be other things - less clumsy and more precious - that I'll pass on to you. I can hardly wait."
Helen:
"Before you were born, we decided your name would be Nathan. Your father had many other suggestions, Karl, Sonny, Zachary, Bartholomew and Headly Jr! Then there was Dylan. Your mother, I, had wanted your middle name to be Harold - your grandfather's and great-grandfather's name. Your father was not excited about that, so your mother decided she'd agree to Dyan as your middle name - so it came to be - Nathan Dylan Hess.
Your Grandmother and Grandfather Dickerson brought your father's crib August 25th. Your father was very comical when tangling with the crib. The nursery was ready for you on Sept 7th. Dresser in place - lent to us by your Aunt Marion, crib together with new yellow checked quilt, and clothes ready, given to us at the baby shower September 7th."
It is funny to read about names you could have been. Thank you mom, thank you so much, for vetoing Bartholomew. Oh that would have been hell, bad enough on its own, but then with the Simpsons...I shudder to think. I never knew that my mom had wanted to name me Harold...mom, I can't promise anything, but if I have a son at some point, I will at least try to convince my wife to use Harold...if she balks I'll suggest Hedley instead! That should bring her around.
I think you guys did well with your selection. I love being Nathan Dylan, and I am thankful you did not stick an "ial" or "iel" on the end of a perfectly good name. Although, Dylan Harold also has a certain ring to it, don't you think?
I was also unaware that Harold was my great-grandfather's name...I thought it was Percy (which is also my grandfather's middle name). Got something to ask ol' H.P. Whittemore!
Showing posts with label nathan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nathan. Show all posts
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Timeline
This post consists of entries my mom made in "the pregnant woman's journal," which is a bit of a misnomer since it is actually just a calender that has descriptions about what happens to your body throughout the pregnancy on the top half, and then, you know, just a regular old calender below.
"TO USE THIS JOURNAL: Turn to the NINTH MONTH. Write in your due date. Now work backward and forward from your due date filling in the remaining dates and months." How exciting! Here we go...
January 27, 1979 - Probable conception. Estimate due date is October 21.
February: Not a whole lot happening here. Mom didn't put in her weight, but she was 34.5 / 27 / 34.5 in the first month of her pregnancy (edit: doing some reverse math, i determine she weighs about 112 here). Mom and Dad found out I was pregnant on February 13th...happy valentines day! Other than some tenderness, i wasn't making my presence known to any large extent (February 19 "good appetite!") until the end of the month (February 26 "nausea in a.m." and February 27 "noticeable breast enlargement, slight dizziness in afternoon"). According to the info on the calender, I was about 1/4 inch long. Interesting that the development of a beating heart (at about 4 weeks) coincides with nausea and dizziness. It lives!!!!
March: Craving salad on the 12th, some nausea and discomfort throughout the month, and now fatigue as well. Weight up to 118, 35 / 27.5 / 34.5. More breast enlargement! God thats a bit weird to read. Hey moms, think about that. Your son or daughter may read this some day. In fact, probably will. And do you see yourself looking back fondly on how often you had to pee? Just a thought. Oh, I'm now an inch long! I tripled in size!
April: Closing out the first trimester here. Mom made a trip down to North Carolina on the 19th, had a mild headache on the flight down, which turned into a severe headache by the next day, accompanied by a "very loud pulsing sound in left ear." The headache was back on the return trip the 23rd. Sorry mom! Maybe it was from me peein now? Or using my newly formed vocal cords? I'm now 2 3/4 inches long and almost weigh an ounce. In any event, she heard my heart beat for the first time the next day ("160 midline") and then had an appointment with Dr. Byler on the 25th. Weight 115, 36.5 / 28.5 / 35
May: The severe headache and pulsing sound is back on day 1, not a great way to start the second trimester I suppose. But hey! On the 11th was "unquestionable quickening." I had to look that up...I moved!! Nothign else too exciting going on, a doctors appointment on the 25th and "severe side pain in evening, stretching ligaments" on the 28th. I now weighed about 10 ounces. Mom was up to 120.
June: Ha, as I flipped the calender i thought "this is getting boring." Mom apparently thought so too as there is very little on the calender this month. That might have something to do with the "moving day" on the 2nd and 3rd though. On June 7th my movement inside the womb was visible...that has to be pretty thrilling to see for the first time. On the 27th a doctors appointment where mom notes her total weight gain as 13.5 pounds. I now weigh over a pound, and am between 8 and 11 inches long.
July: Learned something else. On the 23rd, "linea nigra faintly visible." I looked that up, hoping it was nothing gross (evidently I caused an abdominal rash earlier in the month). No big deal though, just a line on the ol' abdomen. Better than a rash, for sure. Another doctors appointment on the 24th, mom now is up to 129.5 pounds, 37 / 35 / 36.5. She is also still working (she was a nurse), as she mentions doing work in the nursery and feeling faint one morning.
The calender helpfully informs me that i'm basically slug-like at this point. Or maybe newt-ish. "The skin is red and covered with vermix....weight about 2 3/4 pounds." I looked that up and saw the word "smegma." Great.
Ah yes, now is apparently a good time to start toughin' up the ol' nipples. It suggests some gentle pulling, or using a washcloth or loofah (they had these back then?) to avoid discomfort in the first weeks of nursing. I don't know, that hardly sounds like anything that would toughen a part of you.
August: Final trimester! Mom's excited too (August 11 "30 wk! 10 to go"). Lamaze class begins on Wednesday nights (Bill Cosby - Childbirth). By the end of the month, mom is up to 129 pounds, 38 / 36.5 / 36.5. My nursery started coming together (well at least it was "cleaned out," and my dad's parents came up for a visit on the 25th.
My testicles start to drop! Apparently it takes until the 9th month for them to descend all the way, which is funny cause it seems they only have a short distance to travel.
September: Lamaze class finishes up at the end of the month, mom gains a few pounds and goes to see Dr. Redka. More importantly, I've lost my wrinkles and now appear "rounded and smooth." About 17 inches long now and 5 pounds. Babies must be pretty dense? All that fat I guess.
October: This has to be an incredible time...I imagine it to be some combination of excitement, fear, exhaustion, anticipation...like christmas, only with more body fluids. Maybe a combination of christmas and finals week. No, here it is. Wisdom tooth extraction, a stats final, and christmas, all on the same day.
I threatened to come early at the beginning of the month but...yep, false alarm. You don't get off that easily. Lots of doctor appointments...and apparently some photo shoots? October 11 "Pictures taken by B. Gohrs" October 21 "Pictorial at Burks" Maybe just ultrasounds. I'll have to ask my dad.Moms last day at work was the 14th...it amazes me how women work right up till the due date. If I had my way they would at least get the entire 3rd trimester off.
October 24 I decided it was time....but then I took my time. Like almost 24 hours. At 1:17 on October 25th, I emerged. Throughout the pregnancy mom only gained 21 pounds, and I was 8 of that. Plenty of time to get back down to "swimsuit shape" before it warms up again!
"TO USE THIS JOURNAL: Turn to the NINTH MONTH. Write in your due date. Now work backward and forward from your due date filling in the remaining dates and months." How exciting! Here we go...
January 27, 1979 - Probable conception. Estimate due date is October 21.
February: Not a whole lot happening here. Mom didn't put in her weight, but she was 34.5 / 27 / 34.5 in the first month of her pregnancy (edit: doing some reverse math, i determine she weighs about 112 here). Mom and Dad found out I was pregnant on February 13th...happy valentines day! Other than some tenderness, i wasn't making my presence known to any large extent (February 19 "good appetite!") until the end of the month (February 26 "nausea in a.m." and February 27 "noticeable breast enlargement, slight dizziness in afternoon"). According to the info on the calender, I was about 1/4 inch long. Interesting that the development of a beating heart (at about 4 weeks) coincides with nausea and dizziness. It lives!!!!
March: Craving salad on the 12th, some nausea and discomfort throughout the month, and now fatigue as well. Weight up to 118, 35 / 27.5 / 34.5. More breast enlargement! God thats a bit weird to read. Hey moms, think about that. Your son or daughter may read this some day. In fact, probably will. And do you see yourself looking back fondly on how often you had to pee? Just a thought. Oh, I'm now an inch long! I tripled in size!
April: Closing out the first trimester here. Mom made a trip down to North Carolina on the 19th, had a mild headache on the flight down, which turned into a severe headache by the next day, accompanied by a "very loud pulsing sound in left ear." The headache was back on the return trip the 23rd. Sorry mom! Maybe it was from me peein now? Or using my newly formed vocal cords? I'm now 2 3/4 inches long and almost weigh an ounce. In any event, she heard my heart beat for the first time the next day ("160 midline") and then had an appointment with Dr. Byler on the 25th. Weight 115, 36.5 / 28.5 / 35
May: The severe headache and pulsing sound is back on day 1, not a great way to start the second trimester I suppose. But hey! On the 11th was "unquestionable quickening." I had to look that up...I moved!! Nothign else too exciting going on, a doctors appointment on the 25th and "severe side pain in evening, stretching ligaments" on the 28th. I now weighed about 10 ounces. Mom was up to 120.
June: Ha, as I flipped the calender i thought "this is getting boring." Mom apparently thought so too as there is very little on the calender this month. That might have something to do with the "moving day" on the 2nd and 3rd though. On June 7th my movement inside the womb was visible...that has to be pretty thrilling to see for the first time. On the 27th a doctors appointment where mom notes her total weight gain as 13.5 pounds. I now weigh over a pound, and am between 8 and 11 inches long.
July: Learned something else. On the 23rd, "linea nigra faintly visible." I looked that up, hoping it was nothing gross (evidently I caused an abdominal rash earlier in the month). No big deal though, just a line on the ol' abdomen. Better than a rash, for sure. Another doctors appointment on the 24th, mom now is up to 129.5 pounds, 37 / 35 / 36.5. She is also still working (she was a nurse), as she mentions doing work in the nursery and feeling faint one morning.
The calender helpfully informs me that i'm basically slug-like at this point. Or maybe newt-ish. "The skin is red and covered with vermix....weight about 2 3/4 pounds." I looked that up and saw the word "smegma." Great.
Ah yes, now is apparently a good time to start toughin' up the ol' nipples. It suggests some gentle pulling, or using a washcloth or loofah (they had these back then?) to avoid discomfort in the first weeks of nursing. I don't know, that hardly sounds like anything that would toughen a part of you.
August: Final trimester! Mom's excited too (August 11 "30 wk! 10 to go"). Lamaze class begins on Wednesday nights (Bill Cosby - Childbirth). By the end of the month, mom is up to 129 pounds, 38 / 36.5 / 36.5. My nursery started coming together (well at least it was "cleaned out," and my dad's parents came up for a visit on the 25th.
My testicles start to drop! Apparently it takes until the 9th month for them to descend all the way, which is funny cause it seems they only have a short distance to travel.
September: Lamaze class finishes up at the end of the month, mom gains a few pounds and goes to see Dr. Redka. More importantly, I've lost my wrinkles and now appear "rounded and smooth." About 17 inches long now and 5 pounds. Babies must be pretty dense? All that fat I guess.
October: This has to be an incredible time...I imagine it to be some combination of excitement, fear, exhaustion, anticipation...like christmas, only with more body fluids. Maybe a combination of christmas and finals week. No, here it is. Wisdom tooth extraction, a stats final, and christmas, all on the same day.
I threatened to come early at the beginning of the month but...yep, false alarm. You don't get off that easily. Lots of doctor appointments...and apparently some photo shoots? October 11 "Pictures taken by B. Gohrs" October 21 "Pictorial at Burks" Maybe just ultrasounds. I'll have to ask my dad.Moms last day at work was the 14th...it amazes me how women work right up till the due date. If I had my way they would at least get the entire 3rd trimester off.
October 24 I decided it was time....but then I took my time. Like almost 24 hours. At 1:17 on October 25th, I emerged. Throughout the pregnancy mom only gained 21 pounds, and I was 8 of that. Plenty of time to get back down to "swimsuit shape" before it warms up again!
A brief introduction, an explanation of sorts.
At the time of this post, I am 30 years old. My mother (helen) was 25 when she had me, my father (donald) was 28, though only for a few days, both had birthdays within 3 days of mine. Though I do not have any kids of my own, nor a wife or even a girlfriend at this time, over the last year many of my friends have had their first child, or are expecting one in the coming months. The process is, to say the least, well documented between "mommy blogs," twitter, facebook, flickr, and other sites that allow you to begin your child's personal overexposure before they've even emerged. That being said, it is pretty interesting to experience numerous births on such an intimate a level with so little effort.
At some point while reading my friend Lauren's mommy blog (www.walkerbean.wordpress.com) I recalled that I had several baby journals my mom had completed while pregnant with me. Somehow I ended up with these journals, and have been carting them around with a few other childhood items in a big grey tupperware container for the past 6 years. I've been thinking about digitizing some of the home movies that are included in that big bin, and thought, as long as I am doing that, why not digitize my mom's thoughts and experiences. I don't know if anyone beside myself and the 2 people who made me have ever read these things, and even if so, it would have been a very long time ago. So thats what I am doing.
As it turns out, most of the stuff is from after I was born, but there is a calender (the pregnant woman's journal) that I'll use to construct a timeline of sorts, and then I'll start entering the journals. At some point I'll add some photos (spoiler alert, not an overly cute baby) and...well we'll just see how this goes.
The blog name, The Hedley Diaries, comes from one of my dad's proposed names for me. If you know my dad, you know that makes sense, even though you, like i, have no idea where he came up with that.
At some point while reading my friend Lauren's mommy blog (www.walkerbean.wordpress.com) I recalled that I had several baby journals my mom had completed while pregnant with me. Somehow I ended up with these journals, and have been carting them around with a few other childhood items in a big grey tupperware container for the past 6 years. I've been thinking about digitizing some of the home movies that are included in that big bin, and thought, as long as I am doing that, why not digitize my mom's thoughts and experiences. I don't know if anyone beside myself and the 2 people who made me have ever read these things, and even if so, it would have been a very long time ago. So thats what I am doing.
As it turns out, most of the stuff is from after I was born, but there is a calender (the pregnant woman's journal) that I'll use to construct a timeline of sorts, and then I'll start entering the journals. At some point I'll add some photos (spoiler alert, not an overly cute baby) and...well we'll just see how this goes.
The blog name, The Hedley Diaries, comes from one of my dad's proposed names for me. If you know my dad, you know that makes sense, even though you, like i, have no idea where he came up with that.
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