HOLD ON MY CHILD, JOY COMES IN THE MORNING

It was Monday morning, wash day in the Spring of 1964. The wringer washer was pulled up to the kitchen sink and filled-no automatic washer or dryer here, the dirty clothes separated into piles of like color and whites. Wash cycles were done, run the clothes through the wringer being careful not to get fingers caught, empty the water with detergent and/or bleach, then refill with clean water for the rinse cycle. I still  think my old wringer washer got my clothes so much cleaner than the automatics but would I want to go back to that-not on your life. 

As I was loading my first load into the water I looked down at my arms and my heart dropped. There were red spots all over both of them and when I ran into the bathroom to look in the mirror, they were all over me. I didn't have to guess what it was. The German measles were going around at school and my son, Jeff, had brought them home. 

I called my doctor to see what I should do because I had just found out that I was pregnant a few weeks before. I couldn't get out because I was contagious. His news at my next appointment wasn't at all good: I was caught in the measles epidemic that was sweeping the country, the first trimester was the worst and the second trimester was next worst for damage the measles could cause. Then he proceeded to tell me all that could go wrong-I had just begun my second trimester. 

There were 6 months left in this pregnancy to have to worry about this child I was carrying. I had been devastated to find I was pregnant to begin with and just as I was getting accustomed to being pregnant again I may be having a baby that could be completely handicapped.

I already had three children under 6 years old. My Jeff was in kindergarten, Kim was 2 in February and Donna wasn't even 1 yet. 

I remember actually asking God what was I going to do, I already had my hands full-did He see what was going on here? I was angry and I kinda, sorta put the pregnancy in the back of my mind, refused to think about it. That is a real fete when you think about ignoring the growth on my front side but I did that.I refused to talk to God about the baby. I did continue teaching Sunday School and even taught for a couple of weeks in Bible School that summer. Getting anywhere was an accomplishment with the bulge on my front, packing Donna on my hip who wasn't walking with Kim hanging onto my skirt and Jeff tagging along usually carrying the diaper bag. 

Oh, I prayed about other things but not the baby I was carrying.  I have thought back over that time. Wondered how I could have pulled that off but I did. Keeping busy with 3 children, just living is what got me through, I guess. 

Sunday evening, October 11, the kids were in the bed and I finally got to sit down to read the paper. I was brought into full reality by the full page spread about the deafness, blindness, retardation the measles I had 6 months before could have on the baby I had pushed to the back of my mind. I was broken and 6 months of prayers and tears took place all through that night. 

The baby was due any time now and I had just been met face to face with what I had put aside these months that could be ignored no longer. At my Thursday, October 15 check up the doctor told me to meet him at the hospital that evening after his office hours-he would induce labor since the baby was ready to be born. I asked him to please just knock me out, I didn't want to be awake for this birth.

Thinking back, checking into the hospital went quickly and quietly, I was put into my room, the doctor came in and broke my water [I know that is a purely technical term], the anesthetist came in with his heavenly brew that would take me to lala land for a little while and off I went. 

Len was the only one there in my room when I woke up, no nurses, no doctor. He told me the baby was a girl and she had been taken directly to NICU. She had weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. but she had been as white as a piece of paper. The doctor told Len he had never seen a baby look like that. 

And that was Melinda Kay. I couldn't see her till the next day when I walked down to the NICU and had to stand outside the nursery looking at her through a large window. The two babies on either side of her were so tiny compared to her. She looked like a mountain laying there between them at her 7 lb. 1 oz. Everything looked perfectly normal, she had all her limbs, all her fingers and toes. I promised God I would make my children the center of my life and raise them to the best of my ability, no matter what, but please make Melinda ok. Don't let anything be wrong with her. 

He did and I did. We took her home a couple of days later. She was fine, oh, and her color was normal, not the white color when she was born. 

 In the summer of 1966, Melinda was playing with the other kids at my feet around the softball field where Len was playing.      The gal sitting next to me was holding a baby boy I thought might be 3 or 4 months old. He was wearing glasses and kind of cooing at her. She told me he was 1 1/2 years old but she had the measles while she carried him. He had never gotten over 11 lbs., he was principally blind, he recognized her voice, he would never walk or talk, he was always sick. As we compared notes it turned out he was only a month or so younger than Melinda and we both had the measles at the same time in the spring of 1964.

That baby boy has been brought to mind many times in these years. Wondering how he was doing or if he was doing at all because that was the only time I ever saw him. God allows us to see what could have been at times, doesn't He?

Here is a paragraph that I pulled from an article online with the stats that shows what Melinda and our family escaped. I thank God, but never, never enough, for answering my prayers for my 50 year old baby girl and for keeping my family safe and healthy through all these years.

      

From 1964-1965, before the development of a vaccine against the disease, a rubella epidemic swept the United States. During that short period there were 12.5 million cases of rubella. Twenty thousand children were born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).: 11,000 were deaf, 3,500 blind, and 1,800 mentally retarded. There were 2,100 neonatal deaths and more than 11,000 abortions – some a spontaneous result of rubella infection in the mother, and others performed surgically after women were informed of the serious risks of rubella exposure during their pregnancy.

And here she is-cute as a button, well, was [still is but then, I am very prejudiced]:

she is that littlest, squirrely one-they were dressed alike quite a bit-poor little thing got the hand me downs so she must have thought she wore the same thing for years and years

 someone also had a black & white camera at the same time

school day photos- I made the blue dress, don't pay any attention to that gap in her bangs, she was rather handy with scissors

here we are paddling our own canoe

modeling the purse she made in a Girl Scout fashion show

of course, she played softball like her dad, I can hear him screaming now at that high pitch she just swung at-that's him coaching down 3rd base line

yes, we do have the team in an open bed pickup truck, never lost not a one-that's her against the cab

 notice that swing is a little lower-I guess that screaming paid off

crazy girl at home

15 years old-we'll stop there

This post is so "All Mine" will know about another time in my life and theirs. So they may see why I have such a strong faith in God. He is our answer. 

May God bless you

Carolyn Wainscott

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At finishing this, there was still no title. I had talked with my sister, Shirley, last night about this piece since it was started yesterday. At times she is a big help with suggestions. She has just sent 2 texts with Bible verses for possible titles,

 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing

Psalms 30:11 

&

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

Psalms 31:24

I also read the previous verses of Psalm 30:11 and this is one of our mother's favorites: 

weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Psalms 30:5

and she would sit and sing one of her favorite songs from the verse  with tears running down her face

so,
for Mom the title is
"Hold On My Child, Joy Comes In The Morning"

So, thank you Shirley for sending me those verses, they did lead me to my title.