Babies Don’t Keep

Babies Don’t Keep

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.
Author: Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

My Mommy and grandchild

Diana, me, and Juliette, my parents first 3 babies

 Babies.. they do not stay little, and they do not come with instruction books. No two are the same, even when born as twins or other multiples. Each one is a miracle. I never could understand how anyone could look into the eyes of a newborn and not see the hand of a higher power at work here, versus a cosmic accident that caused life on earth. This was a Grand Design at play here, no matter how you envision this, this was no accident.

My baby and I

Juliette and baby

Juliette, Joey, and babies

We loved dem babies. My parents had 6. Diana had 2, I had 4, Juliette has 2, Billy has none, Maureen has 2, and baby brother Danny has 2.  My parents adored dem babies.. oh so much! Christmas with the family was just a blast, and noisy.. Typical NY family brawls and all. Oftentimes, our Aunts, Uncles, and cousins were invited as well. Imagine that!

I found this video online yesterday, and I wish to share it here. I dare you not to laugh:

I am still laughing. Baby laughter IS CONTAGIOUS!!! Beware of the potential for belly aches!!

Back in the day, we did not have this video capability or availablity we have today. My Daddy sure was a camera man though. He did not believe in " posed" photos, the candid shot no one was expecting was his 'thing" and the pics were awesome. 

We do have the ability now, thanks to the magic of technology, built right into the smart phones, I much discuss as the " end of the world doomsday device". However, there is potential, as I love these little clips. Granddaughter Amelia Grace..

I did have a rather inexpensive video camera device in the year Brandon, Jennifer's first baby was born, my second grandchild. I was able to find this and put it together. I wish  I had something like this for them all.

Notice how that boy learned to crawl. Jennifer lived with me at that time, and I had HARD floors. He did NOT crawl on his hands and knees. I believe his crawl method led him to just saying F.... this, and stood up and walked at age 7 mos. HAH The video had to be converted to be able to be played on our modern technology, many times. First recording was on VHS tape, then to DVD, then to computer, and then converted again to Mpeg 4 to be able to share, etc. Definitely lost some quality in these conversions, and I apologize for that, but, I am so grateful to have it.

His grandfather, Al, my ex husband of 36 years, is singing his theme song to Brandon. " Ah detzee Da Doo"  and  giving Brandon  " raspberries" to copy. Brandon is hearing Dora the Explorer in the background, and does do the " Day Oh" half way through this snippet. Gosh I love dem babies!

Jennifer was 16 when she got pregnant by a man almost twice her age. We were on our way out to dinner, when we argued about something, and she blurted out to me " I'm pregnant!" I clutched my chest, in true physical pain, and fell to the floor crying. ( I am of Jewish descent, born to a Jewish Mother, you are always a Jew. Hmmm, that makes us all Jewish, right? ).. Then I stood up, wiped off my tears, and said, " Let's go to dinner!". I got the details of who and when later.

Having the " details" in hand, I pressed charges on the , how did I phrase it back then?  Oh, yeah, the !@#$%#@!$ !@#$%%$#  !@#T^&@#$%!! f___ as!@#^T ho__ that got my underage daughter pregnant. Yes, I did. 

Jennifer begged me not to do this, but, NOTHING would stop me. Oh, No. I never suggested to her that she abort the baby, but, I did lay out all of her " options". I do NOT now, and never have been in favor of abortion. I believe the only time it is even acceptable is in the case of rape,  or the mother's life would be jeopardized by death. My precious young daughter, however, needed to know, that as much as I was horrified by this situation, and HER behavior, that I would support her in any way possible.

I would NOT accept the behavior of the above mentioned "pedophile", nor allow him into our lives in any way, shape, or manner. I found out during the subsequent months, she was not the first " girl" he had, or the first to get pregnant by him, either. He had fathered 3 children already, of which he held no responsibility for. 

Charges were pressed, indeed, however the police did not find him. Mama did. My foolish child asked me to bring her to a friend's home, and as I was about to let her out of the car, I spotted my " target".  I jumped out of my car, and chased him, into the house.. this beast, this monster, 6 ft 230 pound monster, into this home. He was no where in sight when I got inside, and I heard nothing but silence, when I realized, I am no match for him. Oh, mentally, emotionally, mother tiger wise yes, but, he could have come out of anyplace with a weapon, or surprise me, and I was a goner. I left, and called the police.

Her is what the 911 operator said to me.. " what would you like us to do , M'aam? " I replied, already annoyed by the question and being called M'aam ( no no in NY), " Oh, I don't know.. I just told you where you can find the guy that you have 5 warrants on for rape of a minor pending, so, I guess I am LIKING for you to put down your donuts, get off your ass, and go get that f---ing as---le, and arrest him!!!!".. Yes, I did.. and after a moment of silence.. he replied, " Yes, M'aam!

They did. My daughter, chose to have the baby, and I supported her choice. She was upset that HE would be going to court and jail, and plead with me not to keep up with the charges. I would not be swayed, and when time came to go to court, she had to be present and tell her story. He was sentenced to 7 yrs, and was forbidden to have any contact with her whatsoever, not even to inquire about her through friends. His mother had the unmitigated nerve to call my home, and beg me not to go through with this. " They are in love, how can you stand in their way?" Was she for real? I told her," Listen up and listen good.. I do not care if my daughter, took off all of her clothes, laid on the bed completely naked and begged him, she  was and is a minor, your son is an adult, and should have said NO. In the state of Florida, he committed rape on a minor, and I hope he rots in Hell."

" We" had a baby boy, January 1999, and I do mean we. I felt every contraction, and every push. When the nurse asked if she wanted an epidural to help with the pain, I said YES!!! I think I was hoping I would get one too! ( wishful thinking on my part).  In any case, what seemed like days later, " we " gave birth to a very healthy boy , Brandon Allen. I fell in love, again.

The pervert in jail, wrote letters to my daughter via friends, despite the court order. How about that? The prison guards took the mail and MAILED it. Love letters, pleas to see " his son", and then let him out of jail in 3 mos. Despite all  Jennifer went through, she saw him again, and BAM! He impregnated her again!! Long story shortened up a tiny bit, not easy for me, she tried to hide her pregnancy, and I would ask about her growing belly, and would even say to her if you are not pregnant, you have a tumor. She would reply.." Well, then I have a tumor and am going to die!" Gotta love teen girls.

I have said this often .. Hormone is not spelled correctly. It should be spelled Whore Moans.

Soooo, Brandon had been born in Jan, and a yr later in April. Laura, Jennifer's twin sister, bursts into my bedroom where I slept with my "Quit smoking" tape headphones on, and yelled " Get up! Jennifer is in the hospital, having a baby, and she is going to give it up for adoption!!"

Something MUST be wrong with my hypnosis tapes.. So, I take off the headphones, and ask her to repeat that. She does. Ok, the I must still be hypnotized, so, I throw the cassette player on the floor, and jump on it repeatedly so, it is dead. Really dead. One more time, I ask and she says the same thing.

" Over my dead body!" I burst into Mother mode, after not smoking for 2 weeks, and jump into my car, when, my glove compartment bursts open, and I spy a pack of cigarettes, I KNEW I had thrown out. I light one up, maybe even 4 all at one time, and inhale, and drive!!! I get to the hospital, which I worked at as a Respiratory Therapist, and marched up to L&D, and am led to my daughter's room. She is still perched on a labor table, but, she is bawling and begging me to forgive her, but, I am too late, she had a baby boy and won't let her see him since she plans to give him up for adoption. 

"First, I want to know why you lied to me?" " I did not want you to hate me, and Mark ( the !@#$%^&  that sired Brandon) is the father.) Okkkkkk," I did not hate you the first time, I would never hate you, you are my daughter. I have taken care of you and Brandon, and will always take care of you and your new baby too. Before you give this child to anyone, this child deserves to know he is wanted and loved. He IS coming home with us, and if you choose to " give him away", you have 2 brothers, who will take that child in a blink of the eye, and raise him as their own!" 

" Did you sign any papers?" " No, not yet" Red faced, swollen,  sobbing, snotty child of mine. I dash to the nursery and look around at the few babies in there, and spot MY baby. Oh, yes, he is ours.. yet, the name on the bassinet he is in , says SNAP.  I rap on the window, and ask for someone to speak to me. They know me, and come out, I explain, THAT baby is not a Snap, he is not going anywhere but home with us, and to fix this immediately. I am asked, how did you know that baby was my daughter's, and I just laughed. ( it was a nervous laugh, but, still). " I know my babies anywhere". 
( SNAP stood for Someone Named Anonymous Person)  

Brandon Allen

Cameron Val

 Um, judging by their newborn photos, any questions? LOLWe named him Cameron Val. When he was born, he needed some rescue breathing, and in the process, his tiny nose was a little bit crooked. Knowing how soft the tissue is in newborns  are, when no one was looking, I gently nudged his nose , and straightened it out, When we looked up the meaning of the name Cameron, it means crooked nose. God works in mysterious ways, and so do Grandmas.  It took a while for Jennifer to bond with her baby, but she surely did. They lived with her father and I for a few years. I made sure she finished school, and went on to learn a profession at technical school. I also made sure the man who was let out on probation, not to see her or even ask about her, but, got her pregnant again, went back to jail.

This just in!!! Amelia Grace is walking!!! A few months ago was the crawling.

Today was this!

I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

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