269 10/26/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Thursday, October 26, 1950

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks: This is my second day at home and I feel just wonderful. The baby came home with me and eats real good and then spends the rest of the time sleeping. I had hoped to nurse him but after being used to the bottle while he was in the incubator he will have nothing to do with breast milk so I will dry my milk up and let him go on with the formula. Elmer is just wonderful and after the way he has and is carrying on around here I will never say anything mean about him even if I do get mad at him. He has worked so hard and had the house looking so nice when I came home. Then when we found the baby wouldn't nurse yesterday Elmer had to run back and forth to and from the store buying all the bottle business, since we had none of that stuff. Thank goodness Gladys had sent me two nursing bottles as we fixed those up with my milk which I pumped out for the baby and which he needed as soon as I got him home. Elmer has been making the formula and does everything just precisely, scalding and boiling everything just like the book says to do. Elmer's mother came over Tuesday morning and ironed all day long and finished the ironing and we certainly appreciated that. Today Ruth Recroft came over in the morning and is spending the day here helping Elmer out. They washed clothes and there really was a big washing because Elmer hadn't gotten that done while I was gone and since I went so unexpectedly I wasn't up to date on my work. Ruth Recroft is the girl from Atlanta and she really has dug in today. The house looks so nice and she has been busy every minute. At first I thought it would be hard having her over here all day but she insisted and it sure is a big help and now I'm glad she came. I thought the house should be all straightened up before she got here but she just took over and soon had it looking that way. She and Elmer haven't let me do a single thing except take care of the baby. I had a nice nap even since the baby slept four hours. His little knees have big sores on them because in the incubator they left him on his stomach all the time and the rubbing on the sheet made him so sore. I'm glad I have him home so I can take better care of him. They didn't take him out of the incubator until the morning of the day I left the hospital. I didn't know until the last minute whether I would be bringing him home with me or not. Your nice letter was here when I came home Tuesday. I'm glad Gladys had a good talk with Ralph and I'm sure everything will work out all right. I know he really likes his job there and he is crazy about the girls, especially Gail. He missed her too. I think Mrs. D. was at the bottom of all the trouble. My C. S. neighbor, who lives two houses from us, called and is going to stop over to see me. She keeps me supplied with reading material. Before I went to the hospital she brought me over the book, "I Knew Mary Baker Eddy." It is by different ones who actually knew her. The first night home from the hospital, the Mother's Club that I belong to sent over our complete dinner. It was very good and such a big help to have it. Then later on in the evening, a huge basket came fixed all up pretty with cellophane and in it was fruit and olives and just all kinds of things. That was also from the Mother's Club. Friday Morning: I didn't get to finish this yesterday as Mrs. Scott came over and she just left and somebody else came over and I was busy from then on. I was just about ready to sell the baby this morning as he woke up about every two and a half hours during the night. Elmer wants to get up with him but I think I should for a while because the baby, being so tiny, is awfully hard to change his diapers. I took a dozen of the older diapers and cut them in half and that works out so much better. The whole size diaper keeps his legs stuck out straight, no matter how I fold them and then they are so thick it is almost impossible to pin them so the half size is swell and I can always sew them back together again when he gets bigger. Pop, I hope you had a Happy Birthday. I thought about you and felt bad that I didn't get at least a card off to you. I shouldn't have started that typing for General Mills because that kept me from doing other things. The day Elmer took me to the hospital we also had to bring the typing along with us and Elmer dropped me off first and then went over to General Mills with my work. They want me to continue it but I don't think I will. Well Folks, Elmer is going to the store now so I will send this with him. I also have one to mail to Gladys and will get a letter written to Stella and Ruth today or tomorrow. Elmer's mother is coming over again tomorrow to iron. Next week I'll be doing more around here. More later Folks. With Love, Helen