660 11/9/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Thursday, November 09, 1950

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, I have a few minutes before I have to start supper so will get a few lines off to you. Your nice letter came today and many, many thanks for the five dollar check. I know just what I am going to do with it and that is use that to pay on the crib that I am going to buy from Clara. I don’t know how much she is going to charge for it yet but it shouldn’t be too awfully much as she raised three kids in it. I sure have been very lucky in getting all the main things given to me. Of course the box of clothes Gladys sent took care of all the essentials and then Parry gave me her bassinette and bathinette and Muriel Corl loaned me her buggy and now I’ll buy the crib from Clara so will be very well fixed up. The baby is just like a tiny little doll. He is so good and I have to wake him up during the day to feed him or he would absolutely sleep all day long. I let him go six hours before I wake him and he has gained up to six pounds now. I wish he would sleep that long period during the night but so far he does wake up twice during the night but it isn’t so bad getting up. Elmer says he should take turns with me but as long as I can get a nap in during the day I would rather do it myself, however, I do think on weekends I’ll let him take over the job. He still does the washing at night and makes the formula. I could do it alright but I suppose I might just as well take it a little easy when I have the chance. Davy is three weeks old today. Mary was just three weeks old when we arrived in Oak Ridge, and Elmer saw her for the first time. Last Saturday night Parry and her husband came over for bridge. Then this last Tuesday night our neighborhood club had a fashion show so I went to that and it was fun getting out. I have gone right back to my normal weight and don’t even have a big stomach so feel very fortunate. My two neighbors had their baby girls just five days after I had Davy and both of them still look pregnant. We are invited over to Recroft’s tomorrow night for dinner with all the kids but I’m afraid I will have to call Ruth tonight and cancel it as it has turned terribly cold out well, not terribly, but it has gone way down to I haven’t heard what yet and the wind is strong and cold and it has been snowing off and on all day so I hate to take the baby out in this. Isn’t that just terrible about that Northwest airplane crashing in Montana. Just think if some of you had come here at this time maybe you would have been on your way back on that plane. Warnie is worried that the company will have to fold up because they have had so many crashes this year. He is actually afraid to fly and gets the jitters every time he gets in a plane. I don’t blame him either. Mrs. Ellsworth’s address is 3351 Hollydale Dr., Los Angeles 39, Calif. Yes, Leila is terrible. I sure would like to call Charles and tell him how she acted when I called. Charity’s daughter Mary is getting married to that Lieutenant in a couple of weeks. They are all sick about it. She will first have to have a Japanese wedding in Tokyo and then an American wedding. At least that is the way they are doing it. Did I tell you that when I was in the hospital waiting for labor to start the doctor told me he didn’t know why it was but it seemed that the third pregnancies were the ones that caused the complications and most miscarriages were with the third baby. Gladys lost her third and wasn’t it your third one that was your miscarriage. Davy sure came close to being one. So many of the women in the neighborhood have been losing their babies so I feel especially lucky that I had my baby o.k. I am glad that I didn’t cut any more than six diapers in half, and the oldest ones at that, because he has filled out and I have found a pretty easy way of making the whole diaper fit him. It sure is hard to get the pins through though. A very nice present of washcloths and towels came from Ruth and Jim and I must get a letter written to them tonight. That was one thing I hadn’t thought of buying and was so glad to get that present. I, or the baby, was very well remembered by all my friends and neighbors. Parry also gave me a very lovely necklace and earrings to match when they came over Saturday night. Mother, she is always giving me something so I was wondering if you or Glad or Stella when in Seattle shopping, or anyplace, if you see some little item that is something a little different, would you get it for me so I can give it to Parry for Christmas. I don’t as a rule exchange presents with friends but I would like to give her something. She goes in for unusual things so I thought of a knickknack or anything made of shells or something and the fact that it came from out there would make it something special anyway. I have to stop for now and start supper but thanks a million for the five dollars and I’ll write more soon and tell Ruth and Stella I’m going to write to them this weekend for sure. Pop I wish the baby had come a couple of days earlier so it would have been on your birthday. With Love, Helen