BORN: February 2, 1961 - Thursday - 3:26 p.m.
Leominster Hospital
Leominster, Massachusetts USA
7 lbs. 7 oz. - 19 inches long
Induced labor - head first.

Morning sickness at 6 weeks, and continued for 6 weeks. Anemic, so I was pretty sure baby would be a girl. I had some depression, toward the end of pregnancy - it was winter and I couldn't get outside much. Induced labor; woke up feeling great and a smiling baby was handed to me. I had my own hospital room, because all the others were filled; it was nice!

When I was getting Mary dressed, to take her home from the hospital, I noticed that the ID bracelet on her wrist said: DOR GIROUARD…instead of: LOR GIROUARD. I spoke to the nurse about it. I was especially concerned because a woman who was in labor, just alittle ahead of me, was named Doris (or Dora) Girouard.

Now, I was too knocked-out to know if I had a girl or a boy…but the nurse told me that I had had a girl: the other woman had a boy. That was still questionable, to me…except that I was anemic when I was carrying this baby – and was only anemic when pregnant for my girls. I knew for sure that I was expecting a girl (Mary); and named her way before she was born.

So, Mary is really our daughter. She never knew anything about this: but I wanted her to know the true story, should anything be questioned, later on. Besides, her blood type is A- (I asked her, once)…that is a combination of both our bloods – me, with type A+ and Joe, with O-. Not to worry, Mary, you are ours!

Mary was born on Groundhog Day; we were saying that we hoped she wouldn't turn around and go back inside! Mary slept all night from the time she was 5 days old and at home; she may have slept right from the start, in the hospital nursery! A very content baby...always smiling.

Her nickname was "Bug" and "Kissing Bug" - because she was as cute as a bug and kissy.

Mary was my "little mother". She always loved to be "the mother" and "the teacher". When she was about 4 years old, and had 3 children younger than her & the new baby. She would take the 3 younger children outside and play school with them. Sometimes they played in the barn, when it was rainy. She taught them how to overcome fear of water by having them put their head under water - first in the bathtub and then in the wading pool and then in the big pool that we had.

She was always willing to help with the cooking and housework. Always making sure the children's beds were made in the morning.

She was #2 on our list for "Children Who Are Nearly Perfect". Mike was a tough act to follow...

She became a "Born Again" Christian when she was 10 years old and was baptized at Highland Baptist Church in Fitchburg, MA. She went with the Condon family, because some of their children were being baptized; at the time Joe and I were just getting over the flu and weren't up to going. She has always led a life worthy of the calling He has for her.

Mary has always been a joy to her Dad and myself.

She had a touch of asthma for a few years - ending in 1970; it was not too severe.

Mary helped me a lot, through the years. Her help was really needed, when we lived on the farm up North. We had a "plunger-type" thing to wash clothes with, and used a hand-wringer. It wasn't easy, getting all those jeans (etc.) washed, wrung out, hung outside and later brought inside to defrost. She also emptied the port-a-potty every morning, faithfully. It was usually filled to the top and no easy matter carrying it, over the ice, to the outhouse. She never had to be reminded, and was always an eager helper.

Mary helped many of the young Moms on the farm; they had a rough time with the farm chores, their small babies and all that entails. She was always right there helping them - but never neglecting us, either.

She used to sneak out back, with her friend Janice, and they rode "Dixie", the pony - when nobody was looking (it wasn't allowed). I don't know just why we had a pony, if nobody could ride it.

We had many visitors from Injunikah (sp?), who came to see how a farm was run: they were mostly Indians - used to hunting and fishing, but not farming. One of them was very interested in Mary; I think she was about 12 or 13 at the time. He came up to our cabin a lot...but only looked at Mary. He gave her a picture of his horse and began to talk like he was including her in his life...we had to discourage him.

She had all childhood diseases - or shots to protect - mumps shot included.