A Proud daddy to be, WE WILL HAVE A SON!

A few of you out there know that many years ago, the only way you could tell the gender of the coming child was using the ‘OLD WIVES TALES’.
I forget the rules, but it has to do with the way the mother-to-be was carrying the baby. High was gong to be a boy, low a girl.  There were others but fact is, no one knew until the doctor says, “It is a_____!”
Like most daddy’s “THIS IS GOING TO BE A BOY”. We were close with our church family and I continually bragged, Sherry is going to give us a SON!  I am sure some got tired of it.
To prove the fact I entered the name, “Jackie Leon Darnell, Jr born August    , 1958  SON”,  in the Family Bible(Remember them?).  Then when I was asked how I knew it was going to be a boy, I said, “It is in the Bible and the Bible does not lie.” I don’t think my pastor and his wife were thrilled with that turn of events, but they did not say anything.

(Sherry and her mama at our apartment)
As time got close, Sherry’s mama, Susie, arrived she was doing well after the heart attack. We had all lived in close quarters.  One more in the one-Bedroom house did not bother us; Susie was one of my favorite people anyway.  Sherry and  her mom had a good time. We were close to the beach so they would walk to the beach for the fresh salt air and to gather shells. It was a good past time while waiting for the birth.
(Does my girl glow in this picture or what?)

(On one of their beach walks, Ever take your picture in one of these photo booth kiosk’s) 

Now I don’t want to get this wrong, but the shell gathering continued and Susie had found some pretty little conchs and placed them on the edge of the bathtub to dry.


Later in the day Sherry came screaming out of the bathroom with clothes at half mast. behind her came this shell crawling along the floor. Later we learned they were hermit crabs. WE had never heard of them and did not know anything  really lived in the shells, once they were on the beach. But we land lubbers can learn, even if it takes a good object lesson.

If I am not mistaken we took a few rides on rough roads, we were told that would hurry the labor. Sherry may have tried a few more things.  But I was getting antsy. The end of the month was coming up, I had put the Birth in the Bible as August.  I began to apologize to the Lord. August 30th arrived and no little baby boy.  Was the Lord gonna make me pay, or was he just smiling at my ignorance?

About 3:30 on August 31st, Sherry said, we had better head for the hospital, Susie agreed. So we took her to the Base hospital. We were met at a pair of swinging door on the first  floor by folks in scrubs. I signed Sherry in and they took her thru the doors, I started to follow one turned and said you can leave, we won’t need you. Where do I wait (I’ve seen movies, I know daddy paces outside the delivery room, etc), but I saw no chairs.
Go on home we will call you if we need you, and they were gone. My introduction to military maternity. By about 7 or 8 I got a little scared.  We drove to the preacher’s house.
At the preachers house after the phone rang and the pastors wife said it is for you.
“Hello, Airman Darnell here.”
“This is nurse Jones, you are the proud father of a baby girl 7lbs 10 ounces.”
“Thank you.” I said and hung up!
(Later there was another call, SURPRISE!)
Nite Shipslog
PS: A smart person would have asked some questions……..How is my wife, how is the baby etc….
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Now I would love to have a wooden car…