Happy Birthday, Edmund!

 Today is Ed's 50th birthday. He was born at 6:00 pm at Boston Lying-In Hospital, which I doubt exists anymore. It was an ancient place with no air conditioning, just noisy fans. They didn't allow fathers in the delivery room. Very old fashioned. He was born on the day he was expected, although he was induced (and after having two more sons, who came two weeks late, I now know he should have been left in the oven a few weeks longer). They pulled him out with forceps. I can't believe I let this happen this way, but I didn't know anything. They kept me in the labor room until his head crowned, so Tom could see it, and then scooted me into the delivery room where they gave me a shot that made me useless from the waist down. I could have pushed him out myself, otherwise.

Despite our ignorance, his birth was a joyous occasion. Couldn't stop kissing him. New babies are so delicious. And now he's 50 and is quite uncomfortable with hugging and kissing mothers. So we slap each other around. It's love.