There is lots of things I remember about Grandma. She was a very independent woman as she lost her husband in her early 50s due to an accident. Of course I never met my great-grandpa, but I am sure he was a good man. She worked in factories and always wore polyester pant suits to church. She lived with or next door to her son and DIL after the accident. She ate well. None of this non-fat, low-carb junk. She ate bread and cookies. She baked cakes and made bacon and eggs for breakfast. For as long as I knew her only complaint was some arthritis and bunions-which she aided with 8 extra strength Tylenol each day. She lived 98 years in her own place. She liked to watch soaps and listen to Ray Stevens music and the Grand Old Opry. In the summers we would spend time at the farm and take walks down the road together- usually to get the mail. The smell of fresh woods takes me back to that place every time! She loved her dog Buttons and dressed a cement goose on her porch. She was afraid of falling and not being able to get herself up- so she devised a plan to scoot herself outside and use the goose to stable herself to be able swing her legs off the porch and stand up without help. This well thought out plan was going to be practiced, until we ratted her out. The only thing she didn't account for was how to get the front door open while she was laying on the ground... I have many treasured trikets from her that remind me of our days together. I am so thankful she was able to see me get married and follow my first pregnancy. Oh, how I wish she were here to share in the joy of Madelyn and Jackson too!
Happy 103rd Birthday Lillian Ann Mantle.
The Lord has blessed us with two beautiful babies on April 12, 2010! Madelyn Lillian was born at 9:15a. She weighed 6 lbs 4 oz and was 19 1/4 inches long. Jackson Ryan was born at 9:16a. He weighed 6 lbs 10 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long. Jackson was transverse and his arms were crossed against my back and he was a little "stuck". He did have sticky lungs and had to have some canal oxygen and eventually a CPAP for a couple hours the first night. Madelyn was able to be in our room from the very beginning. I was unable to get up for several hours due to the spinal block and did not see Jackson until about 11:30 Monday night. I was able to hold him for about 3 minutes. The next morning he had a chest x-ray which turned out clear. The doctor wanted him monitored through his first bottle on Tuesday morning- to make sure that his O2 stats stayed in the 90s and his breaths didn't increase. The step up nurse didn't want to send him back to our room and wanted to keep monitoring him, although everything was going good. I talked her into to bringing him in to meet Evy when she came from school Tuesday about 11:30am. She brought him in on a "trial" basis and eventually they determined that he was fine and he was able to join his sister in our room. Since joining his Madelyn, he is perfect They enjoy sleeping closely to each other and touching. I really have enjoyed being a mom of twins. Sometimes it is a little difficult when they are both wanting to be fed or changed.