Today It's All About Me

Hubby dearest would probably say that every day is all about me, but today is my 72nd birthday. To me that is pretty special. Who believes when they are young that they are ever going to be this old?

This may be the first picture ever taken of me, January 9, 1944 - a bit over seven weeks. According to my baby book I'd already had three outings - twice to Grandma Lynam's and once, on December 20 when I was just a month and two days old, to Creston Hospital to visit my Aunt Lois and my new little cousin, Lloyd who was born that day.

The first formal portrait, also in January 1944, with my very cute older brother, Ronald. What big eyes I had!

Some more statistics from my baby book: I weighed 8 lbs at birth; 21-1/4 lbs at one year; 75 lbs at age 9 yrs, 9 mos. My first tooth appeared at 8 mos, 5 days and I lost my first tooth August 27, 1950 aged 6 yrs, 8 mos, 9 days.
I laughed out loud at 10 wks of age and "likes to squeal at 4 months". (Again, in my head, I hear hubby dearest's remarks about that!)
Baby Ramona first sat up steadily in June, '44; began to creep in September, '44; pulled herself into a standing position October 6, '44; stood without support November 1, '44 and walked steadily November 26, 1944 (1 year and 1 week old). My first haircut was also that month, November 3.

 For my second Christmas, I received this "Big Panda Bear" as well as a 'wheel horse' from Norman F. (who in later years [I was six] was my first boyfriend), and from Grandpa Lynam, a 'Five Dollar Bill'. That was a lot of money in those days. He must have loved his #1 granddaughter.

The one thing I was hoping that got recorded in my baby book was who my baby bank was from. Sadly, it doesn't tell me that. I remember Mom keeping my bank, with the I.D. bracelet from the hospital inside it, in her safe along with some of my silver dollars. The bank probably started out as either white or cream in color but has yellowed with age. It is 2-1/2 inches in diameter and 2-1/4 inches tall. It and the baby bracelet are two of my best treasures. 

I bet this baby buggy saw a lot of use. I think it is the same one my little brother got tipped out of when he was a baby ten years after this photo of me was taken. He ended up with a black eye. I can recall a black eye or two when I was older. Mom didn't record those, but she did note I was 2 yrs, 3 mos when I had chicken pox in February, '46 and 4-1/2 yrs when I had mumps in May of '48. She even recorded when I had the red measles in February, 1960 followed by the 3-Day measles in March. I remember those. I had just gotten my high school make-up work done and turned in from the first bout when I had the second!

I waved 'Bye-Bye' at 8 months and said 'Da-Da' at 7 and 1/2 months, but nothing about when I first said Ma-Ma yet she was the most important being in my world - always was.

I was completely weaned at 10 months; first fed with a spoon at 4 months; drank from a cup at 5 months and started feeding myself at 11 months - and still doing so 71 years later with jumbo shrimp and champagne for lunch to celebrate my big day.

It really is all about me.

Unofficial, official photo of 72-year-old Ramona