Teddy

Vernon Edward Barber was born in a small drafty house in Nobleford, AB. He was brought into the world by my Aunt Theta acting as midwife. My Aunt and Uncle Oscar arranged to care for Mom during and after her pregnancy. Here's what Mom wrote about that event:

The weather was getting so cold that we moved my bed into the main room where the cook stove was, the only source of heat. On December 1, (1941), I woke up early in the morning and knew this was the day the baby would be born. I was very strong and had about four strong labour episodes, no pain, just the urge to push.

I had Theta take a look to see what was happening; she did and immediately started to gag. I don't think she had seen anything born before. I told her to quickly put Joyce's coat on and send her out to play, which she did. But then she ran and got Joyce's mitts from my room and on her way by my bed, she said, "Have I got time to put these mitts on her?" I said, "I don't think so." So she dropped the mitts on the floor, put out her hands and the baby plopped into them. She said, "It's a boy and he has the cutest little dink you ever saw." We didn't have the scales so I'm not sure of his weight but the first time we weighed him, a week later, he was 12 lbs. I'm guessing he was 9+ lbs. The baby was Vernon Edward and we called him Teddy until he went to school.

He was very well dressed. I had knit him sweaters and bonnets from wool I had unravelled from old sweaters and sock tops. His diapers were made of flour sacks, as were my maternity smocks. I sincerely hope I didn't steal any of them because I was a real scrounger. While working in Lanfine, I found a big box of rags in the attic among which was an old homemade quilt completely useless and falling apart. The inside of it was padded with old Stanfields underwear, men's size long johns. I took the woollen underwear out and washed it and made all the baby's little shirts out of it. It was beautiful stuff, pure wool and well-worn and as soft as silk. I had to cut around the holes but I had plenty of it. A newborn baby's undershirt doesn't need much material. If that was stealing, I'm really sorry because I didn't ask to use it. But today I do not have a bad conscience about it. I just marvel that I was able to put together a baby's wardrobe without spending a cent.

When Theta died, Mom wrote about their life together and this episode is from that writing.

Vernon was always a happy baby: he slept all night right from the beginning; he was good humoured and mild-mannered. He remained a well-adjusted child.

As he grew older, it was evident that he had inherited some of the traits of his father (manic depression) but he always remained the kindest person I ever knew.

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