I was just reminded by John Tew of The
Filiopietism Prism blog (see geneabloggers.com) that genealogy is more than
digging through distant past. History is happening right now and each of us is
in the act of creating history of our descendants. His reminder is the reason I decided to post the following
story of my distant, but not too distant childbearing years. I hope you enjoy
my history . . .
Childbirth and The Chicago Bears:
My husband and I are the proud parents of
three adult children all born during various Chicago Bear’s football seasons.
The first intersection of my childbearing
years and the Chicago Bears came one summer day in 1981. Six months pregnant
and wearing heavy support hose, I attended an afternoon Bear game. It was a
sunny, hot day and midway through the game, I became overheated. My
father-in-law escorted me out of the stadium with the hope of finding some
shade. It was in the shade of Soldier Field’s walls where we waited as my
husband made his slow and premature exit from the game.
On Sunday, November 8, 1981, the Chicago
Bears played the Kansas City Chiefs in an away game and won 16 to 13. It was
the last year Neil Armstrong coached the Bears. Mike Ditka took the helm the
following year and we all know what happened next.
While I labored away in the delivery room, my
husband’s eyes were glued to the television screen and The Chicago Bears/Kansas
City game. Did I mention that the doctor and all the nurses were busy watching
the game too? Feeling neglected I asked, “Hey what about me?”
As I wrote my first draft of this little
story, I gave credit to my husband for refocusing his attention to the birth of
our first child. I shared this little story with him and he reminded that the
game ended before our daughter was born. Our sweet baby girl was born the
evening of November 8, 1981 weighing in at 8 lbs. 5 oz.
Twenty-two months later we were awaiting the
birth of our second child. Now a Chicago Bear season ticket holder, my husband
worried about me while he was attending the Chicago Bears games. He was so
worried he felt the need to purchase a pager so that he could hurry home from
the Chicago Bears game in the event I went into labor.
On Sunday, September 11, 1983, The Chicago
Bears played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Soldier Field. My due date was September
29th. My loving husband kissed me goodbye and headed off to cheer
his beloved Bears to victory pager in hand. As it went, the Chicago Bears won the game 17 to 10. Their
season eventually ended with 8 wins and 8 losses.
Sometime that afternoon of the game, I began
to feel “something.” Was I in labor? Should I page my husband? I decided to
phone my parents first. They weren’t home. I then called my in-laws. They weren’t
home either. As a last attempt, I paged my husband and received no response. My
18-month-old daughter and I sat tight and waited for Daddy’s return later that
afternoon. Boy, did someone get an earful that night!
Real labor pains began the next day. I had
this little test that I did as my due date approached. I would put my hands
under my tummy and wiggle my thumbs. Early that morning, my thumbs wiggled
freely. My late afternoon, my thumbs couldn’t move. Our baby was preparing to
be born.
I notified the doctor and was told to keep
him posted on my progress. My husband returned home from work, I fed my little
family dinner and immediately went into full-blown labor. My in-laws were
called and quickly rushed over. There was no time to inform my doctor!
Meanwhile, in preparation for the long night
at the hospital my husband headed upstairs to shave, I think he watched too
many episodes of the Dick Van Dyke Show because that is exactly what Dick Van
Dyke did when Mary Tyler Moore went into labor and needed to go to the hospital.
Dave received a second earful, this time from
his Mother.
“WHAT THE "H, E, DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS" ARE YOU
DOING, MAN!
GET DOWNSTAIRS AND TAKE YOUR WIFE TO THE
HOSPITAL NOW!”
Down he came with a half shaved face and
remnants of shaving cream.
It was just about 7:45 p.m. when we backed
down our driveway and headed due east towards the hospital. I was terribly
worried my baby would be born in the car and urged him to “SPEED!” I knew the baby was coming quickly and
demanded, “DRIVE THOUGH THE RED LIGHTS!”
We pulled up to the Emergency Room, with car
doors left wide open; Dave placed me in a wheel chair never unlocking the
brakes and rushed me inside. A young doctor greeted us and began questioning me
with his list of 100 questions until an experienced nurse approached. She
simply asked, “Is this your first child?” “No,” I replied. She then commanded, “Get
her upstairs!”
It was just like the movies. The nurse
grabbed my wheelchair, unlocked the brakes and ran me through the hospital
corridors straight to the Delivery Room. The obstetrician was notified and
rushed to my aid. Lucky me, he was across the street in a meeting.
No time was wasted. Our son was born at 8:30
p.m. that evening and I still wearing my ugly red and blue plaid blouse. He
arrived just a mere 45 minutes after leaving home. While I held my newborn, my
husband found a payphone and announced the birth of our son to both sets of
grandparents. My in-laws couldn’t believe the news for we had been gone less
than an hour! Dave then went downstairs to close and lock our car doors.
While all my children’s births were
memorable, this birth was THE most exciting. Needless to say, my husband,
learned an important lesson, got rid of the pager and began taking his family’s
needs more seriously.
The 1985 Chicago Bears had us all singing “The
Super Bowl Shuffle” and as you might guess, I was expecting child number three.
Two days before our third child’s birth, the Chicago Bears played the New York
Jets in the Meadowlands. The ‘85 Bears won again this time 19-6.
Our third child was born December 16, 1985,
though not as quickly as his big brother. There was no birth/Chicago Bear game
conflict this time around.
Instead in the wee hours of January 26, 1986,
my husband headed off to the New Orleans for the Super Bowl XX game. What the
heck! It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The 1985 Bears ended their
season with 15 wins, 1 loss and a Super Bowl victory. We will never forget the
Refrigerator Perry, Walter Payton’s Sweetness or The Punky QB.
My parents joined the kids and I as we
watched the Chicago Bears defeat the New England Patriots 46 to 10! My husband
had the time of his Bear Fan life.
Our family of five was complete. There were
lots of football games, but no more Super Bowl wins. Eventually, the season
tickets were sold, repurchased, sold and then repurchased again. My husband
enjoyed a few more years in comfortable Club Seats until they were sold for the
final time.
Depending upon how the Chicago Bears are
playing, He is now happy to watch or not watch Bear games from the comfort of
our home. It was a fun time even though I was really, really mad at my husband
that Sunday in September of 1983.
My loving husband has approved this story and
by the way, those babies have grown into Chicago Bears Fans.
 |
| Two of my Bear Fan babies! |
Go Bears!
Linda
