My 1st Child



Raymond Paul Swett Jr. Born March 10th 1962



I drew this picture of Ray Jr April 1962
My sweet 1st Child 

Our 1st Son was born all too quickly it seemed about 3pm in the afternoon.  My water had broke about 5am - a vist to see Dr. Phyllis resulted in a trip to the Hospital in Tarrytown, New York.  She was going to give me a spinal block but Raymond came too soon so she put me under.  I woke up later and when the nurse tried to walk me to the Bathroom I fainted.  When I awoke they had blood running in.  The Dr said I had lost too much during delivery.  Raymond was only 5 1/2 lbs and came early so he was placed in the Incubator for several days...I remember seeing him for the 1st time from the OB window, I longed to hold him.  He had a Shock of Red Hair and seemed to be all legs and arms, when he stretched he seemed so tall at 19.5 inches.  Such a little fighter.  Daddy was so proud he was Handing out Cigars and crowing like a Daddy Rooster to everyone.  The week in the hospital went fast and we came home - Parents at last.   This little baby was so amazing and I was so scared, I had not had any experience with babies.  I was so fearful of dropping him that for the 1st month I bathed him on my bed with Johnson's Pink Baby Lotion - one body part at a time.  1st the arm - I uncovered it taking off his little shirt slowly and replacing the shirt with a clean one as I continued washing him.  I remember the Visiting Nurse showing me how to bath him using the New Bathing stand I had.  Well it wasn't till he was over a month old before I even attempted to use it.  We lived in the same house with my parents on Taxter Road in Elmsford at the Time.  Ray had made us our own apartment on the other side of the Large house -upstairs that  dad was renting.  We had three rooms - a kitchen, living room and bedroom.  It was originally an old Farm Stable and house combination with no heat or running water.  I think my dad paid $20 a month to rent it.  By the time Ray Jr was born Raymond had built a full kitchen and was working on bringing water in from the well for our kitchen with my Uncle Abie who was living in Downstairs apartment. Without running water Raymond had to hand carry 2 pails of water from the well every morning before going to work at Safeflight Corp. I used the water to wash diapers and cook with and he had to get more when he returned from work.   Mom and Dad rented the apartment upstairs over the Stable Area. The house was large and it was a full mile out of town surrounded by woodland with only one neighbor near us.  I had lived there since I was 5 or 6 and had many great memories of that house.