[Critique Group 1] October 26 submission

[kathryngc at juno.com]

Critique1 October 26  7:30 PM
Critique dial in 1-641-715-3288.  339052 pound 

 Here's another slice of a much longer piece I'm working on.
Book III:  Wife and Mother 
#36. The Baby Can’t Go Home
   “There’s no way you can take your new-born home from the hospital,” a
Social Worker in the delivery suite told Grace.
   Grace couldn’t believe her ears. Didn’t the records show that during
her pregnancy, she and Ken had taken parenting classes, natural
childbirth classes, toured the hospital, and been well prepared for the
birth of their first baby, William?
   “I had baby-sat nieces and nephews without a problem, Grace said
around the brick in her throat, trying to stay calm despite the tears
stinging her eyes. “My Mother and I have had many conversations about
childcare. I am healthy. My baby is healthy. Why, on earth, can’t I take
my baby home?”
   “Well, you’re blind. You can’t see if the baby has a nose bleed,” the
SW said. “How would you ever know if he has a diaper rash or Thrush? How
could you ever measure and mix the baby’s formula and pour it into the
bottle?”
   The delivery nurse brought William to Grace and waited until he
latched on properly to her breast for lunch.
   “Here’s the answer to how I can feed my baby,” Grace said fondling his
fuzzy, perfect little round head.
   The SW sniffed and huffed out of the room, holding her clipboard
against her chest. Grace knew that although she’d won that skirmish,
there would be more to come in the war.
   “Ken,  they won’t let us bring William home,” Grace groaned when he
came in that evening. “Before now, I’ve never felt like ripping off
someone’s face!”
   “Grace,” he said  kissing her tear stained cheeks and her trembling
lips, “you’re a teacher. This may be the most important lesson you’ll
ever teach”
   The next morning, the SW came back to grill Grace on how she would
take care of an infant.
  “How will you change the baby’s diaper?” she asked, so, Grace went over
to the maternity suite’s bassinet where William was waking up.
   “I learned from changing my nephew’s diapers that you always keep
everything covered,” Grace said as she demonstrated her technique. 
“Then, with a moist baby wipe, I make a "Y" patterned swipe to make sure
whatever smells so bad gets cleaned off. I have the clean, disposable 
diaper open and ready to "lift butt, insert diaper and tab shut" in one
fell swoop.  The lidded pail for dirty diapers is next to the bassinet
and all my supplies are within my easy reach, but out of William’s little
hands.”    
   Grace then wrapped William in a soft receiving blanket by lying him on
it with his head on the top corner, bringing up the bottom corner to
cover his legs; crossing the right corner over his body, snuggling his
arms underneath it; bringing the left corner over the right; and snugging
the Bottom corner over both the right and left edges. Grace picked
William up, neatly bundled into his blanket, being careful to support his
head with her hand.
   As Grace nursed William, the SW asked, “How will you give the baby a
bath?” 
    “ Our shower head is on a six-foot hose. I’ll put the shower head on
the floor of the tub,” Grace said. “ Then place a hand towel on the
bottom and wet it with warm water - keeping the shower running. After
William is stripped lying on a dry towel on the floor next to the tub,
I’ll lift him into the tub and lay him face up on the warm towel. This
leaves one hand to hold the shower head and one hand to roam around his
body to guide the water stream. My nephew loved the gently tickling of
the warm shower before and after I lathered him with a sponge loaded with
gentle body wash lotion.
   “When we're finished, I’ll open the dry towel and hold it under each
of my arms across my chest; lift William up and place him against me;
bring the other end of the towel around him, and, voila, one baby washed
and wrapped in a warm towel ready to be dried and dressed.”
   The SW wrote something down on her clipboard as Grace moved William to
her shoulder to pat his back. William produced a gentlemanly burp and
Grace laid him on his side in the bassinet. With his dry diaper, full
belly, and a warm bed, William went right to sleep without a fuss.
    The training nurse, who had been standing by, complimented Grace on
her handling of William, but, the SW didn’t say a word as she huffed out 
of the room.
   “I don’t think the SW was impressed this morning,” Grace said to Ken
when he visited in the evening.
   Ken kissed her and said, ”You’re a great teacher. You’ll win her over
yet.”
    
 
#37. The Home Visit
   The SW was prompt for her appointment with Ken at their home.
   “How can newlyweds afford a home like this?” she asked.
   Ken wanted to tell her that wasn’t any of her business, but, knew it
wouldn’t do any good to alienate the Social Worker. “Grace and I waited
to get married until after we graduated from college and had jobs. She’s
a Natural Sciences teacher and I’m a Professor at the Eastman School of
Music.”
    “Grace won’t be working for a while, will she?  How will you keep up
payments on your bills?” she pried.
   “Grace and I agreed from the beginning that we’d live on my salary .
We’ve put her salary into savings. Now, aren’t you here to see where
William will sleep?”
   Ken showed her into the light, airy corner room they had prepared for
William. Pale blue walls coordinated with the blue plaid drapes. The
wooden crib had a firm mattress made up with white linen sheets and a
blue quilt that matched the ruffle surrounding the mattress.  The
vertical spindles were close enough so William wouldn’t get his head
through them. The change table,  was a safety rail atop a sturdy dresser
with drawers for William’s clothes where Grace had everything close at
hand, but, not close enough for a curious child to grab. A lidded diaper
pail stood ready on the floor next to the change table. The comfortable
rocking chair’s arms seemed poised to embrace a nursing mother and her
babe. The day-bed sported a variety of stuffed Teddy Bears, Snoopy Dogs,
and cuddly kittens, not to mention a Dapper Dan waiting patiently to
teach his boy how to zip his coat, button his shirt, snap his pants, and
tie his shoes.
   The SW wrote something on her clipboard, thanked Ken, and left.
    “I don’t know what she thought,” Ken said that evening when he
visited Grace. “She didn’t say anything.”
   “I’m taking William down to the nursery,” the maternity suite nurse
said as she bustled in to Grace’s room.
   Ken saw Grace’s face go pale and he put his hands over her clenched
fist before she could say anything.
   “Are you two ready for your complimentary steak and sparkling grape
juice dinner? The candles are already lit. I’ll take William into the
nursery so you can enjoy your last quiet dinner together.” She winked at 
     them as the aide ushered them to the dining room.
   It was a sure sign that William would be going home with them in the
morning. They’d won the war.
   

Kate Chamberlin
kathryngc at juno.com
"Dream it. Write it. Read it."
www.katechamberlin.com
____________________________________________________________
Do This Before Bed Tonight to Burn Belly Flab All Night Long
Flat Belly Protacol
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/580554ee28854ed37b1st03vuc
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