Newborn Me

You could have a totally boring photo of our afternoon tea mugs steaming on the table, but inspired by Kendall's entry about story telling, and because have been going through old photos, decided to post instead this photo of me, newborn, so it will have been in December 1958, taken, I'm guessing, in front of our home in Puyupungu, Oriente, Ecuador.

My Dad was American, Californian. His first wife and four youngest children were killed in a car accident in Mexico; he was left with the two oldest, Nancy and Tim. A few years later, he met my British Mum, who was a missionary midwife in Ecuador, and despite advice from her best friend not to marry him, she did - I am the oldest of their five kids. It was good advice, but she had many happy years with him, and said she never regretted marrying him - because of us kids.

My Dad had had a vasectomy after his six kids with Grace, his first wife. Then got it reversed, but felt it was something of a miracle when my Mum got pregnant with me - my name is a combination of his - David, and my Mum's - Jean, but spelt with two e's because of Doreen, their mutual friend who told my Mum not to marry him... and it's pronounced like DAV-id on the first syllable - not Duveen, like most seem to say it!

When she went into labour, they radioed the MAF plane, who came to fly her out to the jungle hospital in Shell Mera. There happened to be a visiting American doctor, who was quite a pioneer in epidurals, which he administered to her, and she was thrilled with the pain free labour.

Nancy, missing her younger siblings, took over as much of my care as she could. I lived with her in Fresno, California, when I was fifteen; she died a few years ago from lung cancer, having never smoked. My brother, Tim, became an aeroplane pilot, is now retired in New Zealand with his Kiwi wife, and is a very occasional Blipper.

Gratefuls:
- these old photos (might post some more...)
- having had good people for my parents
- my three kids, two sons-in-law, and my grandkids