"Oct 1 - We went visiting today - we packed a bag with bottles & diapers & a jar of fruit, etc & took off for the afternoon. We stopped at Aunt Hannah's first but she was making a mission. Mae & Tom were there so we took them along & went down to Frances & saw the new baby - he looks big & is awfully good. Nothing like Mary Ellen when she was that age. After we left there, we went over to John's house where we gave Mary Ellen her supper. She was very good all day - slept on the seat all the way over to John's house. This morning Ma gave her a funny page out of the paper to play with on the bed. She loves to kick them - I suppose the noise amuses her. Anyhow I went in a little later to see how she was doing & what a shock I got when I picked her up. Her two feet were black from the print off the newspaper. Did she look funny. We put her foot prints in the baby book.
Oct 9 - John was on vacation all last week & all this week so we've been quite busy. He took me & Mary Ellen up to Waltham a couple of days, carriage & all, & dumped us out up there & called for us a couple of hours later. It's a good way to get some shopping done. This month has been beautiful so far & Mary Ellen slept out a couple of mornings seeing that John was working downstairs & could keep an eye on her. Sat. (Oct 7) John took me & Hannie & Mary Ellen to Waltham. We pushed Mary Ellen up & down Moody St. & went shopping in lots of stores. She was very good & behaved like a little lady. Lots of people stopped to talk & look at her & thought she was a beautiful baby which of course she is. She drank a bottle & a good thing as John didn't pick us up till almost 5:30. We got mixed up in our signals. All in all it was a very good day for all concerned. Sunday (Oct 8) we went out riding, came home at 5:30, changed Mary Ellen's diaper, gave her a bottle & took Ma into Aunt Nellie's. Mary Ellen was in a great mood & was laughing & yelling at Ma in the back seat. She was very good at Aunt Nellie's so she made a good impression there.
Mon. Oct 9 Today we bought a refrigerator. This afternoon when I took Mary Ellen out I went to the bank & cashed some war bonds & then walked up to Shutt's to pay for the refrigerator. We stayed out till 4 oclock & then John took us up to Waltham after a diaper change. Mary Ellen had a bottle in the car & we got home at 5 oclock after being out since 1:15. As Ma said Mary Ellen is having a great time now that all the shopping is going on. She goes to the bank with me to cash bonds and then we go to the post office, etc to pay the bills. What fun. Mary Ellen grabs her toes now & today managed to get one in her mouth. She also tries to drink the water when I give her a bath & in spite of me puts her hands in her mouth all soapy water. She pulls my hair, pinches me & opens my belts - really gives me a hard time. I can hardly hold her on the bathinette now she rolls around so much trying to pull everything out of the pockets."
Pictures from October 1
Frances Keohane Smith holding Terry and Bob Smith
Mum holding MEM, Bobby Smith, Frances holding Terry
"Oct 10 - Poured rain all day - Peggy, Chris & John Joseph were here all day - much confusion! In the afternoon I bundled Mary Ellen up, put on my raincoat, umbrella & all, & John took me up to see Annie in the hospital. It was really pelting but Mary Ellen didn't seem to mind at all. As we were going up the hill to the hospital she stunned us both by suddenly bursting out with da-da-da. First time she's said that & it was completely unexpected. Annie looks wonderful & says she feels fine. John minded Mary Ellen in the car & gave her a bottle. When we got home it was raining so hard we had to sit in the car till it let up enough to dash in with Babushka."
"Oct 14 - Ma, Hannie & Norman went to New York for the weekend. Today in her bath Mary Ellen put her big toe in her mouth & sucked it like mad (& so loud). She also licked the water off the sole of her foot. She also turned completely around in the crib. I put her in with her feet toward the foot of the crib. John went in a little while later & she was in the opposite direction. She really rolls all around now. Also tonight we were out in the kitchen & heard her screaming - when we rushed in she was face down with one arm & one leg out thru the bars of the crib & her face was buried between the mattress & the bars.
She said la la today."
"Oct 15 - Took Mary Ellen out walking - up Spring St over past Victory Field & Orchard St - down Waverly Ave. She slept most of the way. Hannie brought her Bugs Bunny from New York which aggravates her terribly when she drops it. When she plays with anything she cries if she drops it & gets red with anger. She also tries to pull everything over her face & makes 'pigeon noises' as Ma calls it. It aggravates her after a while & then she roars crying. A couple of times I've had to pick her up & carry her home pushing the carriage to stop her from crying after she's been pulling the blanket over her face."
"Oct 16 - Peggie & the kids were down all day - Peggie is looking at Mr Brennan's house on Green St Terrace. Had Mary Ellen out all afternoon till 5:15 to relieve the tension. At 4:30 we were just starting down the street to buy milk.
Oct 17 - Ma went up to Peggie's. Had Mary Ellen out all afternoon. Beautiful days.
Oct 18 - Had Mary Ellen out all afternoon. Met Madeline & Davy.
Oct 19 - Out all afternoon with Mary Ellen. Met Hannie on her way home from Medical Center. She has a boil on her elbow. Eileen was here & brought booties she made for Mary Ellen."
"Oct 19 - Walked up to Dr Barrons with Hannie. She told him Mary Ellen was a brat. He came out to see her & told us she wasn't spoiled in the hospital so - . Mary Ellen was fascinated by the cars rushing up & down Main St.
Oct 20 - Hannie, Mary Ellen & I walked up to Virginia's to see her 5 wks old baby. Mary Ellen was good & slept all the way home.
Oct 21 - Took Mary Ellen up to see the fire on Chestnut St, met Mrs Rady & she was entranced by Mary Ellen who laughed, yelled & talked for her. She hopes Rita has a baby half as nice as Mary Ellen - Out all afternoon."
This photo was taken October 4 - 4 months old
Norman must have taken these Polaroid pictures.
"Oct 22 - Cold today! John washed the diapers while I took Mary Ellen out - we saw a wedding.
I'm busy making curtains, etc for downstairs. We'll be moving in soon."
Oct 28 - Moved to our new apt tonight - much confusion. I've been using Mary Ellen's carriage to bring home all the shopping - the only thing she objected to was a big wastebasket which she didn't like on top of her. I had to take it out of the bag (cause the wind was rattling it) & put it on the handle bar. I also had a shopping bag full of Peggie's laundry. What a day that was.
Oct 29 - Sunday - had dinner at Ma's & went up to see Mrs Furtach afterwards. Mary Ellen was at her worst, had to have a bottle & finally fell asleep. Violet came in & when Mary E awoke she was in a better mood & smiled & laughed to her.
Oct 30 - First night alone. Mary Ellen woke up at 5:15. I hated prowling around the house when it was dark.
October 31 - Halloween - Had all the kids - trick or treat. Mary Ellen was afraid of some of them the way they were dressed. The night before Chris came down dressed up & then we put a kerchief & my sweater on Mary Ellen & took her upstairs - trick or treat.
Nov 4 - Mary Ellen is 5 mos today - also it's a week since we've been housekeeping. Mary Ellen has been much better - gets to sleep about 8 or 8:30, behaves better during the day. I like being on our own - don't care too much for the cooking.
Mary Ellen is getting so big & so active - she rolls all over the crib & bathinette & tries like mad to sit up - strains her neck trying to pull herself up. Sits in the teeter chair a lot.
She practically runs all over the kitchen holding her under the arms - her feet go like mad.
Nov 5 - Mary Ellen rolled over on her stomach today on the bed with much grunting & heaving. When I told John the big news, he told me she did it yesterday too - her birthday - 5 mos old. "
A couple more Polaroids - above you just barely make out Norman holding me.
"Nov 28 - I've been neglecting Mary Ellen's diary. I'll try to fill in some of the things she's been doing & the progress she's been making since the last time I wrote in it.
She's been behaving very good during the day - she takes longer naps now - two hours in the morning & almost two in the afternoon. That gives me more time to get things done & especially since we got the Bendix running its made things a lot easier. However I spend so much time playing with Mary Ellen I never have everything done. She sits up good in the teeter chair & I load her up with rattles & toys & she plays good with them - no more pulling them over her head & face & getting aggravated at them. Of course our backs are broken from picking the things up for her as they eventually land on the floor. I also have quite a struggle with her during her bath - as soon as she gets in the water she wants to be sitting up splashing & doesn't want me to wash under her chin & arms at all. She's also good while we're out smiling at strangers & taking them quite by surprise. A couple of people have come up to me & told me they've seen her outside stores & she's smiled at them. Also if she catches anyone's eye passing us she gives them a big wide smile. She's gone thru several stages - one, shaking her head from side to side. One day while I was pushing her around the Star Market in a basket she started doing it & a little kid said 'Mummy, Mummy, see the baby saying no no". Another trick is puff puffing her lips together as tho she's smoking a pipe. Also she sticks her tongue out (down to her chin practically) & does the raspberry. One night when Hannie, Norman & I had her with us looking at furniture she hardly stopped at all doing the raspberry & when some woman stopped to talk to her she put her tongue out to its full length. Norman had her looking in all the mirrors & she was laughing so hard we could hear her when we couldn't even see her. All you have to do is hold her in front of a mirror & she smiles like mad. Also she loves John's picture & smiles & laughs every time she sees it. When she sees John sleeping during the day she starts laughing too & has often woken him up.
Another one of her new tricks is coughing - she found out she could do that & she has spells of coughing. She closes her eyes & coughs & then laughs. We tell her she has an awful cold when we hear her doing it. She also wrinkles up her nose & sniffles like mad. That's a favorite trick of hers. And then of course she has started scratching - herself, me & anything she can reach, bedclothes included. When I'm giving her her bottle she scratches me & then lifts up her dress & scratches her bare stomach. What a child. When I went to the show the other night she almost scratched John's neck to ribbons. It was all scratches when I got home. Well I guess that just about covers all her new tricks since the last time I wrote in this.
Today, Nov 28th, she got her first tooth. It's barely thru the gum but enough so it tinkles on the glass when she drinks. When I took her upstairs to show everyone, Hannie gave her a piece of fudge to celebrate. I guess it must be a sweet tooth as she loved it & licked & lapped her lips for five minutes.
Dec 1 - Went to the show with Hannie & Norman. Daddy was baby sitter for Mary Ellen. She didn't go to sleep till 11:15 & when we got home he was exhausted.
Dec 2 - Took Mary Ellen shopping - piled her up with bundles as usual. She went to sleep at 7 o'clock tonight."
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