Moses Basket Elaine

Around the end of February 1981 I was delighted to discover that I was pregnant again.  I always suffered with morning sickness but this time it seemed worse. I had four other children and as we lived in the countryside, I was always on the road bringing them to their different activities so maybe this made my sickness seem worse. That involved all into the car whether they were involved in the activity or not.  That made me very popular as play time was interrupted, so many a row was had by all!  Summer arrived and that offered some relaxation.  We always went camping to Killmuckridge in Wexford, so that year was no exception.  The weather was glorious as it always was and believe it or not it was more restful than being at home.  Soon September had come around and it was back to the hectic runs again.  My GP was concerned that I might deliver at home again so visits were more frequent.  My due date was in early December.   I had my bags ready and the Moses basket had been taken down and aired along with blankets and baby sheets. There was a great air of expectation in the house and endless questions as to when baby was coming and most importantly was it a boy or a girl? That was a very contentious matter, as we had two boys and two girls.  It had been decided by my Gynaecologist and GP that I should be brought into hospital before my due date so as to avoid any emergencies!!  I agreed and thought I will avail of an Epidural, as on previous births I went into labour so fast I had no pain relief.  I was admitted on the 26th November and told I would have my waters broken the following morning.  The next morning I was told, due to an emergency it would be after dinner before my procedure could take place.  My waters were broken, I was in full labour and twenty minutes later my daughter Elaine was born weighting in at 9lbs.  There was great excitement and of course the girls were gloating!  They were in the majority and my eldest daughter Louise decided they were in charge!  Once again the Moses basket made its way into the Erinville Hospital. Sometime before I knew I was pregnant we had got a new dog, a King Charles whose name was Zing.  At that time a new video about the life of Judy Garland had been released.  It was a firm favourite in our house, it had some lovely tunes one of which was called “Zing goes the strings of my heart”.  This was the most popular song and it was decided to name the dog Zing.  He was a great hit among the children.  I wondered how he would take to the new arrival.  I need not have worried as he lay at the base of the basket as if he were guarding it.  He was on occasion found at the end of the basket when she was had been taken out of it to be nursed!  All these years later she herself is married and had two King Charles one of which she named Zing.