ELBRIDGE PETER MELVIN BEISNER arr 8:34 p.m.!

Awoke at 3, 4, & 5 with contractions. Called Nancy at 6 a.m. Nancy & Anna Knight arrived at 10 a.m. 4 cm. by 4 p.m. Lennie B [Knight] and Janessa [assistant midwife] arrived around 5 pm. Transition began soon after. 4 or 5 pushes. 10# 2 oz. 22" long. 14-1/2" head circum. 14" chest. Midwives left after 11 p.m. I experience only a dull & tired happiness.

Susan's birthday. Made her cake a.m. while kids watched backhoe digging trenches for electrical lines & new water lines. Sandy [Fultz] stopped in. Dinner at M's & from 5-7:30 I had contractions & lots of anxiety. Left the children at M's & Cal went back with their pajamas. We straightened house & went to bed.

Stayed home all alone to sleep. Went to M's for lunch. We stayed there while Cal went to church for elder's meeting. Had 20 minutes of contractions mid-afternoon. We stayed for supper of frozen pizzas at M's after Cal's return. I am so heavy with baby!

Dr. Addington's predicted due date--came and went with no sign of labor. A difficult day emotionally--we shouldn't have due dates perhaps for the disappointment that follows when nothing happens. Invited M for dinner. She took Susan & Kilby h ome for overnight.

She washes dishes very well now, standing on the round, green ottoman. Susan is nearly 5 years old now. Today she and Kilby are at Nonnie's house. They played there yesterday & spent the night. We'll go there for dinner & bring them back home after. Susan continues to have an especially close relationship to Nonnie. Susan is a serious student & already can read nearly as well as David and with far more expression when reading aloud. How it warmed me to see her reading to little Becky (16 months old) the other day in the recliner. She will sit and compose letters to people, staying at it until she's finished. David's learned to play chess & now she works hard at it. She hasn't got the graphic & logical facilities that David has but a lot more perseverance and she's determined to learn. So she's been hounding me each day for the past two weeks to play chess with her. (I think we shall grow into quite a chess-playing family; as I practice with the kids I'm improving, too!)

Lord, please give me love, affection, and understanding for this beautiful little girl.

Decided to keep David & Kilby out of S.S. & since M. needed us & Cal was to have a mtg. w/ the session. I took them & Susan to M's mid-a.m. Then Cal took D & S to p.m. church & then home. K & I stayed here w/M. for the night. She's very discouraged & in great pain. Precious Kilby: when I tucked her in she looked up in consternation & said "Bible? Joy Joy?" Bless her--she knew we didn't have devotions! Thanks, God, for that. I sang a few songs for her and she was satisfied.

Nice, slow morning but I'm so tired for little sleep! Joy stayed till 11 a.m. leaving right after devotions. Since she'd never had grits, I made them & fried eggs for breakfast. Made potato soup for M's return & other food prep while kids napped. At 3 we left for M's & Cal went on to get her from the airport. I spent a nice afternoon (sunny & warm) w/ kids. Cal returned w/ M at 5:30 & took kids home for supper & bed. I stayed to help M unpack & we shared soup together. She's so tired but stays up. In a great deal of pain. I went home at 8. Cal & I watched Mutiny on the Bounty.

Cal brought me breakfast in bed right after I got up. Very late night at Sentis' Y a bad night of sleep & dreams of the clutter around Dean's life & mind. Cal also dreamt of Sentis. Day was difficult & I became very selfish by dinnertime--partly frustrated by routine of meals broken by Cal's use of dining table for editing. I irrationally lashed out at Bible study group. I'd like to go but it simply can't mesh w/ our needs right now. Gretchen called moments before Cal left to tell us about M's ankle! Bible study over early & Cal & David returned by 8:30. Cal brought vacuum, but forgot the part I needed so I returned Friday morning to get it--mailed present to Beverley & photo to George Grant--took kids to M's house to watch Charlotte's Web since it was raining out & I didn't need all day to clean. Home for lunch. Worked while kids had quiet times. Only Kilby napped. Nice evening with Knights and Stoltz. We sang acc. by Ken's guitar & the children were very well-behaved. Joy spent the night. Keith called--still in New York :-(

Woke very early refreshed. Had devotions while David sat quietly on the couch--he'd heard me creeping around as soon as I'd gotten up! Girls & Cal woke around 7. Kids & I went grocery shopping & found a new park (Sunset & 13th) to play in. The temps are high 60s!! Began chili for Friday night. Susan wet at naps for 2nd day in row. Left for dinner at Sentis' at 4 p.m.

Got up early & read Bible while kids awoke slowly. Discovered washer not spinning but later found it was caused by a stuck washcloth. Spent the day at home (David & Susan outside until David disobeyed by getting water to make mud in a hole--God gave grace to discipline him wisely & not to scream at him. He'd lied to me about what he was doing.) But ran to P.O. before 4:30 to mail birthday cards & mail for Cal. Took Kilby w/ me. Cal took kids to M's after dinner so I could clean. :-)

Intended to stay home from church for little sleep but went anyway. Cal took us to Lin's for lunch after church. Home for naps (Cal studied) then to p.m. church where Cal preached on James 1 & how it relates to our young church. Home for alight supper of egg-in-holes & jello.

Took David to Ross's birthday party & the girls & I went to Donut Shop and Hancock's where I bought material for a new baby blanket & a skirt for Susan. Lunch of cheese and crackers at Wetherbees' then kids & I went to Springdale to Fed Ex Cal's index to Crossway & shop at Sam's. Stayed up late reading then couldn't sleep for grief about our relationship w/ the kids. Met Jesus 11:30p.m.--12:30a.m.