I am posting this mainly for folks who knew Mary Ann. But for those of you who did not, she had a birth defect and her left arm was pretty much useless. Her parents taught her that there wasn't anything she couldn't do and that was the way she lived.

We were living in Jersey City NJ in 1968 when we learned that Mary Ann was pregnant. Since we didn't know any doctors, Mary Ann picked a prenatal OB-GYN from the phone book, mainly on the basis of she was a she.

About the fifth month of visits, Mary Ann went alone. The Dr. called me as soon as Mary Ann had left the office so she knew I would be alone. She asked, "Are you a stay at home Dad?"

I said, "No. I'm a Flight Instructor."

"Well, are you going to have a Nanny?" 

"You aren't listening. I am a Flight Instructor. I get paid $5.00 per hour of flight instruction. If the weather is bad, I don't make anything. No. We certainly can't afford a Nanny. Why do you even ask."

"Well, Mary Ann certainly can't take care of a baby."

"Of course she can. What do you think she can't do?"

"Lots of things but for one, obviously she can't pin on a diaper with one hand."

This was WAY before Pampers.

"Dr. I believe you misspoke. What you meant to say is you can't pin on a diaper with one hand."

"Have you ever seen her do it."

"No. But it will not be a problem. And neither will feeding or any other aspect of caring for him/her. Thank you for your time. Goodby. "

I didn't tell Mary Ann at the time because I saw no reason to upset her.  But a few months later she came home from the Dr. so angry she could hardly talk. The Dr. had given her the card of another Dr. and told her to make an appointment to see him because she only did prenatal. She didn't do deliveries. Since she was so upset anyway, I told her about my conversation with the Dr.

BIG MISTAKE.  Mary Ann had absolutely no problem pinning on a diaper with her one good hand. I had major problems using two. I regularly stuck myself.  When I yelled, Mary Ann would say, 'If you did it like I showed you that wouldn't happen." Because I don't believe any one has ever stuck themselves in the hand that held the pin.

God is merciful. By the time Adam came along Pampers made it a lot easier.