Tuesday, December 11, 2007

December 11, 1978

December 11, 1978; a day that will live in Marty's infancy. I'd like to tell this story from my point of view (which was admittedly fairly painless). It was on a day just like this...Dona drove me to school on that day (remember we lived in Hyrum) because she had a appointment with the doctor. At that time, I taught two periods of English at the beginning of the day. I was finished with my English classes and was headed to the PE office. When I got there, the phone in the office was ringing but someone had jammed a pencil where the key goes. I couldn't get in. Just then, the school secretary ripped open the boys locker door and frantically told me that Dona was having a baby...right now! I dropped everything and ran to the front of the school (by the main office) right past Dona and to the car which was parked out front. I got to the car and paused and thought, who was that pregnant lady I just passed in the hall? Eventually I got everything straightened out. We drove to the hospital which at the time was kitty corner from the Logan Temple. While we waited for Marty to be delivered, we watched David Letterman (who at that time had a day time talk show). He was funny and I remember that Marty was delivered without too much trouble (Dona may have a better point of view on that). That afternoon, I went back to school to coach the wrestling team. When I walked in the wrestling room, everyone stopped and looked at me. I said, "It's a boy!" and they all cheered. We had been saving the name, Joseph Martin Reeder (my Grandfather's name), for our first born son. Emily and Daisy were just not right for the name so we just kept waiting. As you know, I never knew my grandfather because he died from a typhus epidemic in 1923 just weeks before my father was born. From what I do know, he was a good man. I'd say that so far, Marty has done right with his name. Happy Birthday Marty!

8 comments:

nana said...

Actually the only thing I can add to that story was I remember being mad that Marty came so fast because I didn't get to see the end of David Letterman!

nana said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Emily said...

Marty,
That day, regretably, is a little foggy for me as well...and as you notice from dad's narrative, they didn't seem to concerned about the two daughters that they already had. I was probably at home taking care of Daisy, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, and Daisy was probably watching 'Friends.' Anyways, Happy Birthday! We celebrated by Canyon getting his haircut. It was a BLAST! Trieste even made cake.

(Does anyone have that picture of Marty asleep on the toilet? That would be great here.)

daisy said...

Happy Birthday Yesterday! Sorry I didn't get to say it to you on THE day...I was flying home from London.

Papa said...

For the record...Emily and Daisy were not left home alone. Actually I think that Mom left you with Aunt Pat. By that afternoon you were cared for by Grandma Reeder. It's not likely that you watched anything on TV because we didn't have one at that time. That is why you all became such voracious readers (no pun intended). There were no dishes to do because when those chores fell to me, we just used paper plates. Finally...I'm glad that Daisy could remind us peasants that she was freaking flying home from LONDON! "While the rest of us went without the meat and cursed the bread."

sadie said...

Yes, happy birthday martin. We've tried to call you a few times--and made our daughters (Parly and Clayre) leave messages for you while their "real" mom was flying home from London (as Daisy reminded us already).

Shayne said...

Daisy, wasn't London great? Much fun, it was truly Magic.

Marty Reeder said...

Sorry it took me so long to read my own Birthday Blog. I would have read sooner, but I was on my yacht, coming home from Singapore. That is a cool memory to have. Thanks for all the comments. My memory of the actual event is pretty hazy too, but I do seem to recall Letterman hosting Billy Murray ...?