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Tracey's StoryI know. Everybody thinks they have the cutest little girl in the whole wide world. I did. Really.
Tracey was born in November of 1969 and even in her incubator (which I could see from my bed in the delivery room) I recognized her. She lay there blinking at me and I said to myself, “So, there’s Tracey Talone!” She was healthy, sweet, smart, tidy, loving and funny. As I said, cutest little girl in the whole wide world! I loved nothing more than to show her off.
Tracey was born in November of 1969 and even in her incubator (which I could see from my bed in the delivery room) I recognized her. She lay there blinking at me and I said to myself, “So, there’s Tracey Talone!” She was healthy, sweet, smart, tidy, loving and funny. As I said, cutest little girl in the whole wide world! I loved nothing more than to show her off.
Taking my well-behaved daughter places was never a problem for me and my husband Andy. In the spring of the year after she turned two, Tracey had a mild attack of the stomach flu. It wasn’t a big deal and a day or so later we were excited to go to a local fair. It was a lovely early spring day, but I recall that Tracey behaved unlike herself and had no interest in speaking to anyone. She demanded to be carried and burrowed her head into my neck. No big deal.
The big deal happened when she arrived in our bedroom a few days later, when I noticed that her eyes looked swollen. I was worried, but later in the day they were fine.
We went to see our pediatrician, Dr. Troncelliti, who reassured me that it was most likely a case of spring allergies. The sneezers were sneezing and the coughers were coughing.
On Easter Sunday we went to my sister’s house for dinner. Both my mother and my mother-in-law were there and my mother mentioned that Tracey had such “sturdy little legs.” I responded a bit too quickly and defensively, saying that of course she didn’t. My mother backed down and changed the subject. My mother-in-law, Helen, took Tracey to the potty for me. When she returned, she casually mentioned how dark-colored her urine was. That information went right over my head. Read More.