It seems my entire day revolves around waiting for the mail to arrive to see if a letter has come from Ted. Hopefully one will come today. I feel like I’ve aged 10 years in the last two months.
Ted’s father, Bill, and I got married in Florida in July 1987. Six months later, we went to Connecticut to live with my maternal grandparents when my 39-year-old aunt (who was blind and 90% deaf) died of a heart attack. My grandfather had built their large house himself in a well-to-do neighborhood in Bloomfield.
Ted was born in Hartford Hospital in June 1989. From day one, Ted was showered with love and attention. Someone was always holding him.
A few weeks after he was born, the doctor discovered he was allergic to milk. He spit up everything he ate. He had basically been starving. Once he was switched to soy formula he was fine.
Ted loved toy cars. He would sit in his high chair for hours pushing Matchbox cars back and forth, making brrrmmm, brrmmm noises.
When he was two, we bought him his first electric car, a small red convertible. He also had a Little Tikes plastic pedal car and a pedal bulldozer. He would zoom all over the large yard as fast as he could go. He also sat in my grandfather’s lap when he mowed the lawn on a riding lawnmower and drove with him in a golf cart.
My grandparents both had large electric scooters. We would load both of them into a van and go to the local mall to sometimes eat at the food court. My grandmother rode her scooter at top speed, practically mowing down mall visitors in her path. Ted, of course, was perched on her lap. My grandfather followed behind at a more leisurely pace, with Bill and I walking behind. I’m sure this is where Ted got his love of fast cars.
Ted also constantly had a pacifier in his mouth. He wouldn’t give it up and used one until he was four years old.
I can’t help but wonder if all of the comforting contributed to him looking for replacements in alcohol and drugs as he got older.
Photos: Ted in his electric and pedal cars.
Ted’s father, Bill, and I got married in Florida in July 1987. Six months later, we went to Connecticut to live with my maternal grandparents when my 39-year-old aunt (who was blind and 90% deaf) died of a heart attack. My grandfather had built their large house himself in a well-to-do neighborhood in Bloomfield.
Ted was born in Hartford Hospital in June 1989. From day one, Ted was showered with love and attention. Someone was always holding him.
A few weeks after he was born, the doctor discovered he was allergic to milk. He spit up everything he ate. He had basically been starving. Once he was switched to soy formula he was fine.
Ted loved toy cars. He would sit in his high chair for hours pushing Matchbox cars back and forth, making brrrmmm, brrmmm noises.
When he was two, we bought him his first electric car, a small red convertible. He also had a Little Tikes plastic pedal car and a pedal bulldozer. He would zoom all over the large yard as fast as he could go. He also sat in my grandfather’s lap when he mowed the lawn on a riding lawnmower and drove with him in a golf cart.
My grandparents both had large electric scooters. We would load both of them into a van and go to the local mall to sometimes eat at the food court. My grandmother rode her scooter at top speed, practically mowing down mall visitors in her path. Ted, of course, was perched on her lap. My grandfather followed behind at a more leisurely pace, with Bill and I walking behind. I’m sure this is where Ted got his love of fast cars.
Ted also constantly had a pacifier in his mouth. He wouldn’t give it up and used one until he was four years old.
I can’t help but wonder if all of the comforting contributed to him looking for replacements in alcohol and drugs as he got older.
Photos: Ted in his electric and pedal cars.
Next: Another family tragedy
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