Kathleen took the pregnancy in stride. After consultations with a doctor in Halifax, she began to eagerly anticipate the arrival of her first child. In the spring of 1951, Kathleen and Bill moved from Elizabeth Street

to a more spacious apartment on Hillside Drive near the lakes. As the due date approached, Kathleen and Bill decided it would be best if she returned to the Murphy home in Emerald where she could receive help

and support both before and after the birth of the first child.

Shawn was born

on July 27 of 1951. It was a time of celebration and

after three to four weeks, Bill came

to take mother

and son back to Halifax. Throughout that late summer

and fall, Kathleen resumed her pattern

Photo of Shawn andD’Arcy taken in 1956 . of accompanying

Bill on some ofhis road trips, infant son in tow. Bill’s work took him to various communities around the Maritimes like Digby, Cape Trail and Yarmouth. They spent Christmas of 1951 in St. George, New Brunswick. In the summer and fall of 1952, they spent about six weeks at the Starlight Hotel in Summerside while Bill conducted testing in the waters around Prince Edward Island. Kathleen enjoyed being back on the Island, close to family and friends. In the fall of 1952, Bill’s mother returned with them to Halifax for a two—week visit. Although Bill traveled extensively during

the busy summer season, he spent winters mainly in the department’s lab in Halifax.

Their second son D’Arcy was born in Halifax on February 3 of 1953. This time, Bill’s mother came to Halifax to be with Shawn while Kathleen was in hospital. However, there were complications. After D’Arcy was just days old, Kathleen was losing a great deal of blood, and would require a dilation and curettage (DSCC) to determine the cause.

96 KATHLEEN MURPHY, MAITRIARC