The Baby

"The Baby" opens with father James out of town working, the family planning a surprise baby shower for expectant mother Loretta Simpson (Mary Alice). Willona admits to buying JJ his first rattle, though Thelma disagrees: "JJ's first rattle was the one in his head!" Cora (Vivian Bonnell) is just relieved to attend a shower for someone else, having been to the maternity ward quite often: "I carried seven kids for nine months each, and all my husband carried was a handful of cigars!" Loretta is a widow on welfare with two kids, not able to take care of a third, putting it up for adoption. With Florida, Willona, and Thelma at the market shopping for dinner, Loretta informs JJ that she's ready to give birth, so he mistakenly phones the pet hospital: "they told me to put Loretta in a cardboard box and let nature take its course!"