Spring 1960 in Algiers — Martin's birth

Letter from Claude to Tandree
Algiers, 3 May 1960
...I've been in impatientness for 1 week, I'm ready to go to the clinic every night – because I have contractions that put me on alert and it's very unpleasant....
Yves leaves in Mostaganem tomorrow for Friday (6 May). And I think it's the last time, because his replacement is officially named.
There's been a rain of flood on Algiers since yesterday. Algeria is really green right now.
Here I found a convenient market near a single price, and once a week I shop by bringing back a mountain of car baskets.
Frédéric has little appetite at the moment and he's a little bit thin again. Christophe is a big...
___________________________________

Letter from Claude to his parents
Algiers, 9 May 1960
...as usual I had this baby very quickly Thursday from 7am to 9am, and really without stories. The next morning Yves came to admire his new boy. So here is a family of men! and I am in a minority.
Martin was extremely asleep the first 2 days and I was very sorry to see him with so little vitality. Actually he is starting to eat better, but I don't think he will be a very voracious child. I hope he will start well. After many hesitations I asked my birth attendant that the baby be fed with artificial milk. I kept too bad a memory of my abscesses, so they are passing my milk.
Martin weighed 3k 180 at birth, and now I think I'm 3k 100.... I'm going out this afternoon from a clinic and I'm going to find my other 2 cheesy guys.
Martin has a lot of hair like his other two brothers. I found him very ugly at birth, but it seems to me that he's starting to fix it. I don't know who he looks like...
_________________________________
Letter from Claude to Fanny
Algiers, around 11, 12 or 13 May 1960
...the clinic where I was half pleasant, what I reproached him for most is that I was only a day alone in my room and my companion, without being mean, was only half attractive. But my biggest torment was Martin. ...here Martin did not have much appetite and he made me green cakes of Guigoz milk. Returning home, I quickly stuffed it in Pelargon. The pacifiers are a little too numerous but pretty. And now Martin has been in the downward curve for 5 days, he weighs 2k 890. You think if I'm looking forward to seeing him take qq grams. In short, I'm making a dog's bile. I'm thinking, "if I had fed it, etc."...task to cheer me up. ......I'm very skinny, I was at birth, and I'm even more so now.
Martin I found ugly at birth has a pretty little figure. Frédéric is crazy about joy. I found the two very nice and friendly elders when I returned – but I find that one already sees the character of his children during their first months of existence.
Frédéric was an intellectual (the frowns frowned...) Christophe a big pâté loving to bottle and to love life platically. Odile not holding on to existence and Martin a delicate. That, provided that this prick does not give me too much trouble.
_______________________________

Letter from Claude to Tandree
Algiers, Monday, May 23, 1960
...For 5 days this little infant has "started", he has fattened 25g a day on average, he demands to eat like all the little babies, seems to have never enough. I've come out of trouble after these 15 days of marasm and worries. ...I see him every day leaving his lean cat air. So the Pelargon looks very good for him – thanks to you for all the details you gave on the dosages and vitamins – and he is recovering very well from this bad diarrhea that he had during his first week with Guigoz and which made him die....
...Tomorrow my parents-in-law are coming... I'm sending Frédéric in June... Christophe is built like a tank right now. I'm sure if I put him on a scale, he'd weigh 15 kg. I had to tell Ouda that she's rationing him.
________________________________________________

Letter from Claude to Tandree
Algiers, circa June 1960
...I'm back in the pouasse with Martin. He had an intestinal infection (constipation fever, diarrhea) that started to get better and started 12 days ago...
...I look forward to being in France, perhaps the heat is for something because I myself find it painful.
...it's true that we have a beautiful garden – full of flowers and even with some strawberries, an orange tree, a lemon tree, a neflier, palm trees and other species of flowers...