Tapia Ohana

Today is a special day for my family.

December 8

In 2005 it was the day that my Grandma Shaver passed.

I think her spirit was probably away from her body before this actual day, but early this morning her body was no longer holding her spirit with it. She finally got to go to the other side and be with her husband, my Grandpa Shaver who had passed over 30 years before, when my dad was just a young boy. Although it was sad, there was a little spark of happiness for her to go be with her family.

Also early that morning, December 8, 2005, I was in labor in Mesa with Jayden. There was only a few hours between when grandma passed and when Jayden was born.

I pushed for hours! Something was wrong the night before. I had an extremely high fever - like 104 or 105 - and we went into OB triage, not really in active labor (this is after months of pre-term labor and trebutaline and bed rest and one hospital stay...) but after the Doc saw the fever and my water broke with meconium, he said we were going to get her out and that we both needed antibiotics for whatever was going on.

I didn't go into labor through the night by myself so they eventually gave my petocin, and by the time that hit (contraction on top of contraction rocking my body in the craziest pain I've ever felt), I was sick and exhausted and finally asked for the epidural.

I don't know when we called everyone to come, but when mom and dad came, I must have been out of my mind, cause for some reason I totally abandoned my extremely private ways, and mom and dad stayed in the room with me through the delivery. My dad held my head up for the hours that I pushed and pushed. Chris held one of my lifeless legs up and the sweetest L&D nurse held the other.

It wasn't until after Jayden was born that my dad finally told me that grandma had passed in those early hours (like 3 or 4 am I think) and Jayden didn't come until 8 or 9 I think.

I don't know how Dad held in his grief to help me, but we all agreed that perhaps Grandma just was holding on to be able to pass Jayden's little spirit as they exchanged places in time and space... one spirit leaving earth, another one spirit coming to earth.

What makes this day even more special for my family is that my niece, Brea Rose Shaver was also born on Dec. 8th. She's two today!

So happy birthday Jayden and Brea, and I always pause to think of my Dad and my Grandma Shaver today too. I remember Grandma's little house in Leisure world in Seal Beach. I remember riding her tricycle around Leisure world, and watching and chasing the rabbits in her community. I remember doing ceramic painting with her. I remember getting my arms stuck in handcuffs and having to find some cute old man to cut them off. I would get to have sleep overs and I would wake up in her bed, completely upside down and she would be no where to find. She would move to the couch cause I was a wild sleeper :) I miss her little muumuu's she would wear. And I miss her short curly gray and black hair. :) I miss looking at all the neat things in her bathroom, and her showing me pictures of our family who joined the church and fought in wars.

So grandma, we're thinking of you today :) we love and miss you..

and...

on a lighter note -

I absolutely love Jayden's theme this year