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Miranda's Photo Slideshow of the birth
See the EVER PHOTO SET on Flickr
07-26-06
Ever's Always Someday in my Dreams
So here's the time when I can finally explain Ever's name. I need to type out the birth story too, but the midwife took minute-by-minute notes which are given to me once they're typed out so I'm gonna wait for them, so I can make sure my recollection matches with what really happened. Because I was quite subconscious during active labor.
In December of 1998 Applebee's called us down in Palm Desert, California (where we'd been living since July) and asked me to move back to work at the corporate office, as the administrative assistant since the beginning of Applebee's in the Seattle area had left after many years. Sean and I had worked at the Tukwila (Southcenter) Applebee's 1996-1998 and became store trainers, then store openers, and we knew the district and it's management very, very well. I accepted.
Since it was a fast move, Sean stayed behind to pack and I stayed at my friend Gator's apartment during the holiday season and Sean moved up maybe mid-January? Yeah. So here I was with my Honda and some clothes, sleeping on a sleeping bag and waking up in the dead of winter for this new office job running the office for eight area restaurants. It's a busy job. But MAN I was happy to be back in Seattle again.
Gator lived in Federal Way, and the office is in Tukwila, which are both suburbs south of Seattle. In this area is a hippy college called Green River Community College, and they have this dinky radio station, KGRG. I LOVED this radio station when we first lived in Seattle. (Back when KEXP was KCMU it hardly came in, before Paul Allen came along and donated a cool million dollars for them to get that new antenna and new office and new everything.) ANYWAY. These guys exposed me to North American Bison (I love the song Rust) and Built to Spill, so, mad props to them.
My point is, they have this radio station, and many cold, lonely mornings they got me through my transition. And one of the songs they played regularly was a demo version of "Monday or Forever" by a group in Tacoma called Ruston Mire. After hearing the song a few times I called the radio station and asked for contact information for the band (I do this) and they gave me Brian's e-mail.
Turns out Brian was the band, back then. He did the song by himself and submitted it to KGRG and here I was contacting him to ask more about the song and the band. He actually called me on a Saturday morning and we talked quite a bit. He then mailed me my very own demo CD of his first five songs.
Labor Day 2000 Jon & I went to Bumbershoot and Ruston Mire, now a complete foursome, performed. Actually, they performed between Juno, Botch, and 764-HERO, not an easy task. But what a great day. I finally got to meet Brian in person after their set, and by then I told him I was still attached to the song "Monday or Forever", and because of the line "Ever's always someday in my dreams" I decided that, if I ever had a little girl, her name would be Ever. And he was like "Oh, wow. Huh." Because really I'm just some girl telling him this, right? But it was so cool to send him an e-mail six years later saying "Brian? Remember me? I had that daughter, and her name is Ever."
Brian gave me permission to post the mp3 of "Monday or Forever" but I want to make clear that my version is the demo version, because this is the song that made me dream of my future daughter for seven years. If you'd like the "real" final full-band recorded version of "Monday or Forever" (or to hear it streaming) you can see their MySpace page. I think the newer version is very different.
It's a simple pop song, nothing crazy. But it gave me warm fuzzies, and I wanted you all to hear it.
RUSTON MIRE - Monday or Forever (demo).mp3 [please right-click save as]
Thank you, Brian.
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07-24-06
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It's still WAY too hot here.
More pictures in the Ever Flickr set.
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07-23-06
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Debra,
Dave, and Uncle Pete visited today. Debra is due August 4. I was
afraid to give her my opinion on the whole birthing thing. It didn't
seem fair to tell her how I felt so soon after the fact. They say
the horrors go away after a while and I'm waiting for that. She changes every day - if I sleep too long (like 3+ hours) I look right away to see how different she looks. Her pinkie finger is now longer than my pinkie nail. Her hair is getting lighter. She's longer and thinner. She sucks on her two middle fingers like I did. She sits on my chest like a frog. I don't see either Sean or I in her, but it'll show up I'm sure. We are in an amazing heat wave and coping through with odd hours, lack of sleep, breastfeeding difficulties, etc. I owe so many return phone calls but can hardly remember to pee or brush my teeth. Sean returns to work tomorrow which breaks my heart. My Mom is here until July 29 then I have a few days alone (while Sean's at work) until Sean's Mom Margeret gets here August 4. I am already fearing those few days. She's just so beautiful, calm, and content, I can't believe it. • link |
07-22-06
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I
have eight stitches since Ever came out with her fist at her face
and her elbow sticking out. I now know my pain threshold, and I
also now know the true meaning of unbearable. It was hard work.
I'm sore and tired and can't sleep because I just want to stare
at this girl. Sorry her eyes are closed in both pictures - I'll have more pictures posted soon. Oh yeah and it's Ever like the word ever and Charis is my Mom's name, pronounced SHARE-iss. • link |
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Update: 11:30 pm
My water just broke while laying in bed watching TV. Sean & Mom are changing the sheets and I'm gonna try to get some sleep in the meantime. No contractions yet.
Update: 4:35 am
Contractions started around 12:30 but didn't keep me up until just after 3 a.m. They are like one big stomach or menstrual cramp that seizes and doesn't let go. They are about 5 minutes apart but for only 10-20 seconds, so I've decided to get up and move around, and sure enough, they are less often now. The sun is just coming up so Sean and I will probably start walking up and down the street soon. Mom is up, too. Whew, just had a contraction there. More later. Possibly.
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07-19-06
Monday night I found Jalen looking a bit lost in the dining room. Actually, he was "caught" underneath the high chair. I pulled him out but then followed him as he walked into the chairs, the sliding glass door, and the table. So I set him in the kitchen, hoping the linoleum floor would redirect him somehow. He walked into the fridge, then got caught between the fridge and garbage can. Which is when I started crying and Sean found me with my face in my hands saying "Not now, not now."
Our Jalen is obviously now completely blind as well as being quite deaf. His diabetes is getting the best of him and we had to know this was coming. It's distrubing to watch. Sean wants to wait and see how he adjusts, but I can tell you that it's so hard to not pick him up and take him where he wants to go.
We have a decision to make soon. Argh.
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P.S. No early labor signs yet. Sorry. Susan has gone home without delivering our baby.
07-17-06
 Susan & I getting pedicures |
There
is no baby yet and I'm not due until Wednesday so stop the peer
pressure! It's very comfortable where it is! I would love for Babymented to show up in the next 36 hours since Susan leaves Wednesday morning, but I'm not about to swallow castor oil or anything else crazy like that, so it just may stay put for a while longer. I have a midwife appointment tomorrow so we should know more (or maybe not) by then. Mom & Jeff got here Sunday night. We hit Granville Island tomorrow to try to walk this baby out. Saturday was Shane & Katie's Wedding. We made it, although the ferry ride was a DOOZY for me. I just couldn't get comfortable. But we made it! And it was beautiful! • link |
 Sean & I |
 Sean & Dave |
 Shane & Katie |
Previous July 2006 entries