A week of flurries and pleasant sub-zero weather in Aurora as Mom and Dad spend a recovery week at Jaime and Matt's house.
Well Neiva, hopefully the Olympics will put on a better show than the Broncos did in the Super Bowl.
A bit of a downhill assist - true - but Neiva rolls onto her tummy, to the right.
Neiva gets her legs involved with some vigorous horizontal ladder climbing.
Dad is amazed at how quickly his little girl grows. Neiva now kicks him in the gut when she sprawls out on his lap. Or as Jaime says, the balls.
The bassinet may be reaching the end of its function as Neiva oftens wakes herself up by thrashing against its walls.
That would have been a toothy grin, if Neiva had any teeth.
After work, Neiva tells Dad about her day of doing big things. I dirtied three outfits, took a long afternoon nap with Mom, and went on a two hour dinner marathon, she says.
Neiva turns her head to follow her Mom's voice/her food supply.
Dad gets a bit lost in the woods trying to explain the life cycle of salmon. Luckily, Neiva gives him a free pass.
Fighting back a smile, Mom waves her finger. "No laughing," she orders. "It hurts!" Dad and Neiva do their best to comply, but it is a real struggle.
At work, Dad receives a text: "Neiva pooped full blown 4 times + the original dirty diaper when Jaime just changed her!! What a champ."
Mom and Dad never imagined it would be this hard, this painful. But in the peaceful blue light of a cold winter dusk, with Neiva sleeping between them in bed, they find that fleeting moment. Despite what life has thrown at them recently, all feels right with the world.
Dad and Neiva sneak away to the bedroom to laugh.
Milk Monster! Fierce!
Dad comes in from the cold after a day's work. "Wow, Neiva...this pork tenderloin smells great! Another afternoon slaving away in the kitchen, eh?" The week has also included chicken tortilla casserole, Italian lasagna, fresh fruit and veggies, homemade pizza and southwest chicken and rice. (Thanks Everyone!)
Mom gets to take a shower, all by herself. Yay!
At her one month appointment, Neiva measures in at 8 lbs and 13.5 ounces! Mom and Dad always knew that any child of theirs would surely eat them out of house and home.
Her height and weight are average, but Neiva's head is in the 75% percentile!
Fifteen days after the Ordeal began, Dad's Fighter Girl finally makes it back home (for the weekend)!
Neiva sounds a bit like Snuffalufaguss as she picks up her first cold.
Neiva grows hockey hair in support of Team USA.
Neiva is moderately amused, Dad much more so, as he surrounds her with a whole menagerie of stuffed animals to play with.
Raffi Dance Party in the living room!
After a sleepless night, Dad zonks out on his office floor over the lunch hour...and into the next as he sleeps through his alarm.
Mom and Neiva spend the whole afternoon alone together! Yay!
In retrospect, quite impressive is the energy and endurance required to flail and wail for three hours straight last night. Dad awakes with another headache and goes to work for strategic planning.
Mom thinks Howard looks a tad evil but Neiva remains quite curious about this strange duck.
After a second week in Aurora, Neiva finally returns to her favorite place in the whole wide world: that is, her changing table in Golden.
The Wahlins send Neiva a Valentine. "I really really really can't wait to meet you," writes cousin Kayla.
Neiva is over her cold, hopefully, and sleeps like a dream.
"Do you have any other deposits to make into this account, Neiva?" Dad asks.
Neiva demonstrates how the phrase "nursing a beer" originated.
Dad is very jealous of Neiva's animal print footsie pjs - especially the blue lions.
Who knew that burping a strong independent baby was such a core workout?
"I am expecting the next delivery to arrive soon," asserts Dad.
"Sometimes she reminds me of a frog." Mom pauses. "But in a good, cute way."
Mom cannot quite decide if it would be better for Neiva to have matching bald spots, or to remain as is, asymmetrical.
Sorry, Neiva. You are one dirty kid. Finally time for a bath!
Breaking the rules, Mom picks up Neiva and dances with her.
Most nights Neiva drifts off to sleep peacefully. Last night was a real chess match, however.
Neiva fills her pants, reminding Dad of adventurous crossings of glacial moraines in Alaska. The sound, that is.
Dad goes in for an Eskimo kiss; Neiva seizes the opportunity to eat his nose.
Wandering around blindly at an early morning feeding, Dad resigns himself to the fact that he cannot find his glasses. Oh wait, there they are, on Mom's face.
Dad soldiers on with his informational monologue as Neiva hits the highest registry of her banshee scream. We may need to revisit the unit on wood working.
Mom starts to spend some half days alone with Neiva. The first one Neiva sleeps eats sleeps, easy peasy. The second one includes four diaper changes in three hours, and only twenty minutes of sleep outside of mom’s arms. What will today bring?
A session of Zach Gill at the changing table seems to entertain Neiva today. But now she sleeps on the couch, when she needs to eat soon!
Some nicknames so far: Neivabean, sweet pea, honey bunches, milk monster, wiggly worm, one-eyed wild, bright eyes.
Fiery Neiva Wild shows her roar, for no apparent reason. The next morning Sweet Neiva Wild chills in bed with a wet diaper, need for burping and big smiles. Mom is confused.
Dad works his shoulders hucking his daughter in her her carseat all about Anschutz Medical Campus. A million people stop to say hi to Neiva. None of whom we know.
Neiva takes a liking to long soaks in the kitchen sink.
Don't think for a second that you can pull the wool over Neiva's big, bright and discerning eyes.
Kicking away on her changing table, Neiva takes in the story of another strong and wild girl - Pippi Longstocking.
Will wonders ever cease? The Doc recommends treating Neiva's infection by blasting some of Mom's milk into her eyeball.
According to Mom, patience is Dad's superpower.
Neiva captains the ship on the first official family hike - the half mile Bluebird Meadow Loop at Alderfer Three Sisters.
An upside of being up multiple times in the middle of the night? More opportunities for Dad to eat a bowl of cereal.
Neiva takes a nap between Mom and Dad. Well, that was the idea anyway. Instead she tickles Dad in the armpit and bops Mom in the nose. "Come on guys!"
Sleeping through the science, Neiva attends a thesis defense.
Next time we come to the Doctor's office Dad will bring a donation box to set before the paparazzi. Need to start the college fund!
Look, just because Neiva is wearing brown and white does not mean you should assume she is a boy. Would a boy wear jeggings? (Which are looking much better now that Neiva is filling out.)
Neiva spins a 180 during tummy time.
Dad tucks Neiva into bed. Then he tucks Mom into bed. Who is going to tuck Dad in?
Mom and Neiva get a stroller for Mom’s 31st birthday, and bring it to the mall for a trial run with Jaime. They pick up a St. Patrick’s Day onesie, and rock the cup holder with a salted caramel malt from Smashburger.
Mom and Dad get out for their first meal alone in 6 weeks for Mom’s birthday. Grappa - escargot and duck for Dad, salad and filet for Mom, and a live pianist!
Neiva and mom take their first walk just the two of them with the stroller, on their first full day together alone (almost 7 weeks old!).
Sun rays and the winter breeze soothe Neiva as she sticks her chin out and squints her eyes.
Dad hauls Neiva for laps around the apartment as his exercise routine.
Neiva's moods shift more abruptly than the Colorado weather.
Neiva and Dad work on some vocabulary, including amphibian, spritely, and serendipitous.
