Neviah Katherine & Coda Thomas Seal ~ Nature Love

CHRISTMAS!

2012-01-07T19:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas weekend was beautiful. Colorado had been hit with around 12 inches of snow only days before Christmas so we had a gorgeous white Christmas here and couldn't have enjoyed it more. Christmas Eve morning, Ahma, Ahpa, Daddy, Mommy and Nevi all went to the Denver Aquarium to have 'Brunch with Santa'. Santa came to the Aquiarium to, yes be with the kiddos, but he also went SCUBBA DIVING with the fish and sharks! Santa was IN the aquariums, along with his elf and a couple of beautiful mermaids. We all ate a pretty nice brunch whil writing a letter ot Santa and watching the awesome underwater entertainment. Christmas Day was the usual unrevealing of presents but we also went SLEDDING down some perfect hills within walking distance on the Ryan Elementary School grounds. Nevi absolutely LOVES sledding and goes down by herself hollering the whole way down. Just listening to her makes ya smile. Nevi also enjoyed Chuck E Cheese with Ahma and Ahpa while Robb and I made a trip up into the mountains of Boulder (Gold Hill) for a magical evening of live music at the Gold Hill Inn. This is our third annual trip to Gold Hill over Christmas weekend to hear our friend and neighbor play his guitar in a mountain cabin that makes you feel like you're home. Probably our last 'date' before our baby boy is born and believe me, we enjoyed every second of it. Christmas always reminds of how truly lucky we are in this life, with family and with love.

Christmas at Grandma Pat's

2012-01-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

The weekend BEFORE Christmas, Nevi and mommy flew into Rockford, IL to spend an early Christmas with Grandma Pat, Ken, Aunt Kristin, Uncle Keith and the 2 cousins Gavin and Ella. We stayed there for 4 days and had an absolutely amazing time. This was the first trip where Nevi really played with her cousins - it brought back so many memories of my childhood, playing the basement of my grandma's house with my sister and cousins, mainly reenacting our favorite movie 'Little Orphan Annie'. We hung out in the basement feeling free and creative while the adults were upstairs probably rambling on about their gallbladders and meatloaf recipes. Oh, how the tides have turned. Spending time with cousins and family is one of the biggest gifts I feel I can give Nevi -I was very sad to leave and Nevi was, too. She held on very tightly to Grandma Pat in the airport as we were leaving and I could see the fear in her eyes of knowing that it may be a while before we have play time like this again (at least with the IL/WI crew). This experience really reenforced my desire to replant roots closer to family...we shall see. While in Rockford, we went to the Children's Discovery Museum, to the Rathskellar (my favorite German Restaurant), celebrated my Aunt Lynn's 70th birthday, went on a Luminary walk, and had a very traditional Christmas gift exchange. I left Illinois feeling revived and satiated (and a little bloated from all the wonderful food). I can't thank Gavin and Ella enough for playing SO nicely with Nevi and showing her how fun cousins can be! What great kids! Nevi also had heeps of fun with Aunt Kristin and Uncle Keith - lots of 'I'm gonna getcha games' and the kind of physical play that Nevi just loves!

Early Holiday Festivities

2012-01-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

Santa came to Lafayette, CO early in December and Nevi was excited! She began their meeting a little hesitant but before long, she was up on his lap wanting to show him her new Santa book. He was one of most gentle and calm Santas I've ever met and I know Nevi appreciated his smile and willingness to let her just talk.There were also carolers on the streets of downtown Lafayette that our whole family enjoyed listening to. On a side note, we have been playing lots and lots of 'super hero' lately and have made capes from blankets and crowns of construction paper. Nevi LOVES any opportunity to use her safety scissors and run throughout the house (not at the same time, of course).

2011-12-15T23:57:00.001-08:00

The pictures are of a playdate with Kevin and Miss Pickles. The short video is Nevi's interpretation of my impression of Captain James T. Kirk, at a moment of heightened frustration, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

December 1st....big day!

2011-12-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

December 1st was a big day here on Lydia Dr. We celebrated my 34th birthday one day late but it was worth the wait. Robb made a pot roast with veggies (yum!) and Nevi and Robb together made a beautiful poke cake that tasted great and gave me a HUGE sugar buzz! Robb decorated and wrapped lots of fun presents for little 'ol me and as usual, he made me feel great. A fun celebration! After our party, we had an official streamer-cutting-ceremony to initiate Nevi into her new big girl bedroom. Robb turned her toddler bed back into the crib and now the baby room is ready for the little man. All of Nevi's clothes and toys are in her room now so I guess it's official. We praised Nevi to the high heavens for how proud we were of her that she was gracious enough to give up her bedroom for her baby brother. She has had NO interest in changing bedrooms but Robb and I both agreed that we wanted her to be comfortable in her big girl room well before baby arrives. She was excited about our ceremony but did put up a bit of a fight once she realized she was going to actually sleep in her new room. By 10pm, luckily, she was settled and sleeping - slept through the night but did wake earlier than usual (7am) ready for some additional security in her new surroundings. All in all, she is doing great with the transition and I couldn't be more proud of Nevi . I anticipate that she is going to be one amazing big sister. She spends LOTS of time right now putting her own baby dolls and stuffed animals to sleep in their sleeping bags and wrapping them up in blankets, feeding them a bottle and changing their diaper. She can do this fun game for HOURS. My mom has offered to donate my old baby doll crib to Nevi and I can only imagine how much fun Nevi will have putting her babies to sleep in an actual crib. She even sings them lullabies! Thanks to ALL who made my birthday a memorable experience and for all who contributed to the furnishings of Nevi's new big girl room. It really is perfect for her and has SUCH a calming energy to it! We are very grateful! P.S. the pastel broken star quilt on Nevi's new bed is mine from when I was a little girl, a quilt that my Grandma quilted by hand. My Grandma has one of her homemade quilts now in every bedroom of my house, even a blue and red baby quilt for our coming bundle.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T07:57:00.001-08:00

As Robb and I were discussing potential Thanksgiving plans earlier in the month, Robb brought it to my attention that this will be the last Thanksgiving it will be just the three of us. So, for the first time ever, Robb, Nevi and I celebrated Thanksgiving just the three of us (and our furry friends, too) and it was MARVELOUS! I couldn't have imagined a more perfect day in which to celebrate ALL that we are most grateful for. We started out watching the Macys Day Parade - a tradition that my family bestowed unto me as a child. Then, we packed a light lunch and headed to the mountains. We landed at a very sacred place that Robb and I have shared in years past, a place called 'Sunrise Amphitheater', just up a windy road from Boulder. We hiked the Ute Trail and played around in the amphitheater for a while, enjoying the beautiful Colorado weather and scenery. Up on this amphitheater, you can see all of Boulder Valley plus the land that extends all the way out to the sky rises in Denver. It's breath taking. After our adventure, we headed home to prepare our feast. (On our way home, we HAD to stop by the Louisville BEAR dressed up like a turkey for a snap shot.) Nevi napped for a bit while Robb and I did our domestic duties. We ate a fairly traditional Thanksgiving meal, but I admit, it was not all cooked from scratch as usual. But it WAS prepared with love and a happy heart. Nevi has been fighting a cold the last few days but was a real trooper and a blast to be with on this very special day. UPDATE ON BABY: His movement are SO strong now...stronger that I remember Nevi being in my belly, but my memory can be somewhat lacking at times. The weight of him is getting intense, especially in the evening after a full day of gravity pulling him down on my frame. Robb's been rubbing my lower back in the evenings which is my biggest complaint right now. But a little back ache is a pretty good sign at this point of a VERY manageable pregnancy. I am going to the doc every other week now and he is still measuring perfectly (i.e. my uterus measured 28 inches from base to top when I was 28 weeks along) with a heartbeat of around 150-155 beats per minute. I weighted in at 146 last week (holy smokes!) and am still expected to gain another 5- 9 pounds before he's born. My appetite is shrinking and I can only eat small amounts of food at a time as there is very little room for both food AND baby in my belly. When pregnant with Nevi, I maxed out at 151 pounds but then lost a pound at the end, so weighted about 150 when she was born. I am hoping to weigh between 150-155 when this little guy arrives as this should be a do-able amount of weight to lose while nursing. Most importantly, I feel healthy and thriving, a vessel of life to this new little person that I feel honored to help create.

Halloween, 2011

2011-11-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

Nevi really wanted to be a 'Super Hero Spelling Fairy' for Halloween this year so we did everything we could to comply. Luckily, we had some fun costume items already at the house that we turned into, what we think, was a pretty neat outfit. We first celebrated Halloween at the YMCA where we (she) ate popcorn, a cookie and pizza, and more importantly played Halloween games for prizes, jumped in the jumping castle and watched an ice skating performance, which she absolutely loved! We also went on a hayride that night which was a definite highlight for me. We carved pumpkins on our front lawn and Nevi drew a pretty cool picture on her pumpkin, which daddy ended up carving out. Quite the artists. Then, came Trick or Treating. Nevi got REALLY into it this year and after learning how to pick the houses with front porch lights on, would say after each trick or treating experience, 'Let's find another house with a light on!" We stayed only in our neighborhood and it still lasted for a full hour! We visited with friends in the streets and saw some pretty cool pumpkin displays. Nevi was so exhausted after an hour of trick or treating that she suddenly said to daddy and I, 'I'm tired now, can we go home?' She even needed daddy to carry her home. I LOVE things that tire her out... When we got back, she dumped her pumpkin full of candy out on the carpet and asked a lot of questions about what each candy was...the only one she was familiar with was M&Ms, plain, her favorite. I am sure she will be enjoying her candy for weeks/months to come, as we're attempting to teach her that candy is best enjoyed a little at a time. She still doesn't like most candy but now is developing a palate for some cookies, strawberry ice cream and plain M&Ms. She has been in a very picky eating phase the last 6-10 months, but I've noticed very recently that she is trying new things again and enjoying a variety of foods offered. Thank goodness....hope this lasts. October has been a fun month, but it has also been a trying month with our health. Nevi was sick two separate times, once with a fever flu in the beginning of October that lasted over a week and again the night after our YMCA Halloween celebration, where she vomited for 7 hours straight....wonder where she got that bug from.....? Robb and I have been good up until last weekend when we both came down with a flu of sorts. I have never been sick while pregnant before and it definitely added that extra-shitty-feeling-factor to a traditional flu bug. I have disinfected the entire house and am hoping that our immune systems are strengthened enough now to get us through the rest of the fall and healthfully through the winter. Crossing my fingers..... By the way, next week begins the last trimester of this pregnancy...unreal.

Pumpkin Patch & Ahma/Ahpa visit

2011-10-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

We went out in to the fields to pick our pumpkins this year at a local farm. They had a petting zoo, hay ride, carmel apples (mmmmm), jumping castles (still Nev's fav), and we left with fresh picked pumpkins, some funny gourds and a pie pumpkin that I have already baked and froze, ready to use in our Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie. We arrived early to avoid long lines and crowds and it truly was perfect, warm in temperature, but a perfect pumpkin day otherwise. This is by far my favorite time of the year as days grow shorter, allowing time for hibernation, and nights offer cool relief. Nevi just loves looking at the colors on the trees, picking up different leaves that attract her attention and hearing the crunching under our feet as we walk. It's a sensory explosion, especially for a curious 2 year old!

We also had a great visit from Ahma and Ahpa who war able to have a night away with Nevi in the mountains. They snatched up Nevi and took her to Georgetown for a real coal engine train ride. Though it snowed and Ahma and Nev piked up a flu bug while there, it was an awesome trip for all of them. And I thoroughly enjoyed a night to hang with Robb and work on Nev's new big girl room. The room is almost complete (will have pix soon) and I hope the transition goes smoothly - as of now Nev has no desire to make the leap into the new surroundings but we do enjoy reading books there each night as part of our bedtime routine.

'Little Guy' Pregnancy Journal Blog

2011-10-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

I've been calling him 'Little Guy' lately. We've picked out a name finally that we both REALLY like but of course want to meet him first before making his name official. We'll bring the list of potential names with us to the hospital, just in case the name we like most doesn't fit. I'm 23 weeks pregnant - not totally sure how to calculate this into months but probably around 5 1/2 months along. He is really making his presence known in my belly with larger movements, morphing my belly with each readjustment or movement. I love feeling him alive and thriving and find myself talking to him a lot, mostly telling him to 'hang in there' on physically demanding days. I am doing things in this pregnancy that I never would have dreamed doing when pregnant with Nevi, things like picking up 30 pound toddlers, eating peanut m&ms, using nonorganic cleaners to clean the bathroom, not sleeping for three nights straight due to a sick toddler and I am not exercising as much as I did with Nevi, per say, but I am definitely on my feet more and find that I have very little time to just sit and bond with him like I did when I was carrying Nevi. But to be to totally frank, I feel like I am able to enjoy this pregnancy much more than the last. It feels like a totally different experience, in fact. There are times, even as of late, that I wake up in the morning forgetting I'm even pregnant at all because I have so few negative side affects. No indigestion or gas pains to speak of. No back aches yet. No breast tenderness. Only a few weeks (a while back) of insomnia but now I sleep like a champ (when Nevi lets me). Much less anxiety about my body changing or the daily exposures. All in all, it feels like I am carrying this little one differently than I did with Nev. I feel like she sat inside me more, smooching my internal organs. This little baby seems to be sitting outside me more, reeking less havoc on my digestion tract and sticking out a bit more. Still, I get tired easily, just as I did with Nevi and I'm nesting like crazy lately, a similar experience. It's really fun sharing this pregnancy with Nevi and watching her get excited about being a big sister. There has been one experience to date that I definitely NEVER had with Nev and it was very recent. I was exercising at the Y....Ahma and Ahpa were in town with Nev.....and I had a growing discomfort that quickly turned into straight up pain....but it wasn't pregnancy pain like contractions or anything low in my belly.....it was a pain up high in my diaphragm that severely affected my breathing and felt like lightening from the top of my belly through my breasts, lungs and even to the roof of my mouth. I phoned Robb for help. He picked me up from the Y and took me to Urgent Care because I couldn't hardly talk or breath or stand or sit, etc. Once I got there, I squatted on the floor and Robb put his hands to my belly and back. Like an uncorking or untwisting I felt immediate relief from the surging pain and as quickly as it came on, it was gone. By the time the doctor actually saw me, I was completely normal again. He said he had no idea what happened but the nurse had a little more insight. She thought it sounded like nerve pain and wondered if the baby may have kicked a nerve sending lightening all the way up my respiratory system. Because the pain was gone, there were no tests to run but they checked on baby and he was totally fine, a real trooper. Strangest experience of my life. Hope that never happens again. Next to labor, that was the most pain I can ever remember. To conclude, I just wanted to blog in order to remember how wonderful I feel, how unique this experience is and how excited I am about meeting the newest love that feels so resonant inside me. I'm starting to wondering if he'll look like Nev or Robb or even my dad.....

Preschool Projects

2011-09-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

Nevi seems to be settling into preschool at Kiddie Kopia quite nicely now. She comes home most days with new and fun art projects that she's completed with her class. We take pictures of the ones that we can't hang on the fridge and cover the fridge with the ones we can. Most days, Robb and Nevi have to inform me of what the art project is (unidentifiable) - the supplies are made mostly from food to embrace the full sensory experience for the kiddos, and to keep them out of harms way. Most of the art is of animals and themed with the season: *the pink frosting/chocolate and butterscotch chips on the paper plate is a pig, *the paper pig and paper squirrel are pretty cute *she made a Family Tree last week with many family names on each leaf (my personal favorite) *acorns made of some sort of wafer/pretzel/chocolate combo on a plate. There's more on our fridge that I will photograph soon. She really does seem to be enjoying school more and more and while the weather is nice, the class goes to the park 1/2 block away to add exercise to their day. Robb told me a story last week of how he arrived a few minutes early to pick Nevi up and the kiddos were walking single file on the side walk, back to Kiddie Kopia from the park. They were on the OPPOSITE side of the street so anytime the kiddos cross the street, Miss Kimmie and Miss Jeannie have the kiddos line up side by side on the sidewalk before they cross the street. Then they all walk across at the same time. While the teachers were organizing this street crossing, Robb said that all the kids were quiet and looking at the next kid over to be sure they were straight. Nevi however, was singing and dancing throughout the whole process, just in her own little musical world. I laughed hysterically for quite a while after hearing this story. I can just see it!

Indiana Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

Great pictures and memories from the extended weekend in Indiana over Labor Day Weekend... Thanks to everyone who made the trek to Anderson Ocean for the family gathering. Nevi's favorite part of the trip was definitely the swimming and boating and seeing all the people we usually just see on Skype or in pictures. Everytime Nevi asks me that infamous question while driving in the car, 'Are we there yet?' and I respond with, '3 more miles', she always says, 'Hey, PopPop says that!'.

PRESCHOOL!

2011-08-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

Nevi's first day of preschool at Kiddie Kopia was on Thursday, August 25th. She'll be attending preschool Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:30am-12:30pm for the next whole school year. Kiddie Kopia is about 1/2 mile from our house so we walked to school on the first day and Nev and Robb rode their bike/trailer today. Day 1 was exciting and emotional and a whole new experience for Nevi. She wasn't actually sure if she liked school after day 1. The teacher said that Nevi didn't want to participate in GROUP but that this is pretty natural for first timers. They usually come around and join the others after they get more comfortable with the environment and structure. I know the teachers Miss Kimmie and Miss Jeannie are paying attention because they told me that Nevi is a very determined little girl, a real spitfire. They also said she was a lot of fun. Her biggest challenges at school are also challenges we face here at home...she doesn't like transitions, going from one activity to the next. At home, I usually give her a 5 minute warning before we transition into a new activity and at school, luckily, they do the same thing only with a transition song. Today, day 2 of school, she came home saying she really liked her teachers today and that they went to the park! Apparently her teachers told Robb that today was much better than the first day, only problem was that she wore her bike helmet the ENTIRE 4 hours she was there. She wore her helmet as they rode the bike to school and somehow she must have found security in her helmet because she refused to take it off! Robb said that when he got her home and they took the helmet off, her head was soaking wet with sweat. I do believe that Nevi will be giving Kiddie Kopia a run for their money and hopefully she'll be learning along the way.....

Matching Pajamas

2011-08-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Ahma! for the matching pajamas for Baby Daughter and Me! (finished artwork in background)

The Artist At Work, The Artist in Frustration, Drawing an Audience

2011-08-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

2011-08-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

LONG-AWAITED PEARL STREET HALF MILE PIX

2011-08-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

To view in chronologic sequence, start at lower left and go counter-clockwise! 1) Watching the mascot race 2) about 1/8th of a mile, with mommy and baby #2 (Rufus) in utero. 3) just before the quarter-mile mark 4) going into the stretch run & finish kick! 5) Boo-yah!

Row Row Row Your Boat

2011-08-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

Nevi's version of Row Row Row Your Boat:

Row Row Row Your Boat

Gently Down the Stream

Mary Mary Mary Mary

Like a Spot A Dream

4th of July

2011-07-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

This is the first year Lafayette (Waneka Lake) has hosted it's very own fire works display and 4th of July celebration. It was scheduled from 4pm-10pm, we arrived around 6pm on bikes, Nevi in the Burley trailer (thanks Petits and PopPop/Nana). It was a true family affair, we played on the playground, jumped in the bouncing jumping castles, ate our dinner picnic, and played in the grass while we waited for the fireworks to start. Nevi's first fireworks display. She was a little crazy by 9pm (much past her bed time) but we actually made it to see the fireworks display. Of course, after 2 fireworks, Nevi was a little freaked and wanted to go home. We started to pack up our stuff, but ended up finding a comfortable spot with her one ear buried in my chest and my hand covering her other ear. Robb and I both agreed that this was the loudest/closest fireworks we've ever seen. They were FANTASTIC but to a 2 year old, VERY loud and a bit scary. Once we had her ears covered and head secure, she was able to actually enjoy the fireworks and we made it to the very end. She was calling out, 'Look a red one!' 'Mom, they're going to bite me!' 'Wow!' etc etc etc.

Telluride BlueGrass Festival June 2011

2011-06-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

Telluride Blue Grass Festival in Telluride Colorado. June 2011.

AKA: TO-HELL-YOU-RIDE!!!!!!
Second vacation this year for just Robb & Kate. Nevi, Dylan and Jack were all at home in Lafayette with Ahma & Ahpa having their own fun. This trip had many amazing highs and unfortunately, some lows too. First I'll start with the highs. TELLURIDE is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The beetles haven't affected this area (possibly this altitude) and it's been a wet spring SOOOOO it was the greenest piece of heaven west of 'Ol Miss. Telluride rests at 8900 feet and the temp highs during our trip were in the '70s and the lows in the '40s. Perfect. The music was, of course, awesome. The most impressive bands during our experience were: Emmy Lou Harris, Bela Fleck, Trampled by Turtles, Jerry Douglas and I also liked Railroad Earth, which we will be seeing again with Yonder Mountain String Band in August at Red Rocks Amphitheater. We missed Yonder Mountain at this festival (boo hoo) because our stay was cut short. Segway into the lows.... I'm about 2 months pregnant and there were 12000 festivarians packed into this gorgeous but quaint place, most of who were there to PARTY! The air was violated by cigarette smoke and a god aweful smell of cabbage and soy sauce coming from the asian festival food booth. Although no one was belligerent or disrespectful, the sight of vomit to a woman who is already constantly nauseous due to hormone fluctuations is a bit much to handle. Additionally, the port o potties seemed to always be FULL. That's all I have to say to say about that. It was a fun trip and we met some REALLY great people - everyone there was SO HAPPY! We left camp on Saturday and had an amazing breakfast at Kate's Place and an inspirational hike in Ridgeway, Colorado, about 22 miles outside of Telluride. We are SO grateful for Ahma & Ahpa who allowed Robb & I to have 2 vacations thus far this year. As any parent can attest, time away to rekindle and regroup is imperative. Although our situation hindered some 'all out fun' on this trip, it was still great to just BE together and have no responsibilities or worries. Nevi was in good hands and so were we.

Watermelon & Swim Goggles...

2011-06-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks Nana & PopPop for the fun summer-care-package. Nevi obviously REALLY likes her new swim goggles, plus her new red beach chair, Nemo beach ball (as Nevi calls it), and other fun water toys. Swimming is by far Nevi's favorite thing these days....not to mention eating all the DELICIOUS watermelon and seasonal goodies.

Puddle Jumping / ROCKIES GAME!

2011-05-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Been a rainy few days here in Colorado - making the most of the weather......

2011-05-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

Nevi at 26 months

2011-05-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

A little about Nevi at the age of 26 months... *All of her baby teeth are, including her 2 year molars *She is fiercely independent and is often found saying, 'I do it! NO, I DO IT!' *She weighs 28 pounds and just in the last 2 weeks hit a growth spurt in height - she's looking long and lean, just like her daddy *She loves SWIMMING, throwing rocks /sticks in the creek and jumping in puddles more than anything in this world *She has no desire to do anything except exactly what she's doing in the moment - if she's outside, she doesn't want to come in... if she's inside, she doesn't want to go out. I suppose this is a gift in some ways (to be totally content exactly where you are and have no need for anything but what you have). However, trying to make transitions with Nevi can be a challenge. She needs a 5 minute warning before a transition will take place. *She is starting to let momma put barrettes and hair ties in her hair now, to get the hair out of her face *She loves trying on clothes now which is a HUGE change from last year when changing her clothes/diapers was such a struggle. She actually woke up last night around 10pm asking if she can change her pjs...she just wanted a change...no particular reason. I gave her the option of no pjs or the keeping the ones she has on. She chose to stay in her current dinosaur pjs. When Grandma Pat sent some new summer time outfits for Nevi, she chose to put nearly every outfit on AT ONCE. SHe was bundled up in 5 layers of clothes and pranced around the house like a queen, so proud of her new attire. *SHE IS DOING GREAT WITH POTTY TRAINING! Something clicked in the last week and now she does all of her pee pee and poo poo in her potty chairs at home. We have a potty chair on every level of the house and now when she has to go, she just says, 'I have to go pee pee' or 'I have to go poo poo' and we waltz into the bathroom to take care of business. She ONLY wears big girl underwear when we're home now. When we're out and about, it is a different story. She doesn't seem to like toilets - she's more comfortable right now with her potty chairs. I have a toilet insert for regular sized toilets so that she doesn't fall in - one for the house and one for public bathrooms. She doesn't like either and has had no success in our home toilets (with the insert) or in public restroom toilets. She tries but nothing happens. We we often wear our pull ups still when going out on adventures for this reason. One milestone at a time. I am not sure why so many parents are eager to potty train their children so young because it is actually MUCH easier to change a diaper than teach a child to use the potty. Valuable lessons, yes, but LOTS of consistent and diligent work. * She can blow her nose with a tissue or hanky and yes, she can even pick her own nose now. *Her favorite movie is POTTY POWER and she also still likes BABY SIGNING TIME, CURIOUS GEORGE, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, DORA THE EXPLORER, SESAME STREET/ELMO'S WORLD, BERENSTAIN BEARS, CAILLOU. Nevi really likes watching tv/movies but we limit it to 1 -2 hours a day of tv (some in the morning and some at night to wind down) and the rest of the time we play. *She loves her babysitter, Stephanie, who sees her every Friday while Robb and I are work. They are becoming very close and I love hearing the things that Stephanie teaches her when I come home on Friday nights. Nevi picks up on everything! Stephanie is a colleague of mine at Home Instead Senior Care and has 2 grown daughters of her own so she knows the power of little girls and has a loving yet stern approach with Nevi, which is really great. *Nevi NEEDS boundaries and is testing them daily. Once they are established, however, she respects them and thrives within them. *Her vocabulary is off the charts! She is starting to make attempts at long winded sentences and enjoys a good conversation these days. I have to admit, though, sometimes I get lost in the direction she's going with her stories. She likes to make up stories when 'reading' a book and does this based on the pictures that are available. She doesn't really like being read TO - which is interesting because my mom says she same about me when I was her age. But we continue to keep books as a daily activity, establishing a positive relationship with them in whatever capacity she will allow. *We are in the process of registering Nevi for preschool beginning this August 2011. This preschool is only blocks away from our house and is owned and taught by a previous colleague of mine (www.kiddiekopia.com is the website if you'd like to learn more). It is a neat program that divides the 2-3 years old up from the 4-6 year olds. We will be registering Nevi for Tues & Thurs mornings from 8:30a-12:30p. Nothing is final yet but these are our informal plans as of yet. *Nevi sleeps around 12 + hours each night and still naps for 1-2 hours every afternoon. She almost always wakes up happy! * We are very active - fun adventures daily! Yesterday, we went to Little Monkey Business and played our hearts out on the jumping castle, the slides, the bouncy swings and the basketball hoops. The only time that Nevi gets REALLY grouchy these days is when she's tired or hungry. Too bad she doesn't just say, 'Gee, I'm hungry momma. Can we eat?' It usually looks like whining and crying with 'NO' being shouted all over the map. Emotional maturity and body awareness/recognition will come soon enough..... and I will be ready. After she eats, she returns to her pleasant and happy and curious self. Amazing to watch this transition. *She loves to sit on my lap while we watch movies at night. *She loves to sing, play the drums and also play the piano. *We often dance at night to our favorite CDs. *She is still a good eater but is definitely developing preferences now - not much of a meat eater (though tonight she ate my meatloaf, horray!), and loves fruit and cereal and toast and cheese. Probably her favorite food is cottage cheese with avocado and a banana on the side. She only drinks milk and water. *Nevi sucks her thumb and often asks me if I will suck my thumb with her. I politely decline. *Everything that I teach Nevi (or do to Nevi), she tries to teach (or do) to me right back... ex. She often rubs my back and tells me that everything will be OK.... One time she actually checked the back of my pants after I let one wrip and told me I was clean and had no poop (ppphhhheewww). I can't remember a time I laughed harder. * She LOVES her baby dolls. She has Baby Daughter, Baby Lily, Bathtub Baby, and Baby Drew. She takes on and off their clothes, puts them in her pull-ups, feeds them, brushes their teeth and does everything to them that a good mom would do. She has many other favorite stuffed animals too, like Big Pink Bear, Tucker (teddy), Carsten (lamb) and Pooh. * She loves to organize her barrette tray, separating them by colors and by favorites. I AM DOCUMENTING THIS STUFF MOSTLY FOR MY BENEFIT, SO I NEVER FORGET NEVI AS A TWO YEAR OLD, BUT ALSO TO SHARE THE PERSON NEVI IS BECOMING WITH ALL OF YOU. Ahma & Ahpa probably know all of this stuff already as they has taken on a 4 day weekend with Nevi recently while Robb and I took our first trip away - went to NOLA.

Diaper Dash

2011-04-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Nevi competed in the 2nd race of her young career, the always scintillating “Diaper Dash” at the Frank Shorter "Race 4 Kids Health" in Broomfield, CO. Her first effort was the DD2010, almost 1-year ago, when she shuffled to a noteworthy finish, being beaten out by only kiddos with more than 3 months' experience on their legs. This year, she was hungry for another blue (participant) ribbon.

The race occurred in two heats. The first was the entire length of the football field, a veritable marathon for tykes under 2, who mostly opted for the short-course version, a 50-foot sprint, to be run shortly thereafter. So, in culmination of 25 months of intense psychological and physical conditioning, she toed the starting line.

The Applebee’s Bee, a charming but daunting character (hey, I’m a little scared of anybody with a 3-foot stinger) was the grand marshall. Wordlessly, he coaxed the field to the starting line, and then sent them off, whizzing down the gridiron himself, toward the finish line as a hungry pack pursued. Nevi’s start was a bit tentative....actually reversed would be a more appropriate term. It was less due to pre-race jitters (I think), and more a case of no-clear-idea-of-what-she-was-supposed-to-do. Kate’s hair appointment had been scheduled a month in advance (before either of us had even thought about entering this race) so I was flying solo as coach, photographer, and “seeing-eye dad” all rolled into one. But enough with the excuses. After we got going in the right direction, Nevi’s furious footfalls had her pulling away from the stragglers, and making a real push to advance to the rear of the lead pack! As the race’s first finishers crossed the line, The motivational music faded, and our ferocious little athlete suddenly slowed in her tracks.

“The music stopped,” she said.

“Keep going, keep running,” I prodded, “you’re almost there!”

Darting back & forth to avoid the previous finishers, she made it to the end, and there was much rejoicing!

Heat 2 was just as fun. Again, there were some problems at the start, but she finished respectably against a strong field of 2 & unders. Our neighbor, Powell, was Particularly Powerful, and according to my observation, bested all-comers. An awesome event as always, all the kiddos were supplied with ample finisher “schwag,” including a stuffed bear, books & stickers, and restaurant coupons. Well worth the no-charge entry fee!

SPRING! Another green thumb...

2011-04-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

Aside from the insane WIND we've been having it's been a pretty nice Spring thus far here in Colorado. Boulder Farmers Market had it's season opening last weekend and IT WAS PACKED! We mostly stayed away from the crowded market and blew our bubbled in the grassy space surrounding it. It was also warm enough to splash our hands and feet in the Boulder Creek. Let me rephrase...the air outside was warm enough, however the creek was almost painfully cold. Nevi's internal thermostat is always high so she didn't mind the cold water one bit. Her newest favorite activity in the WHOLE WORLD is throwing sticks and rocks in the creek. We usually walk out back to the Coal Creek where we get crazy muddy and explore the ground for fun things like ants, rocks, tracks, leaves, etc. It is hours of entertainment for the both of us and much warmer than the Boulder Creek for me.

Nevi also helped me get the back cleaned up a bit. I raked the leaves away and she helped me place rocks and manage the compost. She spent about an hour making a mulch/rock/dirt display in an old terra-cotta flower pot. She was trying to put the rocks to sleep, with the mulch being their blanket. She kept saying, 'shhhh, it's OK baby rocks....go to sleep now.....' I think we've got another nature lover and green thumb on our hands.

Fun Stuff

2011-04-08T19:45:00.000-07:00

We've been having nothing but fun lately.... Had a get-together with our Bradley Birthing friends, Peter, Dominika, Pavel and Dawid. Nevi LOVED playing with the boys and staying up late! And the adults had a nice time eating, drinking and being merry.

It was a Wednesday morning in March.....I was showered, ready for work, making sure the animals had their food and getting my lunch ready for work too...Robb marches down the stairs and says 'Why don't you stay home from work today and play with Nevi & I...', something he says on occasion. My usual response is...'but I've got sooooo much work to do...'. That morning I responded differently. It was the first day I'd EVER taken a personal day from work. I called work and told them that I wouldn't be in and man were they shocked but I had full support and a few, 'Good for you's.' Anwyay, we headed straight for the Erie park and played and danced until our we could no more. It is a newer park with your basic kiddo recycled play materials but it also had a pretty awesome solar powered musical dance and game arena. WE LOVED IT! We also basked in the grass under the sun and played kick ball for a while, rolling down grassy/hay-y hills and reminiscing about life. We were all starving after a glorious morning of laughter and hard play so we headed to Smash Burger for some burgers and fries. Nevi had a hot dog and fries - this was the very first time I have ever seen her dunk anything in ketchup. She dunked everything in the red stuff and to this day, she still loves to do it, only at home we're dunking 'healthier' things in it like scrambled eggs. We eventually made our way home and all took a nice nap. Again, glorious. That evening Robb joined me in a yoga class at the YMCA while Nevi played with the kiddos in the day care. Hiked our 'sunset loop' that night with Dylan and played sidewalk chalk until there was no more daylight. The day could not have been more perfect.

Cute Pictures

2011-03-13T07:33:00.001-07:00

Nev's birthday Trampoline!!!!!

2011-03-12T20:33:00.000-08:00

Nevi's birthday weekend

2011-03-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

We were so blessed to have had Pop Pop join in the celebration of Nevis 2nd birthday! Park after park for outdoor fun was the theme of the weekend. Thank you everyone for your generosity in gift giving and all of the love you give Nevi.

Potty Training and Barbershop Banquet

2011-02-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if these two subjects go together or not, but they are occurring at approximately the same time, so...

Mommy & Nevi started potty training about 2 weeks ago, and things started off very smoothly. We're now using "Pull-ups" diapers about half the time, and each of the three levels of our home have a potty chair. We'll keep you posted as the results continue to come in.

Also, Our annual Boulder Timberliners Barbershop Banquet was last weekend, and we had a great turnout! Nevi enjoyed running all around A Spice of Life Catering Center in Boulder with Mommy & Daddy, playing ring-around-the-rosie, and dancing up a storm. We, the audience, were treated to the Ponderosa Vigilantes quartet, and the accompaniment of our dancing daughter. In all my years of Barbershop, I don't really recall watching anybody dance to a performance, but the crowd seemed to appreciate the youthful vitality her choreography contributed.

Birthday Party - Surprise!

2011-02-17T14:44:00.000-08:00

The subject of this blog is (officially) Neviah K. Seal, and the narration is usually provided by Nevi's mother, Kate. However, in a few occasional instances, her father, Robb (that's me!) takes on the role of storyteller.

I thought it quite appropriate to narrate the blog about my 40th birthday (which was now over a month ago...so timely I am!), and the enjoyable adventures we had that day. Our first activity was to head up to the Coors Event Center on University of Colorado campus, to see the Buffs play Oklahoma State in a basketball showdown. Now, growing up in the basketball mecca of Indiana, I have seen my share of epic crowds, but in all the games I've attended in Boulder, the turnout has been lackluster at best. But take a young, charismatic Colorado Buffaloes team with a lively first-year head coach, coming off two upsets of top 25 teams in a row, and you get the recipe for a sell-out crowd. It was the most exciting game I've seen in over a decade, and we were lucky to even get tickets (a security guard handed us a free pair as we filed in, compliments of a season-ticket holder who had two extra)...happy birthday to ME! Nevi and Kate had hoped to make it til halftime, but the energy of the crowd and the energy of the kiddo were just too much. They hopped in their car after buying me a couple hot dogs, and I scooted home by bus after a thrilling, come-from-behind 75-71 victory!

Next step was the Steelers game, which we had planned to watch at Old Louisville Inn. Nevi had a great nap, and we headed off for a 4:00 Happy Hour. As we walked in to the main part of the restaurant, Kate mentioned "not a whole lot of people in here..." which made me a little suspicious. As we descended the stairway to the private room in back, I was greeted with the shouts and "Happy Birthday's" of 30+ of my closest friends. Kate had thrown me a surprise party! I had many awesome conversations, Nevi had lots of friends to play with and the Steelers had a dramatic, come-from-behind playoff victory over Baltimore.

Keeping the night alive after Kate & Nevi went home, I went out for Karaoke at Dillinger's (my neighborhood pub), with Ron & Chad, where the Packer's were putting the final touches on their blowout victory over Atlanta. Ron & I then ended up at Chrispy's band's rehearsal till the wee hours of the morning, and I found out later that the Hoosiers won, too. Sports: 4 for 4, and the best birthday of my entire life! (so far)

Thanks to Kate & Nevi for pulling off the amazing surprise, and letting me have a day filled with peace & freedom!

Winter Wonderland

2011-02-16T05:01:00.000-08:00

Well, these pictures about say it all...it's been a great month of off & on sledding, off & on summer-like days and off & on below zero temperatures. Makes it hard to try to teach a concept like the changing of the seasons. Daddy broke the sled just a few minutes after these pictures were taken, and we had to use a remnant of plastic (see video) to make a few more runs down this hill just outside our home here in Lafayette, CO (The "Centaur West Hill"). Nevi loves sledding. Not sure if she's a full-on thrill-seeker yet, but if her screams of excitement are any indication of our future, we could be nail-biting parents for a long time to come!

Addendum - Ahma Ahpa visit

2011-01-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

Ahma wanted us to post some pictures of Nevi going on the train. I didn't see any good ones in ours, but they sent some, so here they are:

Holiday Highlights, cont'd

2011-01-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

Holiday Highlights!

2011-01-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

Whew! Just uploaded a fresh crop of pictures from the new camera and finished up a lot of little 2010-ending details. Now we're really ready to go with the new year.

Christmas was phenomenal- we felt truly blessed to receive abundant gifts and sharing during the holiday season. Nevi was a Christmas Critter to the Core, often chiming in with "ho ho ho's" and a chorus of "Jingle Bells" when we least expected it. We got to spend the holiday with Ahma & Ahpa (Robb's parents, Jan & Jim), and there was plenty of good cheer to go around. Highlights included The Waterloo, Chuck E Cheese, Monkey Business, lots of swinging and various other outdoor activities, driving around to see the holiday lights on Christmas night, and skiing at Loveland (just Robb & Jim).

After they left, it was a quick lunch with Robb's college fraternity brother Paul, and his wife Hope and daughter Aspen, at the Jeffco (Rocky Mountain Metro) Airport Runway Grill. We got to eat and watch the planes take off with a good view of the mountains!

Then, we got our first good snow of the season a few days ago, and got the kiddo out sledding for the first time. It was a little chillier than what she's used to, but she stuck it out and we laughed a lot going down the hill.

Also, we got a new addition to our family. While Robb & Nevi were running an errand at Office Max last week, they stopped in to PetSmart to look at the fishies and kitties and got blindsided by an adorable feline named "Jack." And even though we've never thought of Kate as a "cat person," it turns out that Jack's little web of magic and love was too much for her to resist. He's spent most of the time since we brought him home yesterday hiding under a bed or behind the couch or the furnace, but he's eaten, and used the litter box, and come out for an occasional nuzzle and purr.

Happy New Year to everybody! We're looking forward to a productive and rewarding 2011!

Holiday Festivities

2010-12-19T15:48:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for parties and Santa! We had fun at my work holiday party where Nevi got to play with a little girl very close to her age. They made funny faces, chased each other down the hallway and went up and down the stairs too many times to count. Nevi also got to meet Santa Claus in person but truthly wanted no part of him. She was happy to meet him when he was walking out to greet everyone but when it came time to sit in his lap, she panicked. Just like me when I was her age. Maybe next year....

My 33rd Birthday Party

2010-12-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving, the Seal troop rounded up once again but this time to celebrate my birthday. Thanksgiving leftovers were enjoyed (my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is to enjoy it over and over again) with a grand finale of birthday cake instead of pumpkin pie. Thank you everyone for enjoying my birthday with me - I feel the love...

More of the Fam

2010-12-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

Ring Around the Rosy

2010-12-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

The Fam at Thanksgiving in Anderson, IN

2010-12-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

It's been a long while since the Colorado Seals traveled at Thanksgiving but we landed in Anderson, IN this year to see Nana & Pop along with all the others... There were 45 beautiful and familiar faces on Thanksgiving Day, all extensions of our family. We enjoyed this reunion and feast in Noblesville, IN at the Lodge, a new and super nice venue thru the Parks and Rec Dept overlooking beautiful green open space (Thanks Don for the Lodge and Thanks Sue for the organizing and mass cooking). It was a perfect day. Even the rain was cleansing and unobtrusive. The food was out of this world, the company somehow was even better and the Thanksgiving Prayer (Thanks Sue) was the cherry on top. Nevi was even able to nap in the Lodge office for a while so we didn't miss a beat.

The traveling was surprisingly easy, as well. Robb, Nevi & I all made it to the airport on time for departure, expecting long lines the day before the holiday but ended up with NO line when checking bags and a reasonable/manageable line for security. We arrived at our gate 2 hours before take off but it not an issue since everything is a fun activity with Nevi. Leaving Indiana was just as easy, just way too early. With the time difference (2 hours difference between Anderson and Lafayette), we figured we woke up at 2am to head back. Yuck, but well worth it (Thanks PopPop for the rides).

It was awesome to watch Nevi bond with everyone and get such warm love and genuine interest/attention in return. I think that this trip was very fulfilling for us all.

Winter hats & ZOO!

2010-11-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

The Denver Zoo offers a few free zoo days each year so we partook in their offer last weekend. I, like everyone else in Denver, thought....oh goody...free! Needless to say, it was packed and the parking was crazy! But, we managed a few hours amidst the chaos and enjoyed a few animal displays. The giraffe were probably the most entertaining of the exhibits - they recently had babies who were running around, playing and having a ball. Robb also liked the grizzly bears. In most other animal exhibits we saw, the animals were sleeping or sitting peacefully, so we'd say....'Look., Nevi, a snake!' And she'd look and look and not see a thing that was exciting. We didn't spend a dime that day, but I think next time we go to the zoo, we'll pay full price and spare ourselves the stress. It took us 30 minutes to find our car after the zoo and an additional hour to leave the parking lot. And, as usual, toward the end of our visit, I was REALLY ready to go, feeling emotionally charged seeing those poor creatures in captivity. Seeing Nevi absorb the views and education offered by this place made it worth the hassle and tears.

Nevi LIVE! Winkle Winkle A-B-C

2010-10-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

trick or treating cont'd

2010-10-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treating!!!!!

2010-10-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

We stayed right in our neighborhood for trick or treating this year. Probably went to a dozen homes or so of friends and neighbors who we adore and who adore Nevi. I had so much more fun than I thought I would. She got pretty good at saying Trick or Treat but even better at saying Happy Halloween! And she thanked everyone in sign language after they treated us. It was probably all very strange and new for her but she really did seem to like Halloween- the dressing up in costume, the social component, and she really loved seeing everyone else's costume's, too. The only part that she didn't get into was the candy. She tried chocolate again tonight but sure enough, she spit it right out and did her shiver thing she does when she doesn't like the taste of something. After a long night out on the town, we ended up using all of her candy on the trick or treaters who came to our door once we returned. We had left a caldron of candy ourselves on our front steps while we were away with a sign Robb made saying 'Help yourself to five pieces each!'. We just added our newly inherited candy to the mix and 'poof' it was all gone. I think Robb actually gave away some snacks from his personal stash this Halloween once we ran out...

More YMCA pix and Pumpkin Carving!

2010-10-31T20:20:00.000-07:00

We carved pumpkins in the front yard for the very first time this year, because weather permitted. I could really get used to this kind of weather.

Halloween at the Y

2010-10-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

We are regular YMCA goers. They had an AWESOME Halloween party the Monday before Halloween, where Nevi was able to sport her RED Crayon costume for the first time. We had an absolute blast. She jumped in the bouncing castle, won some prizes for throwing balls into the caldrons, picked her own very special cookie off a Christmas tree in the Enchanted Cookie Forest (the ONLY quiet room in the Y meant for little ones just like Nevi - it was magical), and she ate her cookie along with a slice of BlackJack pizza. Just one of the kiddos. We met some great folks there and played really nicely with all of the others. She loved it so much that she wore her Crayon costume almost day this last week and, then again, of course, tonight for the big Trick or Treat adventure. More pictures will follow......

Fall leaves

2010-10-31T19:58:00.000-07:00

The fallen leaves have been a great source of entertainment for us this fall! We spent lots of time everyday raking leaves, jumping into the piles, laying on our backs and watching leaves fall from the trees, filling recycle bins of leaves and hauling them to the compost out back (she rides IN the bin with the leaves and we call it a 'boat' ride). I can't wait to go sledding with Nevi this winter...she's going to LOVE it!!!!!! Hands down, this has been THE most beautiful autumn we've had in Colorado in the 8 years I've lived here. Usually by this time, end of October, we've had a snowfall already and winter has crashed into our lives, ready or not. Not this year,though. It's been warm, colorful, some days of wind and rain and very fragrant, like leaves/earth/smoke. Amazing.

Too fun.....

2010-10-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, folks. Robb is eating a deep-fat-fried-TWINKIE at AppleFest. It came smothered in whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate and, of course, came on a stick! I admittingly had one bite, just for the experience and, well, it was pretty darn good. I decided, this trip, to really embrace the mid-west experience and bask in my roots, my heritage. When in Rome...... So, I ate ANYTHING that was offered to me, things that I otherwise would have poo poo'd, things like Biscuits and Gravy, Corned Beef Casserole, Deep Fried Twinkie....the list goes on. And I loved every minute of it. I've gotta hand it to midwesterners.... Ya'all can really cook! For those that know me well, you know that I LOVE whole foods and organic nutrition. It is a bit of a passion for me and something that I can be a bit obsessive about if I'm not careful. This trip really allowed me to open up my world and join in the fun with the locals. Thanks to everyone for your hospitality, awesome food, great conversation and memories.

THE LAND

2010-10-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

Many people have heard of my sister's way of life...living off the grid.... here are some pictures to add to the mix. Kristin's gardening boxes in front of their future home site, Gavin and Ella's treehouse (VERY cool, just needs the yellow slide installed), their workshop in which they currently reside, the infamous yurt, their orchard (apple trees, blueberry and plum bushes) and trails that they developed which explore all 80 acres of this gorgeous terrain. Keith has been learning about cedar timber framing and is making them a timber garage for storage this month. The garage will be located in between their workshop and the site where their dream home will eventually be built (see first picture). The trees have all been cleared and the plans for their home will be a reality, hopefully in the coming years. In the meantime, their 16x24 workshop is home - it is very organized and very home-y. My sister said something to me this trip that I think will stay with me always...she said that her way of life is often referred to as the 'simple life' but that there is nothing simple about their life. They haul in their fresh water in buckets from a local artesian well. Then, they haul OUT their waste water. This ensures that they control exactly how much water they use. They have a compost-able toilet inside the workshop that requires daily maintenance but is very user friendly. Eventually, an outhouse will be built near their home site. They have chickens, which lay enough eggs for them to live on. And gardens which produce fruits and veggies galore. They also have a couple solar panels as well, which provide a few hours of lighting inside the workshop at night. They mostly use oil lamps and their wood burning stove for light and heat.

I knew in my head how they lived but now that I have experienced it first hand, I am in awe.

Last day in Minnesota, Arriving to Applefest in Bayfield, Wisconsin

2010-10-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

The last two pictures are of our final days in Minnesota. Only a three hour drive from Grand Rapids to Drummond, Wisconsin, which is where the cabin we rented was located. It was a REALLY nice cabin, remodeled and fully equipped. Kristin's land was only 20 miles away, which for up there isn't too far. Robb and I both commented on how everything seems REALLY far away from everything else when you get that far north but it is all separated by beautiful wilderness. The first picture here shows how much Nevi enjoys rolling down hills. More pictures of this nature will be posted.... Gavin, Ella, Nevi and Robb all spent a good deal of time at AppleFest rolling down the hills and enjoying the moist grass. We had awesome weather on this trip, only one day of rain the entire time!

Bonfire & Smores...

2010-10-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

There were a lot of 'firsts' for Nevi on this trip... Her first bonfire and first smores are depicted in this particular blog. She didn't particularly like the marshmallows or chocolate but loved the graham crackers, not a surprise to me at all. She doesn't really like 'sweets', definitely not chocolate,but does like graham crackers, something she eats on occasion even at home. She had a lot of fun collecting sticks for the fire and really liked just being outside with all of us while we enjoyed the warmth and solitude of a homemade fire.

Coon Rapids AND Grand Rapids w/ Ahma and Ahpa

2010-10-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

After a few days in Coon Rapids, Ahma, Ahpa, and our Colorado gang all headed north to spend a few more days at the lake house. Here, we were able to spend some quiet time in the woods. It was beautiful. We boated, road on an ATV, hiked, made a bonfire and played hard with the many toys that Ahma accumulated for Nevi. The talking Elmo doll was probably the biggest hit, but new toys in general are always a fun adventure for Nevi.

Nevi was struggling with her first chest cold during this vacation. Lots of napping and liquids. She seemed to be affected by this cold for most of the trip unfortunately but hung in there well. I was very impressed by how well Nevi handled all of the driving, and there was LOTS! She is quite a trooper.

Midwest Autumn Road Trip!

2010-10-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

We left home at 4:30am on Saturday Sept 25th to begin our journey east. We landed in Truro, IO just in time for a home cooked dinner by our favorite great aunt and great uncle, Bill and Helen. These folks are some of the best stock I've ever met . They are generous, loving and are amazing chefs! We slept very peacefully that night in Truro. I woke up the next morning and went for a most enjoyable jog, didn't see 1 person or moving vehicle for the entire 40 minutes. Greg Brown sings songs about this exact thing, the peace that small rural midwest towns offer. What a treat! They took us to the Truro library the next morning, where Helen volunteers and where the 'heart' of Truro seems to reside.

From there, we headed north to Coon Rapids, MN. Ahma and Ahpa brought us to the Mall of America in Minneapolis! Nevi LOVED watching the roller coasters and especially loved watching the 'water log ride' with Omma. 'Come on, boat!', they would shout as they waited for more logs to descend the vertical drop and splash at the bottom. We all ate at the Rainforest Cafe (Uncle Mark, Cousin Jack and Maggie, too!) and everyone was so impressed with how well Nevi ate. I just chuckled with pride. It IS really fun to eat with a kid who doesn't battle at mealtime and who enjoys food. She says, 'Yum Yum' over and over when she's REALLY liking the taste of something. During dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, the lights would go out on occasion and the surroundings would simulate a thunderstorm, the monkeys would go nutz, etc... Nevi smiled, laughed and clapped with excitement! Very cool time....

Random shots in September...

2010-10-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

Just before leaving for vacation, I found this kiddo kitchen on Craig's List. Now we just need accessories, like fry pans, plastic food, etc, to make the kitchen complete. Nevi loves to help out in the kitchen, which is great, but it can make preparing food kind of difficult and often times a lengthy process. Now, she can still help me cook, but I can get dinner done much faster. We recently made smoothies together, hence the smoothie mustache.

Robb as been teaching Nevi how to play chess (no, not really) but they have definitely been having fun together while mommy's at work.

Jumpin' Jordy's

2010-09-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

Robb and Nevi went to a Jumpin Castle kiddo place a week or so ago and had themselves a hoppin' good time. Nevi LOVES to jump! She is getting her last molar in now and it is quite apparent that it's causing her some pain. This will be her 11th tooth! Her language ability is improving and expanding everyday and now she's putting words together to form understandable fragment sentences. She LOVES planes and birdies that fly in the sky and can even identify a hawk as it soars above. She knows most of her farm animals and the sounds they make. Can count to 14 (with some help). Went to her first swim lessons this summer at the Y. Bonded with all of her Grandparents this summer during their visits. Feeds her dog, Dylan. Walks Dylan with the leash most nights before bedtime. LOVES cheese, eggs, yogurt, bread/cereal, oatmeal, noodles, avocado, raisins, tofu, tempeh, pizza, all fruits, most veggies, some meat if it's tender. DOES NOT like white potatoes made in any fashion, mushrooms, chocolate, ice cream, or fish. She's a water and milk drinker. She enjoys healthy food and is active as can be. She won't go outside with out a hat and shoes (creature of habit) and will even bring you your shoes when she's ready to hit the grass/trails. She is outgoing and says 'hi' to most people, offering them a high five and a hug to accompany. She kisses her mama's chest/collar bone every night before bedtime....not sure why or how this came to be but it's about as cute as can be. Her 'dark side' shines through at times as evidence by her hitting. But she says 'sorry' and offers a hug now after she hits you, with verbal prompting of course. Now that Nevi understands most all of what we say, communication and connection is so much easier. She does still like to use sign language, and we practice our signs in addition to our spoken words. It's a fun project to learn together. Oh yeah, and one more thing... SHE LOVES ELMO!

Reggae on the Rocks

2010-09-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

Nevi went to her first concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. Definitely one of the most awesome venues around. We went directly after her nap and enjoyed the afternoon and early evening listening to great music and climbing the infamous red rocks stadium. Nevi climbed every single stair up to the concert stage, something that many adults can't even do. We were so proud of her strength and endurance. She got to drum with some rasta-farians and eat a picnic dinner under the open sky. Toward the end of the evening, she started this game with my hand, where she was opening and closing my hand, one finger at a time. Her focus was impressive and it had many spectators intrigued. Very cool day, memories that will stick for a long time.

Marathon Weekend

2010-09-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

So most of you have heard our marathon weekend story....here are a few more pictures to accompany the memory.

Bathroom remodel

2010-08-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

The first three pictures are the AFTER shots. Two BEFORE shots came in last. Turned out nice.

Nana, PopPop & Jenn visit, cont'd

2010-08-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

Nana, PopPop & Jenn visit

2010-08-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

Gma Pat visit & Rockies

2010-08-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

Marathon Training Thoughts....

2010-07-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

Many of you already know that Robb and I are training for a Half Marathon in August. GrandmaMom and JimPa will be coming out here to be with Nevi for a night while we take on this challenge, running from Idaho Springs, CO to Georgetown. TRAINING: I ran 9 miles this morning.... I ran for 1 hour and 48 minutes, straight. I never imagined in a million years that I could do this. And that I could enjoy doing this is even more wild. For the first time since I can remember, my body is accepting the challenges of running and it is being received with a small but welcomed sense of grace. Also contributing is my mind, with focus and perseverence. AMAZING how much the mind contributes to our successes and/or our failures. I have a lot of time to think during these long runs and this is what pervaded my mind this morning........After 7 miles, I felt tired but I still had 2 to go. I had to dig deep to find the strength and energy to continue. So where was this strength coming from, I asked myself? The answer came in less than 1 second...the sum total of all my experiences that have made me who I am today. My age, my continually changing perspective and the wisdom that comes with these has been slowly turning my pond-sized spirit into an ocean. Everyday, I see older people struggling in life, with physical pain and with the emotional challenges of facing death and loss. I find that I easily get caught up in the sadness of aging, the 'courageous journey' of it all. But I think I'm becoming more in tune now with the amazing things that happen with age, too. I'm finding that SO many components of my life just keep getting better and better (and yes, I understand that I'm not 'old' yet, but the way I see it, if life keeps getting better and better for me now, imagine how amazing it will be with exponential levels of growth and awareness, something that takes time to simmer and brew). Everyday I thank the Creator for my life, but I find this happening more often when I'm running, surrounded by the beauty of wilderness with nothing but time on my hands. Time that I don't have in many other parts of my day. I think a lot about Robb on these runs. How he supports me in whatever I do, even allowing me/encouraging me to run for 2 hours on a Sunday morning, all the while, holding down the fort and playing with Nevi while I'm gone. He has so much faith in me, that he alone has energized my spirit to infinite levels of expansion. He brings out my humor, which is a skill that is held by very few. AND, after all of our experiences together, we are still each other's biggest fans. Also contributing to my pool of strength is Nevi. My body endured a 9 1/2 month pregnancy, a 14 hour unmedicated labor/delivery and 13 months of nursing. And while I know that women do this all the time, all over the world, it is impossible for me to minimize this experience and the effects that it has on one's body and soul. Bearing a child, then raising a child is hands down, the most intense experience of my life. And all the while, feeling exhausted and surrendered, I also feel like I have a bottomless well of love for my family and feel a deeper happiness and greater sense of accomplishment than I ever thought possible. Bottom line....the most miraculous and fulfilling things in life are most often the ones that challenge us to no end. Right now, I feel like I can do anything. I feel like all the strength and love I need is in me and it will always be there for me if I need it. And that the ocean-sized spirit I feel in me now may even turn into something larger if I keep filling it with the right stuff, like the accomplishment of a Half Marathon! I feel like anything is possible if I dig deep and keep my faith, all the while continuing to dance on that fine line between the simplicity and complexity of everything that exists in nature.

Breckenridge, Colorado. Heaven on Earth!

2010-07-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Robb & Kate! Aaaaaaaaaah... We are in the final stages of decompression from one of the most amazing places and one of the most needed weekends ever. For both of us.

The greatest thing about it was to have our kids with us to enjoy this small 'peace' of heaven. And no, we are not pregnant again. We speak of Nevi and Dylan, the two greatest little beings there are.

We stayed at a place called 'The Lodge and Spa at Breckenridge', which Robb scored on hotels.com. Human-friendly, dog-friendly and view-friendly, it exceeded our expectations in almost every way. The picture of the Lodge (below) says it all. It is situated near the top of a ridge, with breathtaking views on three sides. The fourth side wasn't bad either. Although we didn't take advantage of the discount on spa services they offered, it was a fantastic weekend physically as well as visually. We ate, we slept, we hiked and spent a little time each night in the hot tub...thank GOD for baby monitors. The town of Breckenridge was fun to wander and cool to experience from the FREE Gondola ride that allowed both 16 month old human and 10 year old dog, passing over Cucumber Gulch Wetlands on the way to Breckenridge Ski Area, elevation 12, 998. Our parking place was good enough for a tour of the main drag, Main Street, where Dylan was beckoned into stores by friendly and complimentary shop owners. We even received welcome dog training tips. Saw our friend, Cat, unexpectedly, ate great food and even had time for Nevi to dip her feet in at a stop along the Riverwalk. Feels great to be home.

Early to bed tonight for both of us. Catch ya next time!

Rockford pix, cont'd

2010-07-05T05:35:00.000-07:00

more Rockford pix

2010-07-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

Trip to Rockford

2010-07-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from our recent trip to Rockford, IL. Lots of drama surrounding this trip, resulting in days of exhaustion upon our return home. BUT, it was all worth it to see Grandma and cousins, Gavin and Ella.

To begin this trip, Nevi, Robb and I were out the door at 4:40am Friday morning on June 25th (planned on leaving at 4:30am but running a little late) to catch our 6:30am flight. It was a smooth drive to the airport until we arrived at our park-n-ride, where we were held up significantly by a VERY slow shuttle ride to the terminal. At this point, we had 50 minutes still to check baggage and go through security. We stood in line to check our bags for 8 minutes only to find out that bags must be checked 45 minutes prior to departure and we had missed our window by 3 minutes. So, we stood there in shock as they told us we couldn't board (plane still not leaving the airport for another 43 minutes). The next flight that had seats available was the NEXT morning, same time. Soooo, we did the same thing all over again on Saturday morning, only we left the house at 4:15am on the nose. By the time we actually landed in Chicago, we had Saturday afternoon and Sunday to hang with mom, Gavin and Ella. Kristin and Keith were unable to get off work so they dropped the kids off so the cousins could play. VERY nice of them to do this. Our flight back to Denver left OHare at 7:20am Monday morning, so we left Rockford, once again, at 4something in the morning, arrived back home feeling pretty beat and bruised.

By the time we got home and settled, Robb was off to work and Nevi had 102 degree fever. She was fire hot with goose bumps all over. I called our pediatrician and did what they said (Tylenol and tepid bath) and put her down for the night at 6pm. By morning, her fever was gone and I could see how happy she was to be home. I think the early mornings and missing hours of sleep really took its toll on all of us.

TEETHING: Today, July 5th, Nevi is doing well. She has been teething for the last few days, which is obvious by Nevi's lack of contentedness. Her bottom left molar is pushing through the gums. If it is anything as painful as it looks, she is being a trooper, considering. But she is sleeping more and 'not quite herself' as this tooth comes in. Her molars on the the other side have already come in.

EATING CHANGES: Up until 3 days ago, Nevi has eaten anything we offer her. Suddenly and completely out of nowhere, Nevi has decided to be a little more picky about what she will eat, or more accurately, more picky about what she will keep in her mouth. She will still put most anything IN her mouth, but if she doesn't like the texture or taste of something, she will spit it out. I'm finding that she likes mostly bland foods right now. She is back to getting the 'chills' when food is too seasoned or not a pleasant texture. She did this 'whole-body-chill' thing when she first started solids but hasn't done it now for quite some time. Additionally, she is not eating as much and pushes food away when she's done, or just starts throwing it on the floor. I am happy to see that she recognizes 'full' now, however, we will be working on proper communication via sign language or spoken word to avoid many more carpet stains.

June schtuff

2010-06-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Nevi and I went to the Denver Aquarium yesterday - it's been cool and rainy all weekend. Just as I suspected, she took greater interest in climbing the seat rocks than the actual fish, but it was still a good trip. Anytime we can change the scenery and explore new grounds is a good day.

Pushing Neviah Chair

2010-06-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

Swimming Video Clip

2010-06-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Weekend w/ Gma & Gpa

2010-06-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

Grandma Mom and Jim Pa came into town for Memorial Weekend for an array of adventures. Day 1, we hit the Grand Opening of the outdoor pool at the YMCA, our new fitness center. It was a bit cool but Nevi didn't seem to mind as she floated in her boat and played ball with her peers. Day II, we watched the Indy 500 while Grandma made homemade Tirimasu (best I've had to date) and Kate experimented with her new juicer (carrot/apple/celery/ginger...yum!). A lovely sunset walk on the trails and a friendly game of Euchre concluded our day (for the record, Robb and I totally schooled the grandparents).

Day III was spent at the Boulder Creek Arts Festival, where Grandma reconnected with old friends who drove up from south Denver. Nevi was a wanderin' and a climbin' trees with Jim Pa. When she got a little hot and bothered, we dipped our feet in the Boulder Creek...bbbrrrrrr!... to cool her jets.

Nevi has always been a very vocal baby, expressing herself with cooing and shouts. But now, she just plain yells. When asked how Nevi is doing, the honest answer Robb and I can give is... she's very 'yelly'. It's just how she communicates right now so I continue reinforcing sign language and simple words. So far, Nevi can say hi, bye, no, mommy, daddy, good girl, uh oh, oh jeez, banana (nana really), apple and other simple words and she also knows probably 20 different signs in ASL. She can repeat many words you say and come pretty close to the pronunciation, but doesn't repeat/initiate the words in correct context yet. That'll come.
She has two of her molar teeth in and the doc said that the others are on their way. I think she's got 10 teeth all together now. She is 21 lbs, 3 oz as of today, and the doc is recommending that she gain weight by adding additional healthy oils and fats to her diet. She's in the 75% for height and 25% for weight.

Nevi is still a momma's girl and takes a little while to warm up to new adult faces. She LOVES to play with girls her age up to 10 y/o. She initiates play with peers very quickly and likes to give them hugs. It's pretty darn cute to watch.

First big spill

2010-06-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

Not mom's proudest moment but an experience all the same. Nevi fell face first a few weeks ago onto our cement slab in the back. And I was standing right next to her but couldn't break the fall in time. I was sick to my stomach after that for most of the day. Big bumps on her forehead and a scabby/bloody nose. She proved once again just how resilient and tough she really is. The scabs are already gone and she plays just as hard as always.

Right now, one of her favorites things to do is to put stuff in stuff. Example below where Nevi has decided to pick strawberry leaves and place them ever so strategically in my water bottle. I suppose she's really perfecting her gross and fine motor skills, but I did cringe slightly because they were my STRAWBERRIES!!! Oh well, a parent's ability to' let go' of these minor things seems to improve drastically each day, re-prioritizing Nevi's development and exploration above all else.

Mom Day weekend cont'd

2010-05-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day Weekend

2010-05-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

The eve of Mother's Day was spent with some good friends here at the house, where we broke bread together and caught up on each other's lives. Adam doesn't actually eat bread (Iron Man Triathlete) but ate most of the other offerings. He has been working from afar but is back for the summer, back to his busy wife, Sarah, who is completing her PhD here at CU. Sarah is training for a Century ride, a 100 mile bike ride through the Rocky mountains and then some. Robb married them last summer, 4th of July.

Sunday, Mother's Day was spent at a beautiful park in Louisville, a hop skip and jump away from home. Robb packed a picnic lunch and we explored the acres of land, pond, trails and of course, swings - Nevi's favorite. It's hard to get her off of them, actually. Her favorite sign in sign language is MORE and she frantically signs MORE when you attempt to get her out of the swing. All around, a very relaxing and very fun weekend.

May 2010

2010-05-04T04:58:00.000-07:00

So, it's no secret that Nevi is a great eater. She eats almost anything I cook for her so, of course, I pump her full of whole foods, greens, fruits, anything colorful that will give her body the needed nutrients for development and enjoyment. But now she's starting to enjoy feeding herself and almost demands independence around mealtime. So, I let her have it. Except for the fact that takes too big of bites, she does really well with finger foods. A spoon and bowl still present challenges, but she's getting better everyday with her fine motor coordination. This meal happened to be a veg/quinoa dish that was the messiest yet. Good thing Dylan is around to clean up the floors!

Our friends, Ron and Irene, from Barbershop, had us up for brunch last weekend (Platteville, CO) and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Nev had a great time playing with their dog, Jasmine (and spilling orange juice on their white carpet :(). She made a great connection with Irene, who is great with kiddos - she kept running up to Irene and burying her head in Irene's lap. It amazing to see Nevi trust and love new spirits that come into her life. Irene is the wonderful woman who made Nevi's Christening gown. Very talented soul.

Finally, Robb ran his May race in Denver, conveniently enough at Coors Field, where our Colorado Rockies play ball. The race ended in the field so Nev and I rushed from the streets of Denver (where we happened to run into Dinger, the Rockies Mascot at the race start) into the field to see Robb run the final leg of this 5K ON the field! Robb came in 1st place in his age group so we didn't have to wait long. I had to capture Nevi pushing her stroller on this blog because I stood in awe of her that day - she pushed that stroller all the way from the parking lot to the stadium! What a fierce little girl! She was so exhausted that she fell asleep in the car on the drive back to Lafayette and when we got home, she still didn't wake up as I carried her up to bed. Nevi is an incredibly light sleeper so it is very unusual to actually SEE her sleeping and be able to carry her sweet little sleeping self in my arms. A precious moment for mommy.

April 28th, 2010

2010-04-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a very fun week here in Colorado. Last weekend, Nevi and I went to our friend (Jen's) baby shower. She's expecting a girl so, of course, I'm already thinking of all the fun the girls will have together. The picture also features my very good friend, Carri.

The UPSIDE picture is not upside down in my computer picture file but for some reason appears this way in the blog. I had to include it anyway because this is Nevi's newest favorite activity. Robb has a few large tupperware/rubbermaid containers stowed away under our bakers rack that he uses to ice his hands after long days of giving deep tissue massage to prevent inflammation in his aching arms. Nevi has discovered them and thinks they are the best seats in the house. She has even initiated 'independent play' with them by bringing over little animals from her farm set and balls from other toys and playing with them on top of these containers. It is darling to watch. She also pushes these containers around the 'circle' main floor of our house, like she's racing cars. Up until pretty recently, Nevi has relied on us to initiate most of her play so it's really neat to see her trying it out on her own.

Just today, Robb and Nevi went to their first Rockies games of the season! They were both unbelievably happy and full of excited energy when they got home, fuming of sunscreen and sweat. Ahhhh, the glorious smells of summer. Wish I could've been there. Apparently Nevi had little interest in sitting down to watch the game (not surprising or unusual for a curious toddler), but they had a great time walking around, exploring, and playing in the children's playground. It was a perfect spring day here in Colorado, perfect for a ball game.

LASTLY, it is hard to believe but today is the day, 4/28 4 years ago, that Nevi's Grandpa Bob passed away... it also happened to be his birthday so a powerful day it will always be. The funeral home made a video for us featuring our favorite photographs of dad/grandpa and I played it for Nevi tonight, hoping that if I show her pictures often enough, she will at least recognize Grandpa Bob, even though she never had the chance to meet him. I'm sure he would have adored her adventurous spirit and her love for the outdoors.

Diaper Dash clip

2010-04-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

Mom/Dad Group

2010-04-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

Below are some photos from the '50 foot Diaper Dash', Nevi's first running race. She sure made Daddy-o proud.

Another new fun thing.... I just started a local Mommy/Daddy Group that will most likely meet weekly. Some families from our birth class join us, but also neighbors and local friends. There are 13 families interested so far. Last week was the start of this new social outlet and it looks like there are more takers for this week. As of now, we meet every Wednesday at 4pm at our place. If we actually get a group established, we may take turns hosting these gatherings, which I will like very much. I love being around other mommies right now but more importantly, I'm wanting to give Nevi the opportunity to play with other munchkins. Since we don't do daycare, I really want her to be around other little ones regularly so she can build relationships and have fun! We'll see where this goes.....

13 months old...

2010-04-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

We're all pretty pleased with the warmth and rebirth this Spring. Nevi enjoys outside time more than any other time, a woman after my heart. She is almost always content when we're outside playing in 'our' space or meandering through the neighborhood and community playground. She is easily intrigued by rocks and mulch and always has some earth element in her hand when reentering the home. A collection is being built just outside the front door, where we place her favorites for next time. We practice scooping up dirt from one pot and putting it into another pot quite frequently. Little does she know that these pots will soon be filled with plants and flowers come Mother Day. Robb has been running one race each month and Nevi and I actually made this last one, in Broomfield. They usually take place during naptime, but Nevi's naptime seems to be altering...from two naps to one nap a day most days now. At this recent race, there was a 'Diaper Dash' for kiddos under 2 yrs. old so Nevi got to run her very first race. 50 feet of cuteness. Those pictures next....

Quick close up clip

2010-03-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Nevi's Birthday celebration in Colorado, one week later

2010-03-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

We decided to celebrate one year of Nevi, not just once, but twice. When we returned from Indiana, my mom and aunt Lynn flew out to Colorado to spend some time with us and see Nevi at one year old. They stayed with us from Thursday (the 11th) through Tuesday (the 16th) and we had an awesome visit. Additionally, we invited some close friends over last Saturday from 4p-7p where we continued our Nevi celebration, enjoyed some great cake and had lots of good munchkin playtime. The house was packed and we couldn't have been happier. Our family and our friends constantly remind us of how truly blessed and supported we are. We had Nevi's one year doctor checkup on 3/10 and, again, they told us nothing we didn't already know.... she's a healthy and hearty chick. She weighed in at 20 pounds 8 ounces, only one pound more than she was at 9 months but doc says she's leveling out and obviously very active. She's in the 25% in weight and 95% in height for a 'typical' one year old. Right on track to take after her daddy-o. She's got 6 teeth, 2 on the bottom and 4 on top, and doc said her molars are starting to come in, too. She also just started whole cow milk, which she seems to really like. She's a good drinker and good eater, loves any vegetables and fruits you offer her. Right on track to take after her mommy-o in this regard. She usually sleeps around 12 hours each night and still takes 2 naps a day so far. She's a light sleeper but is good at going down and following the sleep routine. She LOVES to dance and hug and play outside. She loves dogs and pants every time she sees one. We're really having fun now! Her personality continues to shine and is quite amazing to watch.

This one's for you, GrammaMom...

2010-03-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

last batch of pix...

2010-03-12T05:21:00.000-08:00

Anderson trip, cont'd pictures

2010-03-12T05:17:00.000-08:00

1 year Birthday Party!

2010-03-12T05:05:00.000-08:00

Traveled to Anderson, Indiana to celebrate Nev's first birthday last weekend. Nana homemade a cake for Nevi, plus an additional mini 'smash' cake for Nevi to have her way with. She was a perfect lady, however, and nibbled politely on her cake (don't know where she gets these manners from). The carrots that she ate after her cake, however, were a little more messy. We were surrounded by loving friends and family in celebration, so for this we are grateful. Thanks to all for the very sweet gifts and efforts put forth to create an awesome day for Nevi! How great thou art!

a week prior to turning 1

2010-02-27T13:46:00.000-08:00

Nevi spends a lot of time talking on the phone already. She holds any object, like a phone, a remote control, or a toy behind her head and starts talkin. It's hilarious! Nevi words thus far are, 'Da, Doo, DaDoo, Doh'. You can see her teeth coming in on the picture of her laughing below. She has 5 now and more pushing through... We're getting ready to travel to Indiana next weekend to celebrate her 1st Birthday with Nana and Pop Pop. Then, my mom and Aunt Lynn are coming out the following weekend for a celebration here in Colorado. Ready or not!

Neviah Dancin'!

2010-02-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

Grandma Mom & Jim Pa visit

2010-02-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

We had an awesome weekend with GrandmaMom and Jimpa! Nevi is a lucky little girl to have grandparents who love her this much. I really can't wait for her to understand how very unique and interesting everyone in this family is. At this point, she much prefers mom and dad to anyone, which is perfectly natural, but of course I'm looking forward to her developing real relationships and close ties with her extended family, too. Thanks, family, for being so supportive and involved even though we live hundreds or thousands of miles from you all. Our cup runneth over.

11 1/2 months

2010-02-16T19:23:00.000-08:00

Our little cookie monster (hehe)... though she's never eaten a cookie, yet. I imagine she'll love them when she finally tries one. We have yet to see her turn away any food item thus far, actually. She eats anything we offer her and seems to enjoy it all, mostly fruits, vegetables, grains, lentils, chicken, yogurt, cheese and of course, Cheerios and other oatmeal/rice like cereals. Healthy eater!

We also get down to the play ground quite frequently. She walks there and loves to play in the mulch! Much like her mother, outside time seems to be her favorite time.

latest

2010-02-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

It's so interesting watching Nevi 'just be Nevi' day to day. She'll look the same for a period of time, then out of nowhere, she'll wake up one morning and look different. Something about her has changed. The shape of her face will have changed or her hair will be go wild (which is becoming the common theme), or her eyes will darken. Some days she looks slender and other days she chubs out!

Her personality changes too, and she'll sway from clingy and teary and whiney to fun and independent and outgoing. She gives lots of hugs everyday. It's great! She even hugged our little baby friend, Teddy when we saw him a few weeks ago. Her hugs are magical and make you melt.

I notice that she sleeps more when peaking a developmental milestone of sorts. She still naps twice a day. We made a recent, gradual attempt to get to one longer nap daily but it was a bust (the books say to start doing this and she was showing signs of needing less daytime sleep but when we started the change, she let us know that she's not ready yet). OK by us. Nevi still really likes her morning snooze and we want her to be comfortable and happy.

She now has two bottom teeth coming in and her top 2 teeth also just broke the skin....must be catching up.

Most days out here in Colorado are pretty nice so we make sure we get outside time when ever we can; we play in the grass, with the leaves and rocks and Nevi really likes to go down to the park. She has an absolute giggle-fest when she sits on my lap on the swings. We also use the stroller several times per week so I can get some exercise and she can get some fresh air and change of scenery. Win win.

Tomorrow, Nevi will be 11 months old. Unreal.

walking

2010-01-24T18:25:00.000-08:00

Nevi's walking EVERYWHERE now and not just a couple step here and there. Robb took her outside for a stroll down to the playground for her first 'outside walk' and she does lap after lap around our home. She's becoming a pro and is more balanced and confident everyday. Pretty cool...

last couple a weeks

2010-01-24T18:06:00.000-08:00

Busy busy busy, these last couple a weeks have been. Robb's birthday was tons of fun (I think he'll vouch for that as well)... We went to a barbershop banquet on the eve of his b-day. Nevi and I stayed out past our bedtime to enjoy the wonderful music and company. Robb stayed even later, hitching a ride home the director of his chorus; the two of them (and me) continued to celebrate at our home into the wee hours. The night AFTER his birthday, Robb and I tested out a new babysitter for Nevi and went on a wine tasting in Lyons, CO. The new babysitter was a hit and we are grateful to have yet another kind soul in our life that appreciates and enjoys a good kiddo like Nevi. Marie is her name and she not only works with me at Home Instead, she also lives right in our neighborhood! A keeper.

The beautiful couple below are friends of ours that we visited with just this afternoon. They are expecting their first baby in June! Happy to have another 'Nevi friend' on the way...

Lastly, this first pix is of Nevi doing her 'homework' from GrandmaMom. She just bought us a program called, 'My Baby Can Read' and it comes with DVDs and Flashcards. It's actually a lot of fun and Nevi can make it through 1/2 to 2/3rds of the way through a video before turning her attention elsewhere and really likes the flashcards. We do these almost daily and it seems to offer yet another way to stimulate and 'play' with Nevi. She still isn't 'talking' per say but she definitely recognizes certain words and seems to absorb info much more quickly now.

She's walking!

2010-01-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

Neviah is officially walking now! She gets herself up from a seating position using the couch or chair (or something) and now, without hesitation, walks away from her crutch. She can take a dozen steps or more before going boom. Sometimes she just stands for short periods and you can see her using her feet to find her balance. She seems to get slightly frustrated when she falls but you can't blame her since it happens all the time now. She can also climb the entire staircase to the upper level (with us standing behind her of course).

Nevi took her first trip to Toys R Us (and let me come)! We purchased a Xylophone to continue her seeming interest in music and increase her coordination. I think I like it as much as her.

Lastly, Nevi got her first teeth! They're coming in on the bottom and have caused quite a bit of discomfort, as expected. They came in just after her 10 month birthday. Her appetite is still really good but we'll keep blending her food until she gets more of those teethers....

WOW- World of Wonder

2010-01-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

We went to our local Children's Discovery Center here in Lafayette called WOW, World of Wonder. It was slightly ghetto but still worth the cost - FREE! We danced in front of mirrors, some distorted and some real, played with train sets, crayons, petted a HUGE dinosaur and Nevi played her first real piano. Robb was a but unimpressed with her skills but I see definite potential. We'll definitely be going back there! Also Nevi will be going with Robb to her first gymnastics class tomorrow (Tuesday 1/5). Robb researched local venues and found one for 10-12 month olds! I can't wait to hear all about it...

Playing with her Christmas Gifts...

2010-01-04T19:33:00.001-08:00

Nevi is very busy playing with all her new toys from Christmas! Her tent has been set up in our living room since Santa came and there are farm houses, tractors and play blocks spread across the main level floor....our house has officially been taken over by baby-dom. There are outlet protectors in every socket, no plants resting below 4 feet and every time I attempt to open the cabinet under our kitchen sink, I am rudely reminded that it has been Nevi-proofed. If only I could remember this! Dirty dishes are everywhere and 'cleaning' has taken on a whole new meaning... picking up toys off the floor at the end of the day and cleaning Nevi's bottles is the new thorough cleaning. Forget vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the bathroom, etc. it just doesn't get done. I never understood why people hired cleaning crews but now I do. Playing with Nevi, educating Nevi and assuring her safety, health and happiness is our #1 priority. Everything else falls to the wayside. It's a bit shocking but definitely worth it. NO teeth yet but occasionally she'll chew on her frozen teething ring when I think she's uncomfortable or grouchy (the signs I've been told). She's walking better and better everyday but still a hand. She'll take a few steps on her own before teetering over. And we praise her profusely when she does! It's hard to believe she's almost 10 months old and she's looking more and more like a toddler everyday, instead of my little baby Nevi. It's soooo cool to watch her transform so rapidly. I use sign language all the time now and she'll raise her hands up and try to imitate me. No real signs yet but she's making associations and putting it together. You can just tell. She understands her name and words like milk, food, Dylan and walk. She hugs me tight every night before bed for a good 5 minutes before I lay her down. She takes her thumb and rests her head on my shoulder and sometimes rubs or pats my neck as I rub or pat her back. I love my cuddle bug more than I could have ever fathomed possible.

more Christmas pictures

2009-12-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

Below is us at the Rathskellar, our favorite German restaurant in Rockford. Nothing like German beer and sausage to wash down all of those Christmas cookies, ay? We stopped at Sinissippi Gardens to take a group picture in the snow, a white Christmas!