Nicknames

So far...  munya • lovebug • deia play-a • deia pie • mini me • mcgoo • snoopy • deia schmeia • baby love • pie • funky monkey • yummy • loco moco • coco loco moco • moco loco • little miss • fussy mussy • mcgee• 0 to 60 • schmoopy • loopy • starfish • pie • fluffy 

All Smiles!

Oh the love that smile inspires!!! She has the sweetest little dimple in the apple of her left cheek!  Deis is 8 weeks old here.

2 Months Old

Deia is now 8 weeks old, how time flies and how big her little body is getting!  She now has those yummy thunder thighs, rolls everywhere, a wrinkle in her wrists, pillow-top feet and deep dimples where her knuckles would be.  Her hands are opening up wide and her eyes are tracking everything and everyone around her. She continues to fixate on lights or anything bright.  She still seems to like staring at the angles and contrast in dark picture frames against white walls or with a light matte inside.  Best of all, she started smiling voluntarily and now grins from ear to ear when provoked, on her own accord and always for a new friendly face. And as the saying goes, one good smile does get us through the next 3 nights  :-) She laughs too!  And now she exercises an amazing vocabulary of new sounds.  She tends to have most of her conversations on her changing table with the cheetah blankie hanging on the wall, the mistletoe her daddy put up for christmas and the mask in the campodonicos guest room. She coos and screams and girgles.  Just when you think you can't fall more in love with this child....she's got you even more!  Her eyes are still very blue and her lips so so pink.  Her baby acne is gone and now she has rosy, porcelain cheeks.  And her eyelashes are growing in!  She did go from pooping at least 5-7 times a day to a little issue that has her going every couple/few days.  She struggles with the gas and the poop, mostly in the morning hours when we all wish we were sleeping.... So we have given her some baby prune juice and are hoping for the best! She tends to get her best gas out when she abruptly throws a long arm and fist into the air... a la "power to the babies" style.  She has also just discovered her hands and how yummy they taste.  ...thumb sucker in our future, perhaps...

1st Christmas

Deia's 1st Christmas was at Grammy and Wise-1's house in Kentfield.  On Christmas Eve she was overwhelmed by visitors but smiled for all who held her...and there were many open arms.  She had a special party dress and the little pink flowers matched her new rosy cheeks. Christmas Day she was showered with so many wonderful gifts and it's too bad that she slept through the entire present-opening morning! The funniest part was me taking a picture of EVERYONE taking pictures of her. I believe there were two digital cameras, a video camera and a super 8 all out at one time.  Impressive display of technology.  Deia is one well photographed baby!  It doesn't hurt that Tony got me a beautiful portrait lense. Now there is nothing that can stop me!  

1st Hannukah

Deia was 8 weeks old when we went to Grandma Tuti and Grandpa Tati's house for a Hannukah party.  Although Larkin didn't set to out knit a blue and white hat for the holiday, it worked out perfectly for the evening.  Deia performed well for all the guests, showing off her smiling skills for everyone.  

San Francisco

Deia's first trip to San Francisco was on December 22nd.  Having left LA too late, and after random pause to nurse in a shady McD's parking lot, we stopped midway and stayed at Harris Ranch.  It was perfect!  Leather rocking chair, room service and a pretty view. Right off the 5, who knew! She was able to spend time all over Marin County and the city.  She crossed the Golden Gate bridge several times and enjoyed Twin Peaks, Pacific Heights, Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park, The Mission and more.  She enjoyed the view of the bridge from atop the headlands vista point, and had a nice meal there as well :-)  

Little Zeppelin

We try to have music hour in the mornings...a little zeppelin, a little marley, a little g. love, a little bright eyes, a little bob dylan, and occasional jane's, stp and the pharcyde etc.  Though she doesn't really respond to the music or singing yet, it makes for nice background sound while she checks out the picture frames on the walls (her favorite!) and when she does her tummy time.  She just discovered herself in the mirror on the activity gym too and is starting to smile voluntarily! It melts your heart when you see her happy face deliver a huge, deliberate grin! This morning, Corey put on her Page and Plant onesie and brought her into the bedroom...speaking on her behalf, he said how much she loves me and how much she thanks me for being her food and for being such a good mommy. Well, I try.  But it's nice to be recognized ;-) What else? Her eyelashes are slowly growing in, her legs have more rolls and she is starting to have conversations.  Those quintessential, perfect baby sounds are the sweetest! 

1st Month

It's been an amazing month, eventful, confusing, exhausting, enlightening, heart-filling, recovering, awe-inspiring, trying and beautiful. Deia has given us such love and light and we are changed forever. Sleepless nights are forgiven when you wake up to see that little face.  You'll do anything for her in that moment, and always really.  The cliff notes on her first few weeks....  She was born with the sweetest disposition and continues to only cry for the basics. Unfortunately she had jaundice and we had to spend 3 days in the hospital for her light therapy. She loved the lights!  Warmth, like a tanning bed.  We called it her vacation! Because we needed to flush her out and keep her hydrated, I nursed her every 2 hours, pumped and we introduced the bottle with breast milk and also formula.  That made her a lazy breastfeeder and that made my milk supply plummet.  She was also tongue-tied so her latch, although effective, was painful. We had her little frenulum clipped and after diligent pumping and feeding schedule, my milk is plentiful and she has surpassed her birth weight.  Phew.  She had an ultrasound on her little breech hips and we shall see what comes of that.  Deia is getting her tummy time and beginning to strengthen her neck and she is smiling a ton, involuntarily of course :-)  But it's sweet to catch her mid-smirk.  For now she sleeps in our bed and has proven to be a real snuggler.  She will wiggle her way under my armpit if I leave the space open for her to nuzzle in. We are lucky that she'll sleep at least a good 4 hour stretch or two.  Her schedule is hardly predictable at 4 weeks but she is showing clear signs of becoming more awake during the day, more aware and curious.  She is 9 pounds 11 oz and is a good eater, finally! Her poops are impressive....when changing her, we call her the Repeat Offender :-) Her eyes are still saphire blue and her lips are a perfect pink. We probably over-kiss her, but who cares.  We cannot resist!

Pretty Deia

Lori Dorman photographed Deia when she was only 2 weeks old. Though it took some effort to get her "too" full and tired, she finally zonked out and Lori was able to mold and fold her as she pleased. It was so fun to dress Deia in tutu's, headbands, little hats and scarves and to swaddle her in so many different materials.  At the end of the day, her little naked body on our clean white bed was the best. We are so happy to have her earliest days documented so well.  She is growing at an exponential pace! 

1st Thanksgiving

Like father, like daughter :-)  This was Deia's first Thanksgiving and we had much to be thankful for!  At the t-day table was papi, noni, tuti, grandpa neil (who still needs to come up with his "name"), uncle alex and jen.  The food was amazing and the vibe was cheerful and easy. It was nice to have my whole family come together so that our little love has this in her book of memories. We are very grateful for it.