Devotion

Getting to Grips

It had been a week since Katy had arrived into Jack and Nikki's life, parenthood at hit them full-on in the face. It was as true as they had been told, sleepless nights, endless clothes washing, nappy explosions and for Nikki what left like an endless post-pregnancy period as well as getting to terms with breastfeeding and her breasts sore and aching most of the time.

But neither of them wouldn't change their first week with their daughter. Katy had been the best thing to happen to them, just her presence around the pair was enough to send them beaming from ear to ear.

Nikki is currently sat with Katy against her chest after having just calmed Katy down after her screaming and crying for an hour. Jack, on the other hand, has just come back through from the kitchen where he was on the phone to Thomas discussing his return to work soon, he smiles happily at Nikki as he brings her a cup of tea through. 

Placing the tea down on the coffee table he then leans over Nikki and kisses her on the lips before kissing Katy gently on the back of her head. "Going to do bolognese tonight, that okay?" Jack asks as he sits down beside her.
"Yes, that's fine... if this one allows me to eat" she responds. 

Jack chuckles and places his arm around his wife and watches his daughter, "I could just fall asleep like this" Nikki mumbles closing her eyes.
Jack smiles at her and watches Nikki for a moment, "why don't you go lay down upstairs, I'll have Katy down here" Jack suggests with a small smile.
"I'm comfortable here," Nikki smiles as she strokes Katy's back and closes her eyes.

"How about we take Katy on a walk later?" Jack quizzes. 
"Midwife said she wouldn't really go anywhere until she's two weeks old..." Nikki responds with her eyes still closed. 

Jack kisses Nikki's shoulder and watches her for a moment, "But she's two weeks old in two days..." He reasons with her.
"I'm tired..." She responds back.
"So you'll think about it?" He beams like an overly excited child. 
"Jack!" She warns peeling her one eye open to glance at him, Jack gives her that 'stupid grin' he always gives her, she huffs and closes her eye again, saying no more she drifts off into a comfortable sleep. 

Jack smiles at the pair before taking a photo of them both peacefully sleeping. It was the first proper nap Nikki had gotten in days and Jack prayed that Katy would stay asleep for her mother's sake. 
He gets up off the sofa and takes the used muslin towel through to the kitchen and places it in the washing machine before emptying the dishwasher, before heading upstairs and grabbing his laptop and working on a few case notes before he is due to return to work. 

While working Jack's mind drifts to Nikki and how she didn't like the idea of taking Katy on a walk, he quickly switches to google on his laptop and researches into it and finds out that many new mothers are skeptical about taking their newborn out into the world for the first time and that partners should be supportive and help them come over the initial fear. 

Throwing caution to the wind, he heads downstairs after an hour and looks at Nikki who is asleep with Katy still on her chest although Katy is wide awake wriggling around. Jack smirks to himself and lifts Katy off her chest and cradling her, "Come on wee one let's got get your nappy changed while Mummy naps," Jack smiles warmly as Katy looks up at him with her big brown eyes. 

Jack carries Katy upstairs and changes her nappy, in the past week of having Katy in his life he had gotten to grips with changing nappies which ranged from just being wet to explosions. Once changed he carries Katy downstairs and places Katy in her car seat which is on the floor in the hallway, he secures her in and then puts his shoes on. 

He walks into the lounge leaving Katy in the hallway and leans over the back of the sofa and gently shakes Nikki's shoulder. "Nik?" He mutters kissing her ear. 
"Mmph, ten more minutes," She groans. 
"No, come on we're taking Katy on a walk, get your shoes on. It's a lovely day, she can't stay cooped up in here forever," Jack smiles stroking her face. 

Nikki sits up and stretches before remembering Katy was on her chest when she fell asleep, "Don't worry, she's in her car seat... Going to try and figure out how we connect her to the pushchair," Jack chuckles and walks out the lounge and puts the pushchair frame up in the hallway, and connects the car seat to it.