The Weber's Big Adventure

The Webers Take North Carolina

2011-06-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

Each year over Memorial Day weekend, The Webers pack up the car and head on down to the family cabin located in Lake Toxway, NC. D & J have been making the trek almost as long as they've been together and have created so many memories there. The birth of our children has ushered in a whole new era at the cabin. We're most definitely enjoying creating even more memories with the newest Weber generation. It may not be the glam and glitz of Manhattan, or have the mystique of some tropical island, but we call it our home away from home.

We had an extra special time this past Memorial Day as The Cabin played host not to D, J and The Dynamic Duo of Norah and Natalie, but to Grandma and Poppy as well!

Dan and his dad left in the middle of the week to open up the place, do a little fishing, and oversee the re-siding and roofing project that they had initiated. (The cabin was woefully in need of some repairs. See the before and after pics....) This left J at home alone with both girls for the first time. All in all, she did a great job as a 'single parent' for a few days.

J & Grandma then packed up the kiddos and headed out on a 'through the night' drive to the Blue Ridge Mountains (Driving through the night is MUCH easier to do with the kids at this age). The girls did a wonderful job in the car (especially seeing as how it rained to beat the band for the first 5 hours of the trip, and J was a nervous wreck behind the wheel). Two stops and a few diaper changes later, we arrived safe and sound at about 3 a.m.....to a cabin with no electricity!

The power went out at about 7 p.m. and, despite the assurance from both Dan and Poppy that they were, in fact, totally in the dark, the folks at the Haywood Electric Corporation just couldn't figure out why there was no power at our little hideaway in the mountains when their computer system said that there was. This confusion led to a delay in sending workers out, and power wasn't restored until 8 a.m. (All things move a little slower down in the mountains, you know).

It was all fun and games after that little obstacle was conquered.

We all had a great time; especially Ms. Norah. She got to collect rocks and take in the scenery on our mile hike in the mountains, got ewy-gooey sticky all over enjoying the lollipop that Daddy bought here that was as big as her head, had fun eating watermelon with Grandma & Poppy, caught her very first grasshopper and enjoyed her first campfire and S'mores! It was so great seeing her having such a good time, and we know that these are just the first few in what we hope to be a lifetime of memories at the cabin for our little girls.

All good things must come to an end, though, so the Webers packed up and headed back to civilization after our brief little getaway.

As a side note, most of you know that we lost our first 'child' this past April when our beloved boxer, Angus Argyle, passed away. Angus enjoyed the cabin as much as his human counterparts. He was always allowed to romp around off leash and accompanied us on many a hike and overnight camping trip. He was our little Mountain Dog. We found it only fitting to spread his ashes at the place that he truly adored. RIP, Bubba!

May I Have This Dance?

2011-05-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

Ask any dad how he feels about having little girls and, you'll get a myriad of responses. Some may say that they're cute until they get that 'teenage mouth' on them. Others will state that they immediately wanted to go out and buy a gun rack and some sawed-off shotguns. Still others will fret and worry about how they're going to pay for prom dresses and weddings (Dan fell in to this category when we found out we were having Norah). No matter the type of dad you ask, though, be he big and burly or quiet and reserved, each of them will admit to having a soft spot for their sweet little princesses. And no matter how much trouble little girls may be (or get in to), one of the best things about having them is that Dadddys ALWAYS get the first dance.

Whirlwind

2011-04-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

Okay. We admit it. We're a little behind updating all of you on The Webers' Big Adventures. Hey, we've been just a teensy bit preoccupied, okay?!?!?!? I mean, it's not like J is sitting around with a quart of ice cream watching daytime television, here. (Man! That sounds totally awesome right about now! :-) We've got two children to tend to. We've had play-dates, swim class to attend, baptisms to plan, a house to try to sell and Easter eggs to hunt. In a word, we've been swamped.

Despite the hectic pace of life, however, we realize that we've got an audience out there that wants to know about life at The Weber Inn. We can't let you all down. :-)

We'll let the pictures and videos do the talking for this update. Hopefully, this will get us all caught up, and the next update will be in 'real time'. Enjoy!

Sisters!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-04-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has a sibling knows that it ain't always easy. Whether it's dealing with the theft of toys, clothes and (gulp) boyfriends or girlfriends by that pesky younger brother/sister or it's putting up with being picked on, beaten up and berated for being an annoying tattle-tail younger sibling, isn't always all it's cracked up to be.

But, there is a silver lining to having a partner in crime in the family, too. There's companionship, sharing and the unbreakable bond that gets forged between two people within a family unit.

We know that our Dynamic Duo of Norah and Natalie with probably experience all of the ups and downs that come with being sisters, and we're probably looking forward to it as much as they will one day.

Norah was somewhat....ohhh...shall we say....pissed when her little sister finally came home for good. After all, she'd just gotten over being horribly sick and loved and pampered. Then, Mommy and Daddy brought home this screaming little demon that she couldn't touch (Doctor's orders) or interact with. Not to mention the fact that it cried and took up tons of Mommy and Daddy's time. (Time that used to belong to Ms. Norah). HOW DARE THEY! :-)

As time has moved on, however, Norah has taken a bit more interest in Natalie. She's asked to help with bottles, given Natalie kisses, and has even held her a time or two. We guess that she just figures that, if Natalie isn't going anywhere, she might as well try to interact with her.

We know that, one day, these two sisters may be thick as thieves, and we're trying to capture as many of these sweet moments as possible.

Without Further Adieu....

2011-03-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

....we would like to introduce you to: Wee Weber Number Two!!!!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is our pleasure to introduce you to Ms. Natalie Jeanne (pronounced 'Jean') Weber the First.

Natalie was born on March 4, 2011 at 12:18 p.m. She was a healthy 7 lbs. 4 ounces, 19.5" long and was full of surprises from the get-go. SHE WAS BREECH! Yep! Our little dumplin decided to come into this world feet first rather than the traditional head-first approach. No big deal considering that her birth was a scheduled C-Section anyway. We just got a kick out of the fact that Natalie decided to be unique right from the start.

Speaking of starts: in addition to being breech, our second daughter's arrival began rather unconventionally. Big Sister Norah was still recovering from RSV (a rather nasty little bug that is really hard on the respitory system of toddlers but can be fatal in infants), so she was not allowed to visit her little sister in the hospital like most siblings do. Also, the day that J & Natalie were discharged and came home, Norah spiked a fever and developed a nasty cough.

Fearing that whatever nasty little buggers that had invaded Norah's body would come and attack the fledgling immune system of 3-Day old Natalie, Mommy and Daddy kept them completely separate from one another (quite a feat in a tiny little house) quickly moving to man-to-man defense with Dan staying in with Norah and tending to her and J breastfeeding and tending to Natalie.

By 11:30 p.m. that night, the new parents of two were just slightly overtired and overwhelmed tending to one sick toddler and one newborn. J was, after all, recovering from a C-Section, and in need of some assistance herself. Reinforcements had to be called in. And so, Grandma Weber was notified and came in straight away.

One long night of sickness, breastfeeding, baby-rocking and pain management later, it was time to take Natalie to her first Wellness appointment at her pediatricians office. Since J was not able to drive and Dan was still taking care of poor little Norah, Grandma Weber drove J & Natalie to the doctor.

Natalie was healthy as a horse (an appropriate description because she was eating like a small Shetland Pony). She had gained back, and surpassed her birth weight and was doing just fine. The same could not be said for her older sister.

The moment we pulled back in to the driveway, we were met by Dan who informed us to just pack a bag for Natalie and get over to Grandma's house because Norah was now vomiting. We did just that, and Mommy and Natalie spent their first few days out of the hospital with Grandma and Poppy whilst Daddy spent his paternity leave tending to Norah. It wasn't exactly your run-of-the-mill situation, but we made do and came through it relatively unscathed.

So, it is exactly 27 days later, and it's safe to say that life at The Weber Inn has been altered, for the better, yet again. We've now got two beautiful miracles to raise, teach and learn from every day. These two miracles are each unique and awe inspiring. We are truly, TRULY blessed to be the parents of Norah and Natalie Weber.

Enjoy pictures from Natalie's birth. We have many more stories and images to share, and will do so in subsequent posts.

Ready or Not.....

2011-02-21T06:48:00.000-08:00

....here she comes! We can't believe that we've got LESS THAN TWO WEEKS before we meet the Wee'est Weber. This pregnancy has most definitely flown by, and Mommy & Daddy are in full prep-mode washing sheets, buying diapers and hunting down car-seat bases. All in all, though, we've done a pretty good job prepping for baby #2.

One of the main benefits of having another girl is the recycling/hand-me-down aspect of everything. Mommy saved everything (and I do mean EVER-Y-THING) from Norah's days as an infant and baby. From floral boppy covers to hand made receiving blankets to cute, ballerina-themed onesies, the Newest Weber has got it all. Plus, Norah will learn the ever-so-important trait of sharing, and Mommy and Daddy get to save a TON of money. Besides, we really don't think Little One will give two hoots where she gets all of her goodies.

Of course, Baby Weber does need and deserve SOME uniqueness, so we took great care to give her nursery, and new clothing, a new theme. As you know, we gave Norah's nursery etc.. a lamb theme; a beautiful fit for a beautiful girl. This next beautiful girl will have her own wonderful theme of...flowers and butterflies! And, changing the theme of the nursery from lambs to butterflies led us to move Norah into a brand new room with Big-Girl furniture.

As we have not yet sold the current Weber Inn to new owners (more on that in later posts), we were faced with transforming our guest room into a room fit for a toddler. We don't really anticipate being here too long after the new baby arrives, so we didn't spend too much time on a theme for Norah's new room, but we did go all out when picking her Big-Girl bedroom suite. It will,after all, hopefully last Ms. Big Sister well into her teens (And, perhaps, be passed down to a daughter of her own one day?)

(A quick side note on Norah's first experiences out of the crib and into a bed: She did really well. She did fall out of bed the first night, but has not done so since. We still routinely check on her only to find that she's turned around in her sleep, but she has really taken to the bed)

All in all, Mommy and Daddy are very happy with the girl's new rooms. We hope that they will one day look back on these pictures and feel the same way.

TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-02-06T15:39:00.000-08:00

My-Oh-My, how times does fly! It sometimes really does seem like yesterday that we were introducing Ms. Norah to the world. Now, we're gearing up to introduce a new beautiful Weber to all of you as well as posting about our girl's 2nd Birthday Party! Our Wee Weber is not so Wee anymore.

Norah's 2nd Birthday was MUCH more low key than her first. Whereas the Birthday Girl's 1st Birthday celebration was ushered in with pizza, videos, smash-cakes, Winnie the Pooh and about 45 of her closest friends, this birthday was spent at home with Minnie Mouse and close family.

In all honesty, the decision to have just a small, family-only party at the house was made primarily because Mamma is the size of a small Shetland Pony at this point, and orchestrating a large 'to-do' just wasn't in the cards for an 8 mo's preggo person. Norah didn't mind, though. As long as there was cake and presents, she couldn't have cared who showed up to the house.

The day of the party (January 30th...the day before her actual birthday), Norah awoke from her afternoon nap to find that Minnie Mouse had come to decorate AND bring her cake, ice-cream presents. She was also greeted by Grandma, Poppy, Aunt Norma, Uncle Mark, cousins Jacob & Emily and Aunty Libby.

We had a great (did I mention Low-Key) time. Norah's no dummy, she wanted to skip the pleasantries and get straight to the good stuff: CAKE and presents. And, after she had filled her tummy with sweets and had a balloon sword fight or two w/ Uncle Mark, most of the family settled in to watch "The Cat In the Hat" and "Thomas the Train".

Norah's actual birthday was spent with her friends at school and a special treat of blueberry muffins that Mommy made for the class (I know. I know. I'm going to be the health-nut mom who embarrasses her kids by making muffins instead of brownies or cupcakes....I'M DOING THE KIDS A FREAKIN' FAVOR, ALRIGHT! :-)) We then went out to dinner with Grandma & Poppy.

We really can't believe it. Two years ago, this little baby girl came into our life turning it on its ear. She couldn't walk, talk or even sit up. She was completely helpless. Now, she's running everywhere, speaking in rudimentary sentences ("I go now." "More milk, please.") and keeping Mom & Dad on their toes with her constant, boundless energy. She is amazing.

Before we know it, our adventure will take a new turn with the birth of the Wee'est Weber in just 4 short weeks. Norah will not only be two, but she will be a BIG sister.

We look forward to sharing each and every moment of our Big Adventure with all of you.

Catchin' Up Is Hard to Do....

2011-01-28T17:56:00.001-08:00

Once again, we find ourselves playing catch-up by just throwing out a bunch of photos and videos with little to no explanation.

What can we say?!?! It's been a long, chilly, 'Cold, Flu & Pregnancy' filled Winter and Holiday season for the Webers. We have managed to fit a lot of activity and fun in, though, as we hope this post will indicate.

Next post: NORAH'S 2ND BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

And They Call It, PUPPY LOVE.....

2010-11-16T10:21:00.000-08:00

No words can describe this. It is just too freakin' cute.

Our Little Fashionista

2010-11-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

Ever wake up in the morning and think to yourself: "Hmmmmmm, what shall I wear? The pants and cute shirt or the sundress?" This, as you can see, is not a problem for Ms. Norah. Dan said she kind of looks like and Olsen Twin. I tend to agree. Ahhhhhh....our little fashionista. :-)

Two is Twice as Nice

2010-11-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

The past 21 months have been all about The Weber's Big Adventure with their wonderful daughter, Norah Lee. It's time now, however, to dedicate an entire post to the newest addition to the Weber Clan-the Wee'est Weber, if you will. And, Dan and J are proud to announce that newest Weber will be a strong, beautiful BABY GIRL!!!!!!!!! We-are-thrilled! Having two little girls running around is going to be one crazy, hectic, exciting roller-coaster ride of fun.

Baby-Girl Weber looks great. The ultrasound revealed that she's right on track as far as growth and function is concerned and that the tentative due date of March 10th 2011 is right on the money. Wee'est Weber has also begun to flex her little muscles and stretch around in utero. She has been pokin' around for a couple of weeks and even gave Mamma a good, swift jab last week. J LOVES, LOVES, LOVES the fetal motion, so having her newest little girl give her a hearty "Howdy" kicks has been wonderful!

We just cannot wait to meet this new miracle in our lives. March will be here before we know it. Until then, we'll be kept busy choosing a name, decorating the nursery (we've decided on a butterfly theme) and picking out ultra cute clothes for our princess.

We'll keep you posted.

Much love,
D, J, Norah and Baby Girl Weber

A Halloween Ho-Down!

2010-11-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

We've finally arrived at the end of October on The Weber's Journey Through Fall, and what would that journey be like without regaling our readers with stories of spooky specters and ghoulish goblins on Halloween Night? Okay, so Norah is still a little too young to be pounding the pavement for candy on Beggar's Night, but that didn't stop the Webers from having a great Halloween weekend.

Norah's Halloween journey began on the Friday before Beggar's Night with a costume party at her new day-care center, A World of Love. What a blast! The social room of the center was filled with some of the cutest kids donning some of the most creative and precious costumes you've ever laid eyes on. There were lions, ducklings, garden gnomes ( an EXTREMELY popular choice this season) and dragons galore. But, there was only one, unique, beautiful Jessie the Cowgirl from the 'Toy Story' series!!!! Last year, Norah was a prancing pachyderm; this year, she was a clippity-cloppity cowgirl!!!!!

In addition to being able to visit with all of her little friends, there were tons of games that Norah got to partake in (and prizes to boot!). Although, Norah was a bit stuffy-nosed and overwhelmed with the crowd, she had a good time (as did Mommy and Daddy).

Norah loved her costume so much that she insisted on putting it right back on the following morning.....and then going downstairs and watching 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'! Mommy had to chuckle at the comedy of it all. She even considered putting on "Jingle Bells" while they carved the Jack-O-Lantern later that evening. Alas! The infatuation with the costume was just a very short-lived faze, for Norah decided to don a 'Little Swimmers' swimming diaper...and nothing else....for the pumpkin carving (We're all about self-expression in the Weber Household, and our little girl is one creative little tyke! :-)

After the pumpkin was carved, it was right back into our Jessie outfit so that we could parade our little trick-or-treater around Grandma and Poppy's house. After a playing over there, and a quick stop off at Norah's old sitter, Kathy's, house, it was back home to enjoy some pizza, more 'Rudolph', a bath and greeting trick-or-treaters at The Weber Inn.

Although she had a great time again this year, we're looking forward to NEXT year when Norah will be old enough to really go door to door. And, she'll have a little sibling to tag along for all fun!

One Lady Leaping....Into LEAVES!!!!!!!!!!

2010-11-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, J and Norah returned home to find Daddy blowing leaves into a pile in the backyard. Mommy found this rather curious since Daddy usually takes care of the leaves in the yard on the weekends, and it was 6:00 on a random Wednesday. When J asked D why he was blowing leaves in the middle of the week, D responded by jumping into the big pile and exclaiming: "Because I wanted Belle to be able to PLAAAAAYYYY in them!" And, play she did. Ahhhhh.....Fall in the Midwest. Enjoy!

Returning to the Scene of the Crime

2010-11-02T14:48:00.001-07:00

You all remember that terrible occasion. You know you do. It is one of those rare events, not unlike Pearl Harbor or the JFK assassination, that occurs and is permanently etched in the memories of anyone who witnessed and/or heard about it. It was an infamous event. It was an historical event. It was.....THE GREAT LLAMA SPITTING INCIDENT OF 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those of you who need your memories refreshed (as some of you have no doubt pushed this terrible day back into the murky recesses of your minds in the hopes of forgetting it forever: D & J took then 10-month old Norah to Windmill Farms for a fun-filled day of romping about the pumpkins and visiting with all of the farm animals. And, we were doing just that....until we got to the llama pen, that is.

J was wearing Norah in the baby-sling so that the WeeOne could get up close and personal with all of her new furry and feathered friends when she got just a teensy bit too close to a rather perturbed Peruvian playmate. As the llama slowly crept closer and closer to Norah, J noticed its ears laying back and its cheeks puffing up. Just before she moved herself and her precious daughter back, this llama hocked up a spit-wad and launched it directly into Ms. Norah's beautiful little face! J & D were shocked. Norah was positively terrified, and the llama marched away victorious. Llama=1. Webers=0.

Not to be deterred from the prospect of sweet revenge, the Webers returned to Windmill farms a couple of weeks ago. Only this time, we returned a year older, wiser, and MUCH MORE MOBILE!

As it turns out, Norah didn't even get a chance to dodge llama loogies as the offensive creature was more interested in laying down in its pen, and Norah was more interested in all of the wooden trains, castles, and tractors that she was exploring.

No. That llama may not have gotten its comeuppance this year, but Norah is working on her bobbing and weaving, and will be READY, when the time comes, for round 2!

Ding. Ding.

Fall Fun at the Farmer's Market

2010-10-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

Continuing their fantastic journey through Fall, The Webers met up with Grandma and Poppy downtown at the Farmer's Market one lovely Sunday morning.

The Dayton Farmer's Market pales in comparison to some of the farmer's markets in larger cities like L.A. or the Pike Street Market in Seattle, to be sure. But, it's a little slice of homegrown heaven for us residents of The Gem City. Vendors from farm communities all around Ohio set up shop each weekend to peddle everything from homemade maple syrup to fresh herbs and spices.

Norah got to nosh on many tasty treats including crepes, cookies and homemade bread. She even got to meet her first clown. She was skeptical at first, but as soon as she realized that the clown was making her a balloon animal, she warmed right up. :-)

All in all, a fun Fall day.

Maze Craze

2010-10-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

October in Ohio is all about fun, outdoor adventures. Pumpkin and apple picking, foliage, football, corn mazes, bonfires and trick-or-treating are just a few activities to be enjoyed during the first full month of Fall.

This October started out relatively warm (temps in the high 70's and low 80's) and has remained so, and the Webers have enjoyed every minute of it.

We began this month by taking Norah to a Southwest Ohio favorite: Tom's Corn Maze. The maze is located about 20 minutes from our house and is just PERFECT for an outing with kiddos. The owners plant corn in different patterns and themes (airplane shape, pumpkin shape etc...) that change each year. The object is to find all of pieces of the corn maze map that are inside mailboxes hidden within the GIGANTIC maze. Some people break up into teams to compete. Some groups come at night to add a bit of fright to their task. Some folks try to beat the clock and personal best times (the Webers finished in 47 minutes flat, thank you very much! Norah was an EXCELLENT navigator, and we can't wait to go back next year after the Wee'est Weber has joined the clan so that we can break up into teams). No matter how it's done, it is fun, fun, fun. Other activities at the maze include pumpkin picking, a giant pumpkin cannon and smaller mazes for the kiddos to explore on their own. We had a blast.

Sionara, Summer!

2010-09-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

The last few posts have detailed just a bit of what's been going on with Norah and the Weber's over the last month or so. It hasn't all been filled with coughs, colds, morning-sickness and sniffles, though. We have found some time to have a little fun.

For those of you who don't know, Summer in the Midwest is hot. Damn hot. You won't find too many families taking leisurely strolls around the neighborhood after supper after around July 1st. It's still too muggy and sticky at that time of day. And, by the time August rolls around these parts, water-fun and activities in the AC are the name of the game for entertainment. And, that's just what the Webers engaged in.

In addition to just stripping her down and sticking a hose in her hand and Grandma and Poppy's house, Norah got to go to a really fun local park that includes water machines. What fun she had! She was a little hesitant about all of the random spurts and shoots of water popping out from every pole, and hole in the ground at first. But after a while, Norah took to it like...well....a fish to water. She had a grand time running through all of the sprinklers and such. Mommy actually lamented that she wished she knew about the park earlier so that Norah could've enjoyed more of it during the summer. There's always next year. And, seeing as how Mommy is going to be fresh off of maternity leave with the new bambino, you can bet we're all going to need some fun playtime out of doors.

Norah also got to beat the heat by going to the Boonshoft Museum for the first time. J's roommate from UD, Andi, came in to visit her brother, sis-in-law and their three kids, and we all met up at this fabulous discovery center. The Boonshoft is awesome! It is filled with tons of hands-on learning tools perfect for inquisitive little youngsters. As you can see, Norah had so much fun, she was plum tuckered after the whole experience. We will definitely be making many trips to the museum in the future.

So, that's is for the Summer. Labor Day is upon us and J, for one, is looking forward to all of the fun that Fall has to offer. Festivals, pumpkins, apple cider, turning leaves, football.....perhaps we'll even return to the scene of the infamous llama-loogy crime and pay a visit to Windmill farms. Who knows! Maybe that ol' llama will get it comeuppance this time around!

Happy Beginning of Fall, Everyone!

A Plague Upon Your House: Part Deux-PESTILENCE! PESTILENCE!

2010-09-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Okay. The first post with this title was supposed to be cute. It was supposed to be witty. It was supposed to be an exaggeration of the tiny little cold that had struck The Weber Inn. It wasn't meant to be TRUE....exactly.

It turns out that this description has been more true than we'd imagined. Yep! The Weber Inn got hit with another round of the ICKIES about a week after the first wave of germy, unwanted house-guests left.

The pestilence hit, of course, smack-dab in the middle of the night again. Norah has always been prone to waking once or twice a night with a bit of moaning and groaning. She's usually just re-positioning herself and needs a small back rub and blanket. Most times, she'll just calm herself down and go right back to sleep without Dan or J ever having to even go into her room. Not this night, though. The moaning was low, deep and steady and, when Mamma went in to check on our sweet pea, she found Norah to be feverish.

I'll skip the gory details of that VERY LONG night save to say that the Weber's FINALLY got some shut-eye around 5 a.m. Norah slept on Daddy who was asleep on the couch and Mommy took a cat-nap in the love-seat.

By 8:30 a.m. (after the Webers made the rookie parenting mistake of attempting to take Norah to daycare.....the fever was down but it was a STUPID move), daycare had called asking us to pick our little patient up as her fever was now 102.2. The Dr. was called and an appt. made for 1:00 that afternoon. All that was left was to get some Tylenol in our girl and put her to bed. (After she vomited up her breakfast due to the fever, that is). Poor kid just crumpled down in her crib and went right to sleep.

The Dr.'s original thought was that Norah had either: a). a bladder infection (capturing urine to test for said infection from a 19 month old is quite an entertaining experience, btw). b). Hand, foot, and mouth disease (MUCH scarier sounding than it really is). or c). Roseleo (more dangerous for the Wee'est Weber in-utero than to Norah, believe it or not). The Dr. was 0 for 3.

Norah had simply captured yet another doozy of a cold, the second in as many weeks, from her new day care. Mommy picked it up the very next day and this time, for extra fun, Daddy got it, too. So, the Webers spent close to the entire month of August with some sort of malady or another. Dan and Norah are back on track, but J can't seem to shake the congestion and coughing.

Needless to say, transferring Norah from private care to mainstream childcare has really done an number on her immune system, as well as that of Mommy and Daddy. We knew that she'd come home with every form of cold known to man. We just didn't know that she'd spread the love so quickly......or frequently! :-) J, does have an idea about how to strengthen her immune system, though. She's just going to start licking doorknobs and chewing on shoe-soles to get all those nasty germs swirling around all at once! :-)

In any event, it has been an interesting month to say the least. J's feeling better now that the first trimester is over with. The nausea is pretty much gone, and she can stay up well past 8:00 these days. Now, if only she could find the cure for the common cold........

A Plague Upon Your House!

2010-08-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

It may be a slight paraphrase from the famous words that Mercutio uttered during his dying soliloquy, but it couldn't be more true in describing the general state of health (or lack thereof) at The Weber Inn these past two weeks.

It all started with a runny nose; just a simple, benign little runny nose that Ms. Norah Belle exhibited on a Saturday afternoon. Nothing terrible. There was no fever, no cough, not even the slightest hint of fussiness in our little girl. It's not like there was bleeding and tears. Our girl was probably just starting to grab a hold of a few seasonal allergies, right? We should've known better.

By the following Monday, Norah's runny nose had morphed into a full-blown schnoz waterfall and a cough was beginning to appear. Tuesday saw an increase in the mucus factor, a persistent cough, and a bit of night waking and crankiness to boot. All of these symptoms that Norah was exhibiting (not to mention the fact that J was now beginning to show signs of a scratchy throat and sneezing) prompted Mommy to make a Dr's appointment for Wednesday.

The official diagnoses was a viral infection (read: cold) that would last around 4-5 days. There are no over-the-counter relief measures that can be administered to children under the age of 6, so we were told to just monitor Norah's nose, temperature, cough and general demeanor and give the Dr. a shout if she spiked a fever of over 101.

So, Mommy and Daddy turned into doctors and stepped up the Sickness Security Alert Level from Yellow to Orange. Our ears perked up a bit every time we heard a cough. We kept the aspirator (a.k.a. Child Nasal Torture Device) close by and used it liberally. The Tylenol flowed to keep Norah's low fever at bay, and more than one trip was made to Norah's room in the middle of the night calm her down and lull her back to sleep after waking because she couldn't breathe.

All in all, it wouldn't have been so bad if both parents were functioning at 100% capacity. J, being in the 1st Trimester of pregnancy #2 and having contracted the adult version of Norah's icky cold, was about as useful as a Derringer in a trapshooting contest. In addition to being nauseous, exhausted and irritable (thank you, Preggo Hormones. Thank you, ever so much :-), J was left basically incapacitated by a killer sore throat, stuffy nose and pounding head pressure. Luckily, Dan was neither pregnant (that goes without saying, of course) nor sick, and was able to pick up a great deal of slack for Norah's ailing Mommy.

After all was said and done, Norah and Mommy spent about 10 days sick (one of them at home with a fever and wicked cough), and we almost made our first middle of the night trip to Children's Medical Center (poor kid was stuffed up so much she was coughing to the point of vomit.....three times in an hour.....at 2 a.m.). A valuable lesson was also learned: Never, if at all possible, combine first trimester nausea, fatigue and irritability with head colds for both you and your toddler. Shew! Glad that's over with.

Go West,Young Norah. Go West.

2010-07-19T17:42:00.000-07:00

If it's true that a rolling stone gathers no moss, then our little Norah is as smooth and clean as a skipping stone as she has racked up more frequent flier miles (and state #'s 9 & 10....that's 20% of the US, Folks...at just shy of 18 months!)by heading out to sunny Cal-i-forn-i-a this past week.

As many of you are aware, J prides herself on being a Valley Girl by birth, a Hoosier by breed and a Buckeye by choice. Ms. Norah is Buckeye born and has frequented the Hoosier state several times, but had never been out to the land of Mamma Weber's birth. So, D & J figured it was high time to pack up the bambino and head out to visit family in San Diego and Chino Hills (just south of L.A.)

The flight out was (much to Mamma's great surprise) relatively stress and temper-tantrum free thanks to a steady supply of goldfish, toys and .....The Blessed iPad. J was skeptical at first but, God Bless it, that damn iPad and its educational childrens' apps kept our Belle occupied all the way to the layover in Dallas/Ft.Worth. A personal thanks and box of chocolates is on its way to Steve Jobs as you read this. :-) The remainder of the flight to San Diego was spent using Daddy as a jungle-gym and, ultimately, a pillow.

San Diego was just fabulous. The Webers were hosted by J's brother and sister-in-law who also stood in as our resident tour guide and activities director. We had a wonderful time. Each day was packed with new and exciting adventures in which Norah could partake.

The first full day we were there, we all piled in the car and headed to the Doggy Beach on Coronado Island. The Pacific was....well...colder than hell, but that didn't deter our little water baby. Norah sauntered right in to the waves like a daring member of the Polar Bear Club. Her teeth chattered and her whole body shivered, but she was not about to let Mommy, Daddy or Aunt Courtney dry her off and warm her up. She had a ball.

A trip to the world famous San Diego Zoo was on tap for Day 2. Aunt Courtney and Uncle Matt are just a stone's throw away from all the lions and tigers and bears, so D, J, Courtney and Norah walked the short distance for some sun and exercise.

There were goats at the petting zoo, multiple species of monkeys and apes, panda bears, hippos, tigers and elephants. What fun! Norah may not remember the trip, but the adults sure had a blast introducing our precious little girl to a whole new world of exploration. To commemorate Norah's big adventure, she got a little zookeeper safari outfit complete with pith helmet and key to the elephant paddock!

The evening was topped of with a visit to Jimmy Carter's restaurant (one of J's favorite eateries while living there) with Norah's great Aunt Margie.

Day 3 was spent up in La Jolla visiting the school where Aunt Courtney teaches and seeing the sea lions and seals out on the cliffs ending with a wonderful (and hilarious) dinner of homemade, hand rolled sushi. (be sure to watch the video of Matt and Courtney perfecting their sushi technique).

D & J rented a modified skateboard (read: REALLY SMALL CAR) and headed up to Chino Hills to visit with great Aunt Susan and Great Uncle Don on Thursday. The weather was just a bit on the hot side (101 degrees), so we all stayed cool and comfy in the A/C while catching up and making J's grandma's world famous spaghetti sauce. This is a recipe that J remembers from her childhood, so it was something special to watch Norah gobble it up with the same enthusiasm 31 years later.

The trip was capped off by a wonderful family dinner with D, J, Norah, Matt, Courtney and Margie on Friday before it was time to jet back to the Midwest on Sat. All in all, it was a wonderful trip; one that Norah will treasure in pictures. Enjoy!

Mea Culpa. Mea Culpa.

2010-07-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

Okay. So, just a teensy bit of time has passed since we posted any pictures or updates of our (not so) WeeWeber. C'mon, though! Give us a break. So it's been 5 months! We've been busy, Okay. We've been VERY BUSY. Busy walking. Busy playing. Busy talking. Busy exploring. Busy watching our beautiful daughter grow up in front of our very eyes!

In fact, Ms. Norah Belle has been doing so much growing up since her first birthday, that it would be virtually impossible to sum it all up in one post. We'll just let the pictures ( a few from every month we've NOT posted) do the talking this time around and PROMISE to be more diligent when it comes to updating you all on the Life and Times of Norah Lee Weber the First.

So, cut us a break already. We said we're sorry! We'll do better. Mea Culpa. Mea Culpa! :-)

Goodbye Zero....Heeeelllllooooo One!

2010-01-31T12:23:00.000-08:00

You must forgive us for not posting in OVER A MONTH (this, of course, is entirely out of character), but we have had one busy, fun-filled first month of 2010 culminating this weekend with NORAH'S FIRST BIRTHDAY!

To answer the obvious, yet usually rhetorical, question: No. We can't believe that this first year has already passed and that Ms. Norah is now 365 days old!!!!! It really does FLY BY.

Before we get in to the whirlwind fun that has been Norah's Birthday Weekend, let's re-cap some of her crowning achievements over the past year.

January 31st 2009: 6 lbs. 15 ozs. 20.24"

January 31st 2010: 22 lbs. 28"

January 31st 2009: Looks like Daddy. No motor skills, speech, on breast milk and no sleeping patterns. Visited one state (that of her birth, Ohio)

January 31st 2010: Looks EVEN more like Daddy. Working on fine motor skills and walking with assistance (even taking a few steps on her own), knows her name and is beginning to form words like "Da-Da, Ma-Ma" and knows "So Big" and "High-Five". Moving on to regular solid foods and cow's milk. Sleeping through the night. Visited: Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, North Caroline, Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia & Florida as well as Ohio.

My-Oh-My! What a year it has been.

Norah began her birthday weekend with The Godmamma, Cindy, coming into town. We had a low-key Friday night watching TV and supping on take-out Greek Food. Saturday morning was relatively relaxing. J made breakfast and Norah played and was loved on by Cindy and her brother, Angus. When Norah went down for her morning nap, Cindy and J moved in to high-gear running last minute errands for Norah's birthday party at Marion's Pizza here in town.

A quick note about The Godmamma: Cindy has been a more than wonderful help to D & J, as well as the best Godmother a child could ask for, over this past year. We love you, Cindy, and are forever grateful to have you in our lives! :-)

The party was a HUGE HIT. Over 40 of Norah's closest friends and family turned out to eat pizza, drink beer and soda & to help our girl usher in her first birthday. Chip, The Godfather, came in all the way from Chicago and Norah was just generally loved and hugged on the entire afternoon. We are truly touched that so many people love our little girl as much as we do.

The party was Winnie the Pooh themed, and Norah not only did a phenomenal job wearing her birthday hat almost the entire time, but she made great work out of her very own, Winnie the Pooh colored Smash Cake. She was somewhat hesitant to dig in to the sugary-vanillay cake at first, but it didn't take her long to make a total mess! Mommy needed a towel and water to wash her off!

Today, Norah's actual birthday, has been wonderful. We have opened presents and generally had a low-key day. We're topping the festivities off by having traditional Sunday Dinner at Grandma and Poppy's house.

365 days ago, a little girl came into our lives and completely changed the way we see, do and feel everything. She is a miracle and a blessing. We love her more than words can possibly describe.

Thanks to all of you for sharing in our incredible adventure.

Festive Fun w/ Family & Friends

2009-12-27T11:44:00.000-08:00

WHEW!!!!!!!! What a wonderful (yet busy) week The Webers have had! Norah's first holiday season has come and gone and we just couldn't have had a more wonderful time.

Norah was blessed with visits from The Godmamma from Pittsburgh, Uncle Matt & Aunt Courtney from California and Great Grandma Weber from Florida! She got to open all of her presents from Santa, and is even beginning to walk (with assistance) all around.

There are simply no words to describe just how jam-packed, and lovely the holidays have been for Norah, so we'll just let the pictures do the talking:

Hooray for the Holidays

2009-12-07T14:57:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that Thanksgiving has passed and that Christmas is only a mere 16 days away?!?!?!? Where has the time gone?!?! Of course, Dan and J find themselves saying that a lot lately since our little girl is already over 10 months old.

November flew by and, before we knew it, Thanksgiving was upon us. We had a WONDERFUL time celebrating our Day of Thanks over at Grandma and Poppi's house! We got to see family that we haven't seen in a while and Norah even got to sample some of Grandma's famous turkey.

The day after Thanksgiving, The Weber family traveled West to Noblesville, IN to visit some of D & J's most near and dear family friends, the Friedmans and the Turners. J and Jaime Turner have been friends for almost 20 year now. We've shared just about everything in the world together: Graduations, marriages, births, funerals. Yes. Our's is a friendship with staying power. The trip was made even more special because our children got to meet one another. We had a lovely time.

Speaking of meeting people.....Norah got to meet a most special person this past Sunday.....SANTA CLAUS!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a great day! We started off getting Norah in her cutest of outfits and taking her off to meet The Big Man himself. While there, we ran into Poppi (Grandpa), and he came with us for our photo shoot. Norah was an angel! She wasn't scared of Mr. Claus. Rather, she was very curious about all of the lights and his big, furry beard.

After a few good pictures, we were off to buy Norah's first Christmas ornament and pick out our tree.

The day was capped off by decking the halls of the Weber Inn and decorating our Christmas tree. All in all, it has been a wonderful start to a wonderful season.

We Don't Give A Damn 'Bout OSU or Michigan

2009-11-23T16:40:00.000-08:00

Living in Ohio has its perks. There's the thrill and pride of living in the state that can boast that its "The Birthplace of Aviation". There's Wright-Pat Air Force base, Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Skyline Chili,The Bungals, The Reds, The Cavaliers.....even The Browns (poor Bastards). There are quaint towns like Versailles and Greenville within an hour's drive. There is King's Island and Cedar Point...the list is long and distinguished. But, Ohio has a darker, more sinister side......College Football.

Every November, right before Thanksgiving, the normally calm, quiescent residents of the Buckeye State turn into scarlet and gray wearing, 'OH-IO' chanting, beer consuming heathens of society as they take on their neighbors to the North, the Michigan Wolverines.

It really is a site to behold. These normally mild mannered, hard-working folk toss their coffee and donuts for Kegs 'n Eggs and throw caution (along with their inhibitions) to the wind as they cheer on Brutus the Buckeye and Jim Tressel to (whey they always expect) victory against their dreaded foes.

J & D, however, could hardly care less. J is from Indiana, and she can hardly boast a good Big Ten allegiance in The Hoosiers or the Boilermakers. Dan was born here in Dayton, yes, but he was raised watching Donovan McNabb tear it up in Syracuse before he started to suck in Philadelphia.

No. There is no chanting of "OH-IO" in the Weber Household during this fabled rivalry game each year. Instead, D & J have found common ground in rooting for God's Team, the mighty Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. And, keeping with tradition, we have begun to teach our daughter the fine morals and values that are Notre Dame football. Gooooooooooooooo IRISH!

The Weber Inn: A House Divided: Part Deux-Pittsburgh Style

2009-11-16T17:14:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, The Weber Clan headed up to Pittsburgh to enjoy the wonderful company of Norah's Godmamma, Cindy, our good friend, James, and, most importantly, to go see Dan's beloved Bengals play J's beloved Steelers.

Apart from a bit of traffic from the Pitt/Notre Dame and Penguins game, the ride up was uneventful. Norah, as usual, was just an angel. Mommy and Daddy purposefully left right at nap time so that Norah would sleep for a bit. (We're getting pretty good at this traveling stuff :-) )

We spent Saturday evening catching up with our awesome hostess, playing euchre and generally 'smack talking' about who was going to win The Battle Royal of the next day.

We awoke Sunday and dressed Norah in her best Bengals/Steelers gear. Mommy and Daddy are all about equality for our little girl, so we attempt to dress her half 'n half during Bengals/Steelers games (Yes. We realize that this type of wardrobe may lead to serious confusion and possible Multiple Personality Disorder in the future :-). Although there was not one stitch of clothing that matched on our poor girl that day, she still looked adorable. She had on Steelers socks, Bengals onesie, Bengals wind pants & a Steeler T-over the Bengals onesie. The ens am was made complete by adding the touch of Steelers beads and a Bengals teething ring!

Norah's Godmamma's Mamma, Mamma Scott was gracious enough to babysit our little girl whilst Mommy and Daddy went to the game w/ Cindy, James and Pappa Scott.

Well, you all know the outcome.....J's beloved Steelers dropped BOTH games of the season to the Bengals in God knows how long. The score was 18-12 in what was a defensive game. Despite this loss....we had a blast! Dan has a wonderful first visit to Heinz field yelling "Who Dey" to all fellow Bengals fans he could find and J got to have her picture taken in front of ALL SIX Steelers Superbowl Trophies.

The night was capped off by hoagies from the world famous Pirmanti Brothers (you know the place....where they serve the French Fries ON the sandwiches) and J's discover of Norah's 3rd tooth on the way home.

We had a great time and hope you enjoy the pictures.

The holidays are right around the corner, so stay tuned for many more of Norah's 'firsts'

Much love,
D & J

Pretty Pumpkins & Precious Pachyderms

2009-11-16T16:38:00.000-08:00

Well, better late than never. Please forgive us for not posting with greater alacrity, but it has been a crazy few weeks (a statement that rings true with parents far and wide, I'm sure). Ms Norah's first Halloween was a blast. The weather was perfect and the outfits (that's right, I said outfits...plural) were adorable.

Norah started out the day in a cute little pumpkin outfit that Grandma had bought for her. We went cruising around The Greene (a mall here in Dayton) and got iPhones for Mommy and Daddy. Norah was the cutest pumpkin in all of Dayton! :-)

After a quick photo shoot in her pumpkin outfit, it was time for a wardrobe change into her next costume; The Elephant.

There are no great words to describe it, save to say that Norah was cuter than hell in her outfit! Never have we seen such a cute elephant. The outfit had tusks (a Male Elephant Trait), so Mommy tied a pink-polka-dot ribbon around Norah's waist. How cute was she! We made stops over to Ms. Kath's (her sitter) house and paid a visit to Grandma and Poppi. All the while, Daddy played "March of the Elephants" by Henry Mancini on his brand new iPhone.

The night was capped off by Norah helping Mommy make a Jack-o-Lantern and Mommy & Daddy handing out candy to the Kiddos.

All-in-all, a great first Halloween for our daughter. Enjoy the pics and video!

Mommy, Daddy (and Doggy) Go On Holiday

2009-10-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

Well, after almost 9 months, Mommy and Daddy finally took their first long weekend without Ms. Norah. You'd think that almost 9 months of sleep deprivation, diaper changing, crying/screaming patrol, spit-up cleaning, baby-proofing, teething, and...well....life changing events would lend itself to Mommy and Daddy being more ready than ever to 'get the hell outta Dodge' so-to-speak but, as all things have been since Norah-Belle was born, it wasn't that easy. The maximum time that D & J had been away from Norah since she was born was only about 14 hours, so this was a bit of a challenge.

After a few tears and a ton of big hugs and kisses, Mommy and Daddy left Norah in the care of Grandma and Poppi while they took their other 'fur child', Angus, down to the cabin in NC for a few days of R&R and to close the place up for the Winter.

All in all, it was a TON of fun, and we're glad that we did it. We played cards, went fly-fishing, hiking, poked around the shops in some quaint towns, sat by a roaring fire, ate WONDERFUL food, took in the beautiful Fall Foliage and just generally loved spending time with one another and, of course, Angus.

Our beautiful little Boxer-Boy had the best time by far. He got to be off leash and traipse around the woods, sleep on the couch, take hikes and have Mom and Dad all to himself for over 48 hours! Even though Angus is THE BEST 'big brother' that we could ask for, we sometimes forget that he needs his 'alone time w/ Mommy & Daddy' too, so we're glad that he got to have that.

Grandma and Poppi took EXCELLENT care of our little baby and she, too, had a blast. It's safe to say that we all got a welcome holiday!

Windmill Farms '09...A Day That Will Live In Infamy

2009-10-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

It started out as a great idea: "It's a beautiful, crisp Fall day. Let's take Norah out to a pumpkin patch and petting zoo", we thought. Well, you know what they say: 'The best laid plans of mice and men...." right? :-)

Norah had a great time, initially. We bought some cider so that Daddy can make some hard cider to warm us during the Winter months. Norah played in a pumpkin patch and got to pose with one as big as she is. We got our picture taken with Frankenstein and some other scary characters. And, we even got to visit with some roosters, goats and deer.

Then, came the Lama pen. We had been having such a fun time getting up close and personal with the animals that we didn't even think about the quirky personalities of these "Sweaters-with-hooves" until it was too late. And, for those of you that don't know...lamas spit....a lot.

We were just about to get the cutest shot of this furry little friend sauntering up to our daughter when....WHAM! This precious Peruvian animal hocked up a giant loogie and spat it in Norah's face! That's right. You heard it here. A lama spit in our daughter's face.

Mommy and Daddy's fears were quickly assuaged once we ascertained that the offensive liquid had not gotten in her eyes and/or mouth and began laughing. Norah, on the other hand, did not take this assault so lightheartedly. She began crying...hard. After a few minutes of tears (and some anti-bacterial gel on her hands etc...) Norah came back to her senses and was right as rain. The incident, however, will be forever etched in our memories....just one of the many that we love to share with all of you.

It All Started With....

2009-10-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

...a kiss on Oct. 8th 2000. A "Yes" on Oct. 8th 2004. And an "I Do" on Oct. 8th 2005. Nine years of togetherness and 4 years of marriage and the Honeymoon still isn't over. JC & Dan's Big Adventure continues....with our little Diva of a daughter! :-)

The Weber Inn: A House Divided Part One

2009-09-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

Ali v. Frazier. McEnroe v. Conners. Magic v. Bird. Classic battles; all of them. But, nothing beats....The Battle Royale: The Weber Inn: A House Divided (A.K.A: The Bengals v. Steelers).

You all know what a mess NFL football season is around the Weber Inn. You've got Mommy, a tried and true and UBER COMPETITIVE Steelers fan. And, you've got Daddy, a died-in-the-wool Bengals fan. This type of fan-loyalty does not lend itself to harmony and graciousness. We've traded barbs, yes. We've licked our wounds (mostly, I must say, on the part of said Bengals fan). And, no one has EVER slept on the couch (no matter how bad the insults have been). But, through it all, there has remained one constant: The Annual Bengals/Steelers Chili Cookout Day.

Each year, J & D host friends and family to enjoy chili, cornbread & all the fixins during the first Bengals/Steelers game during the year. This year was made even more special b/c it was Norah's first Chili Cookout.

Our daughter looked like a hobo, yes. She was wearing Steelers socks, Bengals wind-pants, a Steelers shirt and a Bengals teething ring, but we Webers are nothing if not all about equality and fairness :-).

All in all, it was a blast. The Webers got to enjoy doing what they do best: hosting friends and family, and Norah got to play w/ a whole bunch of her friends.

Of course, there has to be a looser in this situation. And, for the first time in a long time, J found herself at the short end of the stick. Dan got to enjoy singing the Bengals fight song more than once as his team won in a nail-biter. But, J looks forward to Round 2 when the Bengals travel up to the Steel Grounds in Nov. Hmmm...perhaps the Webers will just have to go to that game :-)

Phillipi Creek, Fabulous Friend & Fantastic Fido

2009-09-22T17:13:00.000-07:00

Please forgive us for not updating the blog sooner, but it has been a whirlwind of activity ever since we returned from Florida. As soon as we got back, Daddy re-arranged the family room to be more "Norah Friendly" now that she is crawling (correction: SHE'S CRUISING ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) We also took the time to spend a small fortune on two new car-seats (she has officially outgrown the pumpkin seat) and baby-proofing items, which we have been installing. We also were blessed to host the BEST Godmother and friend ever, Cindy. Finally, we've been busy loving on, and paying attention to, our other 'child': Norah's big brother, Angus.

Our last night in FL was spent at one of our favorite restaurants, Phillipi Creek. Norah was a doll, as usual, and she even got to have her picture taken w/ Mommy & Daddy and The Big, Bad Alligator (check out Dan's Facebook Photo to see him w/ said Alligator before Norah was born) and be to coolest Oyster EVER.

We had a week to re-arrange the rooms (Mommy is convinced that electrical cords and outlets emit some sort of "Baby Pheromone" that attracts their attention directly to them) before Norah's godmother, Cindy, arrived. What a fun weekend! In addition to some good food at Bravo and an early morning workout, we all got to play euchre, watch "House" (a Godmamma/Weber tradition), go to the Greek Festival and watch some FOOTBALL!!!!! Norah loves her Godmamma SO much!!!!!

There was one constant, as there always is, throughout the hub-bub: our sweet, sweet, sweet dog, Angus. J & Dan may have been a little worried about how a 106 lb. dog would deal with a newborn/infant, but our fears have been completely assuaged. Not only have the adults been loving and cuddling on our boy, but Angus could not be more of a gentle-giant when it comes to his little sister. He truly is The Weber's best friend.

That's it for now. We hope you are all well. J & D

You Go, Girl!

2009-09-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

Uh-Oh! She's mobile. Lock the doors and put up the baby gates. Watch out, World!

Norah's Old Man Turns One Year Older

2009-09-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, September 4th 2009, started out like any other day has started since we have been on vacation. Norah's little peepers opened up around 7 a.m. J got up and made the coffee and then changed and fed the baby. Nice. Relaxing. There was just one teensy-tinsy difference in yesterday....It was Dan's 31st birthday! And Norah knew it, too.

After helping Mommy make a big sign for Daddy, Norah helped Daddy open cards. Then, it was off to Panera to grab breakfast and get back to the condo as soon as possible for our morning swim (a new tradition for the Webers). Norah's morning nap usually follows swim-time, but not on Daddy's birthday. Our little princess was too excited to sleep more than 40 minutes because she didn't want to miss a minute w/ her ol' man on his big day.

Try as we did, Norah just wasn't going to take her usual 1.5 to 2 hour nap, so we abandoned all efforts and headed off to St. Armand's Circle for some Conch Fritters and shopping.

A quick note about Conch Fritters: J & D discovered the BEST conch fritters in the world at this little Cuban restaurant a few years ago and have come back every year since. They are delightfully, sinfully delicious and we revel in the chance to have them.

It didn't take long for Norah's lack of morning nap time to catch up with her. She conked out a few minutes after we got in the car and slept through the entire lunch.

She did wake up, however, to do a little shopping. Mommy gave Daddy free reign of her credit card in Daddy's favorite tobacco shop so that he could buy some cigars for his birthday. Mommy and Daddy also stopped by a little wine shop that they love and bought two bottles of a new blend: Kiwi Wine (tastes a lot like Pinot Grigio).

The day was capped off by surf and turf and cards on the deck. Hey! Norah's Old Man ain't no Spring Chicken anymore. What did you expect? Clubbing until 2 a.m?!?! :-)

Florida Days 4-7: A Rolling Stone Gathers No Algae..Or Seaweed..Or Moss For That Matter

2009-09-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

And if this adage is true, then Norah is squeaky clean, because she has just been goin', goin' goin' on this vacation.

The Webers spent a very enjoyable two days up in Tampa visiting Great Grandma Weber on Tuesday and Wednesday. After dining on a great meal of lasagna and cheesecake on Tue night, Norah used up a ton of energy just being loved, hugged and kissed on by "Super G" and her friends. The visit was topped off by a visit to Crabby Bill's in Tarpon Springs (check out the poster behind Super G in the picture :-) before heading back to Siesta Key.

In addition to her daily swimming lessons, Norah got to see how the real fish do it during a visit to the Mote Marine Aquarium on Thursday. Although she may not remember it, Mommy and Daddy were just thrilled to see the look of wonder on Norah's face as all the different kinds of fish swam by. She even got to take home her first souvenir; a stuffed animal sea turtle that Mommy named Theodolphus (Theo for short). Mommy and Daddy then capped off the day by taking Norah to one of their favorite spots: The Turtle Bay Pub.

Whew! Norah's having so much fun that she didn't even fall asleep in Daddy's arms the past two nights. She is milking every minute of her vacation. And, we've still got Daddy's birthday and dinner at Phillipi Creek to go before we go home.

Flying the Friendly Skies & Florida Vacation Days 1-3

2009-08-31T16:35:00.000-07:00

Greetings! From sunny Siesta Key, FL. It's been a few days since we've posted, and we've got a lot of catching up to do so, without further adieu

The Webers woke up at 3:15 a.m on Saturday morning in order to get Norah ready for her first airplane ride. An hour and a half later, after a hearty bottle and some last minute packin', Norah-Belle was on her way to Dayton Int'l Airport to catch a 5:50 a.m flight to Siesta Key, FL.

As we have come to expect from our little girl, she did wonderful! She sat nice and quiet most of the time (even falling asleep on Mommy's lap during the first leg of the trip)and didn't seem to have any inner-ear problems whilst taking off and landing at all. Most of the crew and several passengers even commented on what a good little traveler Norah was, and the captain even gave her her first set of wings! We touched down in Atlanta at around 7:10 a.m and Norah chalked up State # 8 on her list of states visited (we're going for all 50 by the time she's 1 :-)

After a mechanical problem forced us to de-plane, reclaim our carry-on luggage and board another plane, we finally got to Sarasota (State #9) around Noon. Again, Norah was great. She was a bit squirmy, but we don't blame her (So were we!) We packed up the rental car, got Norah's car seat all set up and headed straight for the Condo and the Beach.

A quick note about Siesta Key: The city and condo has a special place in the heart's of the Weber family. Dan has been coming here since he was just a bit older than Norah. D & J honeymooned here, and they even came here last year when J was about 4.5 months pregnant with Norah. So, this place holds a lot of memories for us, and we are delighted to be making more of them with our daughter.

The pictures speak for themselves. All that you see are firsts for Norah (as well as some just really cute, candid shots) and are in order Day 1-3. As you can see, all of the excitement has left Norah plum tuckered each night as she's been falling asleep in Daddy's arms during her 'nightcap' bottle.

We hope you enjoy. Next up: a trip to Tampa tomorrow to visit Great Grandma Weber.

Ride 'em, CowGirl! Giddy'up!

2009-08-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

We've all seen the movie, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (the original....not the scary re-make w/ Johnny Depp) in which the spoiled brat, Veruca Salt whines, "Daddy, I want an Umpa Loompa NOW!". And, we've all made fun of that character depicting spoiled brats everywhere as Veruca; the child w/ the British accent screaming "Daddy, I want this" or "Daddy, I want that."

Dan and I have even done this w/ our daughter. We often use that British voice when pretending what she's going to be like as a teenager. Our favorite 'saying' of her's is, "Daddy, I want a pony. Oh! Please, Daddy, I want a pony NOW!"

Well, Norah didn't have to wait long. Little did she know that Mommy and Daddy were the proud parent's of her pony long before she was even born. And, Norah's pony's name is Angus.

Say what you'd like about our boy being a big, dumb, clumsy, gullible ol' dog, but Angus has proved to be nothing but the sweetest, most gentle giant in the world when it comes to his 'little sister'.

Enjoy the pictures of Norah's first 'pony' ride:

For Your Viewing Pleasure....'G' Rated Movies!

2009-08-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

It seems as if we've been shooting a lot more videos than taking pictures these last few weeks. And, why not? With all of the growing and fun, new milestones that Norah is achieving, it's only right to record every cute second of them. For your viewing pleasure, we've put together some of the video clips that we've shot. As this is a family-oriented blog, all of the videos are 'G' Rated. (Note: They go from bottom to top)

The first 'G' movie stands for Grub. Check out Daddy's fabulous feeding technique (and ever better Right Said Fred impersonation)

The second 'G' is the 'Gitterbug' (it's a soft 'g' and I'm quite proud of my creativity). Norah was just jumpin', jivin' and wailin' in her Jump&Go.

The third 'G' movie in our hit-parade stands for Gonna Make It. We were lucky enough to capture Norah's first time sitting up on camera.

Our fourth 'G' stands for Gametime. Hey, Daddy puts up with all of Mommy's Steelers clothes that she puts on Norah. It's only fair that he get his little girl an outfit or two. :-) (We think that the song was entirely unnecessary, though)

Finally, the last 'G' stands for Girlfriends. Mark and Andrea Silnes came to The Weber Inn last night. J & Andrea have been friends going on 12 years now. As all of we ladies know, we love our parents, husbands and significant others with all of our hearts, but nothing beats the best of girlfriends. J has a great one in Andrea, and now Norah does, too.

So, grab some popcorn, dim the lights, turn off your cell phones, sit back, relax & enjoy the shows!

D, J & Norah

Are You Ready for Some FOOTBALL!?!?!?!

2009-08-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

We know that Norah is! As you all know, Mamma Weber is a HUGE football fan and an even BIGGER Pittsburgh Steelers fan. And, even though Daddy's team, the Cincinnati Bengals, have been less than successful in the past ....well....Decade or two, we give him credit for being a tried-and-true fan (and for being a good sport and putting up with pictures like these)

The first picture was taken on 2/1/09, Superbowl Sunday, just 24 hours after Norah was born. We were still in the hospital, and Mommy was just a tad bit doped up on pain medication, but Norah got to help cheer the Steelers on to their 6th Superbowl victory.

The second picture was taken today, 8/13/09, at the start of the '09-'10 NFL pre-season. You may recognize the cheerleading outfit from a previous post from Oct. '08; it was a gift from Norah's Godmother, Cindy. Norah was still cozy in the womb as Mommy draped it over her belly. And, now, less than a year later, our little Cheerleader is sitting up and fitting in it nicely. How time flies!

So, let's all sit back, relax and get ready for some FOOTBALL!

6 Month Milestones

2009-08-09T12:11:00.001-07:00

Can you believe that July 31st marked Norah's "Half-Birthday"?!?!?!?!?! It sometimes seems like just yesterday that our little Angel-Face came home from the hospital and got a "kiss" from our kitty, Mia. She just keeps growing and changing on a daily basis. Here's a re-cap of Ms. Norah's Milestones from just the last few weeks:

Weight: 16.1 lbs. (Started out at 6 lbs and 15 ozs)
Height: 28" (Started at 21.75")

But Wait! There's more! In addition to moving through her fruits and veggies like a pro AND eating in her highchair most of the time, Norah has begun to SIT UP UN-ASSISTED! Wahoo! Norah did it once, and it's like she's always been sitting up like a big girl!

Norah's six-month pictures were taken on Saturday, and they speak for themselves. She is the most beautiful daughter ever.

We hope all of you are well.

Much love,
D, J Norah

Take Your Daughter to Work Day

2009-08-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

About a week and a half ago, Mommy picked up Norah early so that she could come to The Berry Network and visit all of her wonderful co-workers (Mommy is pretty sure that it's part of her job requirement at this point to show The WeeOne off at her place of business at least every 6 months!)

As you can see, Little Norah-Belle was bright-eyed and alert and ready to be loved on and cuddled by every one at BNI. What fun!

Been a busy few weeks, and we have seen many changes and witnessed many milestones in our little girl. More to come this weekend.

Much love,
D, J & Norah

Tea for One (AKA: TOO STINKIN CUTE!!!!!)

2009-07-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

Okay...I know this is the 2nd post in one day...but this is TOO STINKIN' CUTE! Enjoy!

Play It! Maestro!

2009-07-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

While Daddy was out playing with the band last night to kick off the beginning of Dayton Celtic Festival Weekend, Norah, Poppy and Grandma were playing a little music of their own. As you can see from the video, we may have a little Diva on our hands.

Around the World in ....Six Months?

2009-07-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

Okay...so Norah hasn't exactly been around the world, but she certainly has been racking up the frequent travel miles (frequent flier miles to come in September when she takes her first airplane trip!) over these past few weeks.

The Weber's traveled roughly 1,100 miles in 3 days, and Norah racked up her visit to her 6th and 7th states (Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and New York) whilst traveling to Syracuse, NY to witness the nuptials between good family friends, Gary and Stephanie Pinto.

Daddy was raised in Baldwinsville, NY (just outside of Syracuse), and Norah got to see where her 'Ol' Man' grew up as well as celebrate with the happy couple.

Although the trip detailed A LOT of travel in a short amount of time, the Weber's enjoyed themselves. We got to hang out and hob-nob with Daddy's old friends (We love the Pintos and the Meads... love the 'artsy picture of J & Tab...Come visit soon!) at the rehearsal dinner, stay in a hotel with our daughter for the first time and party the night away at the wedding reception (big thanks to Norah's awesome babysitters that allowed Mommy and Daddy to have a 'Hot Date Night').

Oh, and by the way, our Norah is THE BEST LITTLE TRAVELER in the world! Kudos go out to Ms. Norah for sitting quietly and content during an 11 hour drive home!!!! She is truly the best little girl EVER!

Enjoy the pics of our Travelin' Little Girl. We're staying put for a month or so, and I'm sure we'll all enjoy the rest. Next stop: State # 8! Florida in September!

Love to all,
J, D & Norah

The Left Coast Meets the Midwest and Norah Moves in the Right Direction

2009-07-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, Dan and JC hosted three very special visitors: J's Aunt Susan, Uncle Don and their beautiful Golden Retriever, Cosmos. Aunt Susan and Uncle Don have been on a month-long, cross-country road trip visiting National parks and family. They started out from their home in Southern California and graced the Webers with a visit on their way back to the Left Coast.

Even though the visit was short, we had a wonderful time. Not only did Aunt Susan and Uncle Don get to meet their Great-Niece, but the Webers had the opportunity to spend some really good time with family. We showed off The Weber Inn, went to our favorite restaurant, Troni's (check out the picture of Norah trying to 'pay' w/ the credit card!) and just generally got to catch up and chat. We can't wait to see them again soon.

Please enjoy the pictures of the visit as well as a cute video of Norah trying to 'crawl' towards her big brother, Angus.

Next up on the docket for the Webers: a trip to Syracuse, NY for a wedding!

Take care,
J, D and Norah

Family, Firsts & Fireworks on the Fourth Far, Far Away

2009-07-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July Weekend saw many firsts for Norah Belle. On July 1st, D & J packed up the car complete with trailer hitch carrying a bush-hog and baby stroller, canvas tarp carrying luggage and baby exersaucer and cab carrying doggy, baby and Mommy and Daddy and headed on down to the family cabin in Lake Toxaway, NC.

The Webers left at 8 p.m. and drove through the night so as not to disturb Norah's sleeping schedule. This was a very good decision made by Mommy and Daddy because our little princess did just that....slept. She stirred once during a gas stop in Knoxville, TN and promptly went back to sleep until we arrived at around 3:00 a.m. Our good friends Todd, Sarah and 3 yr. old Aeden met up at the cabin at around 4:30 a.m and the fun began!

Norah had her first hike strapped on Mommy's belly whilst meeting up w/ Daddy and Todd at a fishing spot, sported her bathing suit for the first time and sat in the baby pool Mommy and Daddy got, laid in the grass and dipped her footsies in a creek for the first time.

Norah also got her first taste of fireworks on the 4th of July. The Webers took Little Ms Belle to Brevard, NC to watch a fireworks show. Well, lets just say that the combination of a long day, long night and loud noises were enough to send Norah into hysterics throughout the entire show. Norah howled. She positively howled the entire time to the point of hyperventilation. The only time she stopped was when a particularly bright firework went off. Actually, it was kind of cute. It's touching to see a little one experience something with such intensity. Heck, the 4th of July will probably be one of Norah's favorite holidays one day. :-)

Aeden and the folks had a good time, too. We played catch in the yard, shucked corn, played with Angus (who loves it down there because he can be off leash), watched movies, shopped in Highlands and went out to dinner. All in all, it was a great 1st vacation with our daughter.

Check out the great pics from the trip along w/ some cute ones w/ Grandma and Grandpa.

Until next time,
J & D

Blast From The Past

2009-06-28T09:02:00.001-07:00

Whew! What a busy weekend Norah has had. On Friday, D & J took a half day of work so that they could drive to Noblesville, IN to visit Conner Prairie and attend Symphony on the Prairie.

Conner Prairie is a living history museum where actors and volunteers get into character as early settlers of Prairietown in the year 1836. The houses in Prairietown are houses that have been brought to the site from areas all over the state of Indiana and were built around that time period. Visitors can tour the homes and interact with the actors to learn about life during that time period. JC grew up visiting the museum with her mother and brother, going to camp there and was even one of the actors in one of the houses for two summers during her youth. As you can imagine, this was a very special and meaningful trip for J in that she got to share a bit of her favorite youth-time memories with Daddy and Daughter. Check out the pics of J and Norah standing outside of the "McClure Home", the house that she worked in as "Patsy Cox", Dan playing Old School "Jenga" with one of the actors and standing outside of the "Campbell Home", the local Dr. in town.

Symphony on the Prairie is another great childhood memory of Mommy. Each weekend in the Summer, the Indianapolis Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra puts on a series of concerts out on the open prairie. Families load up their coolers with wine, cheese, sandwiches and whatnot and sit underneath the stars listening to wonderful music.

The Webers met up with wonderful family friends, The Friedmans, supped on sandwiches, drank a little wine, and had a wonderful broccoli salad courtesy of Cherryl (FANTASTIC) whilst listening to the music of Harry Potter (another favorite of J's). Norah did a WONDERFUL job. She smiled and played and even feel asleep for a while in her Poggy (the best traveling bed ever...I HIGHLY recommend it to all parents with children under the age of 6 mos).

All in all, it was such a WONDERFUL 48 hours. July is going to see A LOT of traveling for the Webers, and we look forward to sharing it with all of you. Next up: North Carolina for the 4th of July! Stay tuned.

Fabulous Fathers, Flipsy Flopsies & Food

2009-06-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

Hello, All! June 21st not only marked the first day of Summer; it was also Daddy's first Father's Day. The day began with a great gift for both Mommy and Daddy: Norah slept until 8:00 a.m. ! D & J were very happy to get the extra sleep, and even had to wake Norah up to have breakfast.

After some coffee and some card-opening and gift-giving (Norah got Daddy the oh-so-traditional-gift of a tie :-), Dan went off to practice his new hobby, fly-fishing, whilst Mommy and Norah cleaned the house up and went grocery shopping.

The day was capped off by Chinese food and cuddles with Grandma and Grandpa. All said and done, Daddy had a wonderful first Father's Day.

This week has seen even more action out of our sweet little girl A few weeks back, J and Grandma went to Babies R Us to purchase a Jump and Go. At first, Norah wanted nothing to do with it. But, as time has moved on, Ms. Norah Belle is just B-Boppin' around and havin' fun in her new toy. Check out the video for all of the action.

We have also begun to try to feed Norah solids this week. Let's just say that the foreign feel of a spoon compared to the comforting, familiar feel of a bottle has proven to be a little too much for our little one. She has spent more time grabbing the spoon and spitting the rice cereal out than actually consuming the stuff. What can we say, we wouldn't really like the taste and consistency of 'gruel' either! :-) But, we're getting there.

That's all for now. We're coming up on some very big travels to Indy, North Carolina and New York, so stay-tuned for more updates. Enjoy the pictures.

Hope you're all well.
Love,
D&J

Rollin' Rollin' Rolin'

2009-06-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

Hello, All. First, let's begin with the details: Norah had her 4 1/2 month check up today and here are the stats: Weight: 14.2 lbs (still so petite). Length: 25". Head Circumference: 41 cm. Our little one is just growing, growing, growing. She had her 2nd round of shots today and, even though there were a few crocodile tears, Norah took it like a brave little girl!

All of this growing is going to require more energy. So, the Dr. has given Mom and Dad the green light to start Ms. Norah on rice cereal and then work our way up through the food chain (pureed fruits, veggies etc...). We're going to take it slow and begin w/ some very small, VERY soupy helpings of yummy rice cereal next weekend.

The energy that Norah gets from her food is going to fuel her to continue to engage in all of the fun activities that she's been taking part in...LIKE ROLLING OVER! That's right. Our little Norah has discovered how to roll from tummy to back and is even starting to roll from back to tummy in her sleep. Imagine Mommy's surprise this morning when she went in to wake Norah up and found her on her belly instead of her back! It's gonna be a whole new world of movement now.

In addition to all of this new-found movement, Norah has been able to spend some really good QT with friends and family. Her favorite playmate, by far, is Grandpa. Oh! How Grandpa can make Norah laugh. She just loves to study him and play with him.

Enjoy the pictures. Hope you're all well.

Love,
J&D

The Sand Between Her Toes

2009-05-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

Norah got to visit 'The Beach' for the first time on Sat., 5/30/09. The Webers headed up to Lake Choctaw just outside of Springfield, OH that day for a friend's daughter's graduation party. It was a bit chilly, but Norah was really interested in the beach. This was great preparation for 'The Real Beach' in Florida in September!

Love to all,
J & D

Norah's Got the Travel Bug

2009-05-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems as now that Ms. Norah has discovered how to raise her upper body with her arms, that there's no stopping her from traveling all over the place.

Norah's travels began with her movin' and shakin' in her brand new Exersaucer! Daddy did a lot of research to find the safest, nicest and most pink Exersaucer in the world. And Norah has been lovin' it. She has kept her head and upper body up and has rotated all around the fun play stations.

Memorial Day weekend saw a lot of travel for our girl, too. Not only did Norah make it to not one, not two but THREE barbecues, but she had her first interstate travel to Indiana to visit her Uncle Matt and Aunt Courtney for the first time! What fun she had! Not only did J & Dan get to visit with her family for a time, but Norah got to be held, cuddled and loved on by the Craig's.

She can't wait to see them again really soon!

The Greatest Mother's Day Gift...Ever

2009-05-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

May 10th was memorable for many reasons. J turned 30 and 1/2 (okay....that's pretty lame...no one celebrates half-birthdays), celebrated her first Mother's Day as a Mommy herself and got the greatest Mother's Day gift EVER.

The day started off very well. Daddy let Mommy sleep in by tending to Norah. When Mommy woke up and came downstairs, Norah had the greatest surprise for her: For the first time, Ms. Norah Belle pushed herself up with her arms and lifted her head. Now, for those of you who do not have children, you may be thinking: "So. What's the big deal about lifting up on your arms to lift your head?!?!" Well, let me just tell you that this is a MAJOR accomplishment as far as baby-milestones go, and to have Norah do it on Mother's Day made it all the sweeter. (the picture is blurry...but we had to post it to capture the moment).

After a wonderful breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast (made perfectly by Dan), Mom and Dad just generally chilled out, took a walk with Norah and Angus and capped off the day by having a great dinner of Chinese food with Grandma and Grandpa. What fun!

J's first Mother's Day was made special for one more reason. As most of you know, J's mother, Mamma Craig, passed away 10 years ago this October. The last Mother's Day Mamma Craig was alive, J bought her mother a shirt that said "World's Greatest Mom". J kept this shirt with the intention of wearing it on her first Mother's Day as a Mom. It was worn with pride; in honor of Mamma Craig...and her new granddaughter.

We love you all,
D&J

The Silnes' Come to Visit!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

The weekend before Mother's Day, Dan and J were honored to host two very special guests: Andrea and Mark Silnes. Andrea and Mark are probably two of our favorite people, and now they are two of Norah's favorite people, also. They came in from Columbus to spend the night.

Not only did Ms. Norah get some serious cuddle time with Andrea and Mark, but her Mom and Dad got to have some fun, too.

We ate fabulous Italian food, played euchre and just generally talked and caught-up....until 3:00 a.m.!!!!!!!!!! (good thing Norah went down and 9 and slept all the way 'til 7).

Thanks, Andrea and Mark. We had a great time and can't wait to see you again soon.

Catchin' Some Zzzzzzzz's

2009-05-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

You've all seen the pictures we've posted of our cute little Norah, and you may have noticed that she's sleeping in many of them. What you have not seen are pictures of Norah Belle swaddled up nicely resting in her crib at night. That's because, up until, about a week ago, Mommy and Daddy were still being awakened each night anywhere from about 2:30-4:00 a.m. to the sounds of 'hunger and change-me cries'.

Now, all of a sudden, Norah has decided to let Mom and Dad get some more shut eye during the night; and catch some more Zzzzzz's herself. Our little angel has been going to bed consistently at around 9-9:30 and sleeping until around 5:30-6:00 a.m. Last night, she went down at 9:00 and made it until 7:00 a.m.!!!!!!!!!

Don't get us wrong, Norah's night-time sleeping habits have never really been that bad, but it sure is a nice change to get a few more hours of un-interrupted sleep each evening.

We pray it lasts!

Hope all is well with each of you,
D&J

Too Stinkin' Cute-Part Three

2009-04-27T17:43:00.001-07:00

Growing like a weed. And growing more beautiful every day.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

2009-04-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

Well, today marks the last day of Mommy's maternity leave. I took an extended leave of ten weeks rather than the allotted six in order to spend more time with my Ms. Norah. In all honesty, there were times when I was chomping at the bit to get back to work. But, after all has been said and done, taking an extended brake to bond with Norah has been the best decision ever. I was able to get to know her; her smiles, her 'coos'. I have been able to watch her grow as a little person. She is starting to lift her head and move about. And Norah has been able to get to know her Mommy. Hell, I am beginning to get to know myself as a mommy, and as a person (a process that, I know, is never ending). My daughter has taught me more about myself in the last 10 weeks than I have learned in the last 30 years.

I am in awe looking back on the last 10 weeks. At 1:57 p.m. on 1/31/09, a little girl was born. There was joy. There was fear. There was uncertainty. At 3:45 p.m. on 4/13/09 there are still all of these feelings, but there is also a never ending love and unbreakable bond that has blossomed. Parenthood is many things to me now. And I'm sure it will be many more things to come. Most importantly, however, parenthood is LOVE.

Easter Is 'EggSpecially' Excellent!

2009-04-13T04:33:00.000-07:00

Norah and her parents had an 'eggspecially' excellent Easter Weekend '09. The fun began with a visit from wonderful family friend, Cherryl Friedman. Cherryl was able to see Norah for several days and Ms. Norah had a wonderful time!

Norah also got to meet a new playmate, Sophia, when the Webers traveled south to Mason, OH for some burgers and boardgames with friends. Sophia and Norah were due to enter the world about five days apart. As it turned out, Norah came early and Sophia was a bit late. We can wait to see these to kiddos grow up together.

Norah woke up Easter morning (decked out in her Easter Bunny Sleeper) to find that the Easter Bunny had been her and given her her first Easter basket.

Mommy and Daddy then got Norah dressed up in her first Easter Sunday outfit and headed off to Church to meet Grandpa.

After church, Norah and Daddy napped whilst Mommy made deviled eggs for Easter Dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's. What a fun time! The Easter Bunny had dropped off a basket for Norah there, too! Not only that, but the food was great and Norah got plenty of face time with her Aunts, Uncles and cousins.

We hope that each of you had just as good of an Easter Weekend as we did.

Love,
D, J & Norah

Three Men and a Baby

2009-04-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

Norah has had many adoring male visitors come to see her during her 9 weeks of life, but none are wrapped around her little finger as tightly as the three most important ones: Daddy, Grandpa & Uncle Lee. Who can blame them for loving her though? As the other pictures show, Ms. Norah is a doll. Watch out, future suitors, these guys are pretty protective! :-)

Too Stinkin' Cute-Part Two

2009-03-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

Okay.. so the one w/ Angus popping out from under Dan's legs as he feeds Norah isn't one of her in a cute outfit...but it is TOO STINKIN' CUTE! Enjoy!

Soul Savin', Shot Takin & Nug Eatin' Hooray!

2009-03-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

The past week has been a whirlwind of activity for our Little Norah Belle (the newest nickname that seems to be sticking very well). Last Saturday, Norah's Godparents, Chip & Cindy came in from Chicago and Pittsburgh respectively for Norah's baptism. Mommy & Daddy started Norah out with a different kind of baptism, though. What a better way to kick off a weekend of The Father, Son & Holy Spirit than by taking Norah to the revered Golden Nugget (a dining tradition from the halcyon days of college) for the first time!

Yep! D, J and friends baptized Norah with the greasy goodness that is Golden Nugget breakfast. We figure that she'll spend many more hours consuming this delectable diner food and conversing with friends once she becomes a UD Flyer, but we wanted her first experience to be with the original UD crew.

Dan & J were then able to get a sitter and go out with friends that Sat. night. Although our little angel is a joy and a blessing, it was very nice to be able to get away for a few hours and enjoy some frothy beverages and great company.

Norah got a dose of the Holy Spirit on Sunday as she got baptized at St. Albert The Great Parish. The experience was meaningful for so many reasons. Not only does this mark the first step in Norah's spiritual life, but her baptism took place at the same church where both Grandma & Grandpa and Mommy & Daddy were married and where Mommy was baptized, as well. What's even better is that Ms. Norah was a champ! She only cried a little as the deacon poured the Holy Water over her.
The day was topped off by a reception at the Weber Inn.

To say that Dan & J were touched by the support that friends and family showed for Norah at her baptism would be an understatement. Words cannot possibly describe how truly grateful we are to have such beautiful people in our lives. Even the deacon said that he'd never seen so many people show up for one baptism. Thank you, friends and family!

The past few days were capped off by a visit to the pediatrician today for Norah's 2 month check-up. We're pleased to report that our little girl is right on track. Her head circumference is 15" (up one inch from birth), weight is 9 lbs. 14 ozs (25th percentile) and height is 22" (50th percentile) Basically, she's of average height and a little on the skinny side. But, the Dr. was quite pleased w/ her weight gain.

Norah also received her first round of shots today. Although she screamed like a stuffed pig after shot #1, she quieted down quickly and promptly went to sleep! Ah...if we all could just fall asleep after such trauma! :-)

Whew! As we said, it's been quite a few days. We look forward to seeing what each new day will bring, and we'll update all of you every step of the way

Too Stinkin' Cute-Part One

2009-03-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Ms. Norah's mommy is a fashion victim. Yes. I admit it. I am a tomboy who would much rather lounge in tennis shoes (preferably pink Pumas :-), blue jeans, a sweatshirt and a baseball cap than try to match my earrings to my business slacks (although, I do clean up rather well if I do say so myself :-)

Having a little girl has changed me, though. I FREAKING LOVE TO DRESS MY LITTLE GIRL!!!! I can't get enough of the cute little outfits that we've put her in. What's more....I CAN'T WAIT TO BUY MORE CLOTHES. I know. I know. Becoming a mother has created a monster in me! :-) I like lace and pink and puppy dogs and flowers! Perhaps I'm just making up for my lack of fashion sense through my daughter. In any event, I'm having a blast (although, Norah may hate me for this later)

I've decided to randomly post pictures of our cute little girl in some of the good outfits and name the posts: Too Stinkin' Cute. So, without further adieu:

Stepping into Spring...Shamrock Style

2009-03-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

Spring is FINALLY here (although, the temperature doesn't show it yet)! Norah is changing and growing every day. Our little girl is turning her head from side to side during tummy time as well as when she's resting on Mommy and Daddy's shoulders, lifting her head, saying 'ahh' and cooing and we have even gotten a few toothless grins here and there.

Norah's physical growth hasn't been her only accomplishment this month, though. As most of you know, Norah's Daddy is in an Irish band, Dulahan, and Norah got to see Daddy play a show. She was a little freaked out at first, (Imagine waking up from a nap to hear loud music and be passed around from person to person) but we think she warmed to the music after a bit. Our little Irish-American girl will be dancing to Daddy's songs in no time!

Norah is still a bit too young to have accompanied Dan to the shows that he played on St. Patty's Day (think 'Sweet Home Alabama'..."You've got a baby....in a bar!"), so Mommy took her to a family friend's house for a more subdued (but still totally ROCKIN') St. Patrick's Day Party.

The final milestones of March will take place on the 29th & 31st when Norah gets baptized and her first round of shots (ouch!). Stay tuned for pics of these events.
Until then, we hope you are all well and looking forward to some fun, outdoor activities.

Love,
J, D & Norah

Random Pics for Your Viewing Pleasure

2009-03-05T09:21:00.000-08:00

As I was feeding Norah this morning, I realized just how much she has grown & changed even during this first month of her life. No two days are the same, and you can't get the days back, so we've been taking pictures almost daily. Here are just a few from the last few weeks. And, yes, the picture of Norah, her parents & Big Brother Angus does, in fact, show the effects of sleep deprivation! :-) Enjoy.

G Stands for Grandparents & Godmothers

2009-03-03T15:54:00.000-08:00

Greetings from (STILL) chilly Dayton! We hope that all of you are well and getting through this last month of Winter. If you're anything like us right now, you're all chomping at the bit for warmer weather, flowers & outdoor activities.

There are upsides to being 'housebound' with Little Norah, though. First and foremost, we are getting plenty of time to get to know each other. Norah is 31 days old today, and no two days have really been the same. Norah has a few predictable habits, yes, but she is growing and changing so fast that each day is a new adventure for both Norah and her parents.

Also, the cold weather has allowed others to enter our home ( and Norah has made a few trips out, too ) and meet our princess. Norah has had two VERY special visitors during her time 'on the outside'.

Great-Grandma Weber (Dan's maternal grandmother) traveled up from her sunny, warm home in Florida and braved an entire Midwest Winter to witness the birth of her great-grandchild. She was able to spend some great quality time with Norah before heading back down south last week. Norah loves her great-grandmother very much!

Speaking of grandparents, Norah has gotten to spend some WONDERFUL time with
Eric and Susie. Both of them have been TREMENDOUSLY helpful during these past few weeks. In addition to lending many a helping hand with diaper changing and swaddling, Eric & Susie have already introduced Norah to a wonderful family tradition: Sunday Night Dinners. Dan and J have braved the cold with their little one to travel to Grandma and Grandpa's house each Sunday fir dinner. It has been wonderful!

Last, but certainly not least, Norah's Godmother, Cindy, came in last week from Pennsylvania to meet her Goddaughter (and give J some help as well as keep her company......THANKS CIN!!!!!!!!!!!!). What a great time Norah had! She got to be held and pampered by Cindy for two straight days. Dan and J are seriously considering making Cindy their Au Pair! :-) She was that great! Norah also got introduced to another tradition: Watching 'House' w/ the adults. (Every time we all get together...we have to O.D. on episodes of 'House'...check out Norah watching as "13" diagnoses someone's "Itis" in the picture...PRECIOUS).

Yes, things are moving quickly around here. Spring is right around the corner, and we're looking forward to Ms. Norah growing big and beautiful just like the flowers that will be blooming soon.

Much love,
D & J

Norah Meets All the People...And Her Big Brother Angus

2009-02-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! It's been exactly 14 days since our Norah was born, and what a busy 14 days it has been! Mommy & Daddy are being kept occupied by getting to know their little girl. We are still determining what squeaks mean what and what squeals mean something else (luckily, we are getting much better at speaking "Gurgle" :-).

Ms. Norah is now gaining some of the weight that she lost in the hospital back as well as attempting to lift her head and smile. Our little one is also (sort of) on a sleeping/waking/feeding schedule. She sleeps like a champ, and it is actually almost a battle to get her to wake to feed. Despite her sleeping, she is having more 'awake' periods during the day in which her baby-blues are open and darting around taking in all of the new sights that they can.

Mommy & Daddy have also discovered that Norah HATES to be changed. During diaper changes, our quiet little angel screams and reaches a crescendo pitch that trained opera singers would have trouble matching. :-) We don't blame her, though. Who really wants to be stripped naked with the cold air hitting them? :-)

In addition to Norah getting to know her parents and her parents getting to know her, she has had a fair amount of adoring visitors. Thanks to all who have come to visit, as well as all who have sent gifts and well-wishes. We can't tell you how gratifying it is to have such wonderful friends and family.

We'd like to share some photos of Norah with her new friends (James, George, Vieve, Christie, Andi, Sarah G., Gina & Monica); the most important of whom, Norah's big brother, Angus, arrived home last night (THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH, Schwall family, for taking such good care of our little guy).

Again, we hope you all have a happy Valentine's Day. We are celebrating with our newest little Valentine right here!

J & D

JC & Dan are Proud to Present....

2009-02-06T14:39:00.001-08:00

...Ms. Norah Lee Weber (the First :-)! Our little Norah was brought into this world via C-Section by the best group of Dr's EVER at 1:57 p.m. on 1/31/09. She was a healthy 6 lbs. 15 ozs. and was 20.25 inches long. She has gray-blue eyes, a head of blondish-brown hair and is the spitting image of her Daddy (although, she does have Mommy's nose :-).

Mommy and baby were released from the hospital on 2/3/09 and the entire family is doing well and getting to know each other back at home.

To say that our new little bundle of joy is the greatest blessing in the world would be the biggest understatement of all time. Norah is just six days old and, in that short amount of time, she has changed our lives, for the better, for all time. She is truly our little angel. Even her cries are the sweetest sound ever heard.

Our nights are longer. Our sleep periods are shorter. And our lives are better than ever before.

We will continue to keep you all updated on the progress of our little girl, so please keep checking the blog regularly. Until then, please enjoy some pictures from Norah's first week of life.

Much love to all of you,
Dan, JC & Norah Weber

January Showers help bring February Babies....

2009-01-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

Today, 4 of J's closets friends (thanks Kelli, Sarah, Jo & G-ma Weber) threw a shower for Ms. WeeWeberette's impending arrival. The shower was just BEAUTIFUL. The food was wonderful. The friends and family were plenty (thanks to all of those who braved the weather and also the many who sent well-wishes) and the goodies were even more plentiful. Our little girl is gonna be the most stylish, loved little one this side of the Mississippi. We are truly touched to be blessed with so many fabulous people in our lives. Our little girl, too, is one very lucky lady! Please enjoy just a few of the many pictures from the day.

Now, we just sit back, try to relax and stockpile hours of sleep seeing as how we may not be seeing much of it in just a short time. The countdown has now begun: Less than one month 'till D-Day (Delivery Day). Just think, the next post will have pics of our new, happy family!

Love,
D & J