Daddy's Birthday-

Bubba planned a special surprise party for Joe - it was a lot of fun and I was so thankful to her since I'm not functioning well enough to come up with a plan. The four of us (Joe, Ben, Nora and I) arrived for a "quiet dinner" and people just kept showing up... Joe was definitely surprised, good one, Bubba! Darth Vader was even there and Bebe couldn't keep her hands off of him - don't ask!

Happy 35th birthday, Joe - I love you.

First Bath-

Baby Nora's first sponge bath. After I gave Nora a bath Ben insisted I give him one as well... we went with it ONE time... whatever...

It's a....

GIRL!!!!!! We were sooooo shocked to hear the nurse announce that we had a baby girl. There hasn't been a girl in Joe's immediate family in more than 30 years, so we weren't really thinking it was even an option. Nora Adelyn was born on Feb. 8, 2011 at 2:37 a.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 20-1/4 inches long. Even though she kept us up all night, the delivery was a breeze. We're so excited to have you here, Baby Nora - you're already loved by so many people!

Baby Sister!!

 Ben meets baby Nora

Ben's job was to call his babysitter, Sarah to let her know the baby arrived. He was very excited to tell her that he had a baby sister!!

 Special cuddle time with mommy - we missed each other while I was in the hospital.

 Home at last.

Check out Nora's blog at www.nora-girl.blogspot.com.

More white stuff!

We've had a lot of snow/ice this year. Ben has had several snow days and has been able to get the sled out many times. Our new neighbor and friend Jack invited us to sled in his front yard - it was the perfect hill (and the bigger neighborhood kids even made a ramp on the slope).

Here's mamma looking a little worn out and DONE! Tomorrow is the due date, so we'll see when s/he decides to arrive.

Joe's Surprise-

The gang at Joe's work were nice enough to organize a surprise "baby sprinkle" for Joe. They were also sweet enough to include Ben and me in the surprise. Let me tell you, it was tricky to keep the secret - I had to be extremely sneaky switching a date night and Joe's chiropractor appointment. Sheesh, it wasn't easy, but somehow we pulled it off (I didn't tell Ben until a few hours before the party)!

 Ben excited for the party and happy to surprise Daddy at work.

Joe came into the room completely shocked to see everyone (about 20 people - wish I had pics of everyone!). He thought he was going to a Document Imaging Processing meeting. Those are his bosses behind him who had set up this "meeting" all a part of the surprise.

They got gifts for everyone (a big brother t-shirt and "My New Baby and Me" book for Ben, in addition to cute Washington U. gear for baby and a "My Dad Rocks" t-shirt). They also had Joe's favorite - Mexican food... I got to enjoy a fake margarita.

Joe in his new dad vest - complete with latex gloves, diapers, gas mask, wipes, baby bottle, changing pad, etc. It was pretty funny and a great surprise for Joe. Ha, ha - we totally got him - I loved it!! Such a fun and special day!

Family Hangover Bowl

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the family Hangover Football Game. Ben played the entire game and loved every (cold!) minute of it. He scored a touchdown and even won second place MVP... although the count MIGHT have been rigged by Grandad. And strange enough, the trophy says "Washington University Soccer Camp" on it (thanks for saving us, Uncle!). Ben also wore his official t-shirt for three days straight after the game. I had to draw the line when it was a school day - 4-year-olds don't wear XL martini t-shirts to school...