CELEBRATE!!!

We celebrated Rocco's first birthday over the weekend at Lake Cable Clubhouse. I should also add that we celebrated Olivia's first and second birthdays as well, since there was a little "drama" happening last year when she turned one!

Great friends, great food, and great fun was had by all. I'm not sure we could have made it this far without everyone's love, support, and prayers. This party was just as much for all of you who were there for our entire family last year when we needed it most. Thanks so much for EVERYTHING!

Here's some cute pictures from the party...ENJOY!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Thanks again, everyone! Hope we celebrate many more birthdays together!

Love,
The Norch Family- Steven, Kiki, Olivia, and Rocco

Anybody Here??

Does anyone still visit Steven and Kiki's blog? I thought I would post a couple pictures here just in case...

The kids are growing like weeds! Rocco is getting big. He's eating baby food, and trying to crawl. He's such a pleasant baby...and a real charmer too!

And Olivia has assumed the role of big sister quite well. She's, um...how shall we say? Authoritative? Just like her similarly-aged-cousin-who-will-remain-nameless (ahem), she's got a little bossy streak in her.

But could you honestly resist a face like this??

Yeah, didn't think so!!

Everyone is gearing up for the holidays, and some holiday travel. We'll be hoping for some snow up here, but only because the Miami Family is coming up for Christmas!

Thought I might share a couple onesies on here that Rocco would look totally cutesy in...







And on that note, we're all looking forward to sharing Rocco's first Christmas with everyone! Let the holidays begin!

HeartBreaker!

Rocco- 5 months old. August 2008.

It's Official...OHIO is better than MIAMI

Rocco is H-O-M-E since Sunday. I got to see him and hold him and feed him. He's just the most perfect little bundle. I think I'm in love!



Olivia seems to have adjusted to life back in Ohio seamlessly. She loves her baby brother "Coco" and it's so cute to see her giving him kisses. When she left for Miami, she was not walking yet, so now she has a whole new way to explore the house and get into trouble!



Steven and Kiki are glad to be home, but there is alot to catch up on and alot of work to do, on top of settling back into home and finding some sense of normalcy and routine with two kids now.

And so closes an amazing journey with our little Champ. I'll try to update this site with occasional pictures or stories as Steven or Kiki wish to share updates with everyone. Thanks for sharing this journey with us, and check back occasionally for the lastest news!

Big OOPS...

IF...you gave generously to the March of Dimes...
IF...you did that by sending me a check sometime in March or April....
IF...your name is not "Heather and Steve"...

I received your check, but it got lost somewhere in my opened mail, probably because I was so excited about getting the new phone book paying my bills hanging up the kids' artwork just being my usual disorganized self. I even dug through our trash looking for them to no avail, and not only was I unable to find your checks, but now my clothes and hands smell like rotten apples and dirty diapers. Graphic indeed, but true!

But don't despair- I made your contributions anyways- I just didn't want you to worry when your check doesn't clear from your checking account. If you feel so obliged and would like to send me another check (made out to me instead of March of Dimes), that would be wonderful, but I certainly don't expect it because...I'm just dumb and this was totally my mistake. If I find your check, I will send it back to you. (I don't want you think I'm scamming you or something!)

I am so, so sorry, and hope this doesn't in anyway change your opinion about March of Dimes and what a great cause it is. Thanks to everyone's generosity, I raised a total of $1221.33 (even my kids raised $6.33 by helping around the house and collecting spare change and putting it in the "Box for Tiny Babies"!), well over my goal of $500. I thank you, Rocco thanks you, all the premature and sick babies at my work thank you, and all the babies who are yet to be born sick or healthy thank you! Look for pictures from the walk this weekend!

From Mommy

It is hard to believe that my little boy is home!!!! Finally, it has been a very long road but truly we are blessed. He is doing great. He actually has been nursing a few times a day I am just nervous to push him because I am scared that I will not know exactly how much he takes. But we will see how it goes.

Olivia has done really well with him so far. She just wants to kiss him up although there are times that she is not a fan of mommy and daddy holding him too much. I'm not quite sure that she realizes he is here to stay.

As far as Steve and I, we are doing great. A little tired, but excited to have our family together and start the journey home. Although it is bittersweet for me leaving my family. Even though they can be overwhelming at times, I will miss them alot.

Tell everyone that visits the website how much I appreciate their thoughts and prayers, and that we can't wait to see everyone soon. That's if we all come back in one piece (lol).

Love, Kiki

PS- Also, Thanks to everyone for their generous contributions to the March of Dimes walk next weekend! How humbled we are that you would give so kindly in honor of Rocco, in order that he might help preemies everywhere! Thank you so much! Next year, Rocco and I will be there to walk...look for pictures from Auntie Jen this year though!

Time

52 days.

1269 hours.

76,173 minutes.

4,570,404 seconds.

(1 month, 21 days, 21 hours, 33 minutes, 24 seconds...and counting...)

That's an approximation of how long it has been since Rocco's arrival.
In that time, he has learned how to breathe on his own, keep warm outside of an incubator, and eat from a bottle. He has nearly doubled his birthweight. What have you done in the past 52 days??

And did I mention he single-handedly managed to get 1,612 different people to check his blog, watch him grow, and fall in love with him?!?!

Amazing.

Thanks Rocco for the wonderful journey! Can't wait for you to come home!