Momgineering: Day One

Kelton - about 12 weeks old with his hat on

Momgineering...it just came to me. It's a combination of a mom and an engineer. It's the way someone like me tries to apply the analytical to the unreasonable. It's why I keep trying to fit my new little family to a premade, foam injected, bpa-free, polyacrylamide mold, and why I keep learning that life is now about "winging it". I decided that I need a way to keep track of this crazy existence that now knows no bed time, no nap time, no me-time...it is also free of any boring time, any dull time, and any quiet time. And for that, I am amazed and thankful. Kelton was born to Neal and I on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, by c-section. He weighed in at 9 pounds, 7 ounces and measured 22 inches long. I didn't learn that big babies ran on my side of the family until 4 days before the surgery. Not that I think it would have changed my mind about ever having children, but I sure wouldn't have spent all that time researching "natural" child birthing methods. Of course, hindsight is 20/20...if I had known how much weight I was going to gain, I also wouldn't have eaten all of those Whataburgers with mustard, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, and cheese...and a side of french fries and a root bear, please. What was I thinking? Oh yes, I was thinking "OH! I'm pregnant! I can finally eat what I want!". WRONG.

This little man has turned our lives upside down, inside out, and on a sleep schedule that has taught me that I really don't need 8 hours of sleep a night to function. Correction...I don't need it to function and get through the day...I do need it to function and stay healthy. Hence, the respiratory infection that's been harranging Neal and me for about 2 weeks now. Bodies can't heal without sleep. But when you have a 4 month old that has taken to waking up every 3 or 4 hours with a siren like wail "wwwwwaaaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!", you sure as heck aren't getting any sleep listening to that. We wouldn't have it any other way, though. We never knew he'd be so much work, or that we could love our little baby this much!

The latest with him is that he is now four and a half months old, weighs 16 pounds, measures 26" long, and we are starting foods! Below are a few pictures. Apparently, he doesn't take too kindly to his mama putting oatmeal or sweet potatoes in that precious little mouth. He'll learn...food is good! I did taste the sweet potatoes before giving him a bite...I don't blame him on that one. I'll be tasting whatever I put in his mouth from now on...I don't want him thinking that this new routine is some special sort of punishment. Poor baby!