8 Pounds & Counting...

Hello friends and family ~
Our little Kellen has carb-loaded his way to the 8 lb. mark (7lb 15oz - close enough); a great sign for a healthy beefcake-in-training. Certainly the bench press and protein shakes are just around the bend. In addition to the weight gain, Kellen's also grown an inch-and-a-quarter since birth. The pediatricians' all refer to this measurement as the baby's 'length', as opposed to the vertical term for us upright folk. Since I'm not an M.D. I'll definitely say that Kellen is 21 3/4 " tall.

Emilie is busy competing for the Tri-State area's Most Pro-Active Mother by demanding a cure for newborn hiccups. Bonding with the child has reached a new level now that the rotting remains of the umbilical cord fell off this morning. Efforts were made to preserve the piece (perhaps for the scrapbook?!), but Em practiced her maternal-tone and pleaded to have me "throw that away and wash your hands".

The most bizarre baby-accessory to this point has to be the scratch-proof mittens that keep newborns from tearing up their cheeks. These are necessary, as I've learned. All newborns have the tendency to inflict nasty marks on themselves. To help remedy, Emilie has taken up the habit of using an emory board on Kellen's fingernails nightly.

But it's not all mittens & manicures around the house; we've added another member to Red Sox Nation. Kellen was able to catch a little bit of every game in the ALCS since coming home from the hospital, including the awesome Game 5 come back with me. More than a few tears were shed at the conclusion of Sunday's Game 7 against the Rays. Can't dwell on the end of the baseball season, since our beloved Blazers will pick-up the torch shortly. We're still in the market for a Trail Blazers' one-zee for the little man. If you have a good lead on a Joel Przybilla away jersey in a size 0-3 months, please let me know.