I know, you thought "next time" was going to be a while. Ha! Fooled you. I just thought that, since the main purpose of this blog is to keep people updated on our growing family and since many of you haven't heard or seen anything (and since I'm a proud-as-a-peacock-parent), that I would give you the run-down on little Natey-Mac. (I also swore I wouldn't call him that...) After way too many hours of labor, Nathan McKay Shields was finally born at 5:28 pm on Saturday, August 9, 2008. Weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces, he was 21 inches long and surprisingly cute for a newborn. He was also surprisingly alert. If you'd like, you can take a peek at the video of him at 40 minutes old. He is, of course, adorable. He loves his daddy, and he loves to be sung to. He does get bored if you sing the same song more than about three times in a row, though. Too bad for me. You know, I thought I knew a lot of kid-appropriate songs, but every time I go to sing one, I discover that I've forgotten all but one line. Apparently I need to brush up on some childhood favorites. If anybody knows any good ones, help me refresh my memory. Actually, I found an awesome website that lists what must be every children's song ever sung, complete with lyrics, alphabetical index, and in some cases, the tune. You can even do a search for partial lyrics if you're like my and can't remember diddly. Speaking of diddly, here's the link, if anyone cares: http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/index.html. I appear to be rambling again. I probably shouldn't post when I'm tired (so, never?) so as to avoid that.

New to This

Wow, life is crazy - and amazing. Now if I could be amazing, instead of just crazy, maybe I could get it figured out... So, I swore up and down, backwards and forwards, that I would never be "one of those people," you know a blogger. Yet, here I sit, cross-legged on the floor with my baby snoring beside me, creating my first blog. So, bear with me, while I figure this out. What else is new? We just moved! For those of you who may need it, our new address is 456 E 100 N (#1) in Logan (84321). It's a great house with lots and lots of space. Lots. Technically, it's more space than we need right now, but it's the same price as our previous house and we're planning to be here long enough to use the extra space. Haven't finished moving in yet - still working on that. I'm having a hard time learning to balance a new baby with, frankly, anything else. (You know, eating, showering, doing the dishes, little things like that). I know it must be possible, because the rest of the world seems to manage just fine, but I evidently need a lot more practice. Or something. But, wow, I love my little boy! He is so much fun lately: kicking and smiling and trying to talk. He's become a lot more responsive and somehow even cuter than he was. I love watching him with Aaron - he's quite a Daddy's boy - who just adores him. Poor Aaron...he's wearing a lot of hats these days, and really only wants to wear the new dad hat. And maybe the doting husband hat? He's taking 17 senior engineering credits and is the Team Lead for the senior rocket project. He's also trying to work a job, start a business, help us get moved in, and take care of me and the baby. I'm so proud of him. I just wish I could do something more than pat him on the back, give him a kiss, and tell him "good luck." What a wonderful man I married. Okay, I'm obviously rambling now, so I'll draw this post to a close (wow, I'm "posting" now). Until next time...