Big Boy

Big Boy (said in the voice from the cell phone commercial). This is what we call Carter.

He is officially 12 weeks old.



This was Carter at 1 Week Old.



12 Weeks Old is not the same as 3 Months Old. We have 5 more days until that. I'm a bit in denial...this whole growing up thing makes me sad.

He grows and changes every day. Sometimes it is subtle and I don't realize it until I look back through pictures. But some changes are drastic and seem to happen over night.

I love life. And I love savoring each moment and stage along my life. I try to find joy in the little things and appreciation in moments that won't last forever. Well, raising and loving a baby is so fulfilling but I find it almost impossible to stretch each little moment.

I love smooching his super soft skin.
I love his sweet smell of milk and baby powder.
I love the adorable sounds he makes
and knowing the difference between excited, silly, content, tired and hungry tummy.
I love his little crooked toe.
I love his fuzzy hair and bald patches.
I love the red "stork bite" on the back of his head
and how it gets redder when he is upset.
I love how determined he is to sit up and crawl.
I love his chubby legs and how they are getting chubbier.

As Carter grows up these little things will go away and be replace by new lovable features and characteristics. But right now, this is how I'm savoring these moments...and I LOVE it!

Easter Stash

The Easter Bunny paid a little visit to the McCoy household...via the United States Postal Service.

This fun package arrived for little Carter, filled with books, toys and clothes!

Lucy was just like a child while we were opening the package. She was so curious, right in my face, wanting to sniff everything. Then she laid down in the middle of everything and of course, thought it all was for her.



Here is Carter with his stash! He is loving his new books and trying to chew on the buddy rabbit. (I'm sure Lucy will find a way to make this her's soon enough.)





Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!

NOT PICTURED: Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies and Starburst...they were already eaten. Embarrassing, I know.

Livin' Like a Celeb

Sometimes in China...wait, Many times in China, as a foreigner, you are approached by Chinese who want to take a picture with you. Often, they hand off their baby to snap a picture of you and the little one. I'm sure it goes straight into the baby book "First Foreigner Photo."

I like to think it is because they are in awe of my beauty. Or think I am a celebrity. (kidding) In reality, I'm sure it is just because they think I look weird with my bright orange hair!

Well, on our recent trip to Shanghai. John was hit by the paparazzi. We thought this grown man was offering to take a picture of Carter and Daddy on his first train ride. NOPE. He wanted a picture with John all for himself.

Take a look at how awkward this photo is! (they always are.)



Do you get close? Do you put your arm around their shoulder? Throw the piece sign up? Or just keep them by your side?

John was a good sport and the two became fast friends. John practiced his Chinese with the man until the conversation too became awkward with this question "How much money do you make each month?"

Hmm.....

"Not enough." Quick save John!

And I leave you with Carter. Into the baby book:



"First Train Ride!"

WARNING: Explosive Poop Pictures

When you become a parent, there seems to be a strange obsession with bodily functions. Every few hours, you open your child's diaper hoping to find it wet, or REALLY wet. When it isn't, you keep a watchful eye on that baby until you witness signs of some type of movement in that direction.

Well, last week, Carter was wet at each diaper. However, for 4 days straight he was never REALLY REALLY wet. 4 days. 4 DAYS!! In that amount of time, we had anxiously waited and opened each diaper with anticipation.

Apparently this is normal at his age. BUT we desperately wanted to see some poop in that diaper!!!

Well on the night of the fourth day, after a full belly, he seemed super relaxed on mommy's lap. And then, I noticed a sudden wetness all over my lap. When I lifted him up, I noticed the deed had been done....and it was ever where! It was on mommy and all over Carter.

All over his back....





And down his legs to his feet. As you can see, this happy baby doesn't seem to mind at all!

We rushed him into the tub and cleaned up that messy baby!



He was so happy afterward that he did his happy jig.



Then relaxed before bedtime!

There's No Stopping Him

This is how we found Carter yesterday morning. He is supposed to be wrapped like a burrito in this thing!!


(I snuck him into our bed for a bit. Bad mommy!)

Notice the legs and arms are out. This clearly took a lot of work. I don't know how I didn't hear any of this. Especially since he grunts 24/7 and his bed is right next to ours.



I wish I had a camera set up to watch the escape in action.

Got Milk?

We're Baaaack!

It has been way too long and way too much has happened in the mean time.

Last time I blogged Carter looked like this...


This was the day of my 41 WEEK appointment...and much to my surprise, the day the doctor said Carter MUST come out.


He is now 7 weeks old and looks like this...


So much has obviously happened in between these two pictures.

-Carter arrived on January 16, 2010 after an emergency induction, followed up 9 hours later by an emergency C-Section.
-Carter's Grandma and Grandpa Van Sickle came for a visit!
-We moved from Shanghai to Nanjing.
-Carter outgrew his New Born clothes.
-He began to smile.
-He lost a ton of hair and it is slowly growing back.
-He has gained 4 lbs since birth, weighing in at a hefty 11.7 lbs.

and the MOST current news...

his latest trick