Little Bear Goes To China

Little Bear is such an easygoing, outgoing, happy guy and has done so well adjusting to life here. He is eating up all the attention he gets. And when nobody is paying attention, he will shout and wave his arms to try to get it.

We do a lot of walking, so he gets to ride in the stroller a lot. He loves it when he can hold someone's hand. It makes it a little harder to navigate the crowded streets, but it's so sweet!

His favorite way to get around

Proud Mama moment: Seeing my baby wave and say "how" (his version of Chinese hello)

Look Who's One Year Old!

 Happy Birthday Little Bear!

Yes, Little Bear is one year old now. It's hard to believe that it's been a year since we brought him home. He has brought amazing joy and challenge to our lives. Was he really just this little?

Why Turning One Is Awesome:

You get to ride in the car facing forward!

You can eat honey without dying of botulism.

(there wasn't actually any honey in his cake, but isn't he cute? :) 

So What Has The One-Year-Old Been Up To?:

 

Exploring the world

Playing with toys

Playing with shoes

Going fishing

Reading books

Climbing stairs! 

Trying to be like daddy (he put it on himself!)

Playing outside

Have Baby Will Travel

Little Bear has spent the entirety of his little life traveling the States while we raise support to move overseas. He is an MK through and through. 

Little Bear loves people. And everybody loves a chubby baby! Everywhere we go, people stop and talk to him and he just eats it up. One black lady in Georgia even stopped her vehicle in the middle of the parking lot to roll down her window and sweet talk to the cute white baby.  He is a great conversation starter whether we are at a meeting, out shopping, or eating at a restaurant. Even though he is less than a year old, he has already added a whole new dimension to our ability to reach out to others.

Hugging a new friend in Tennessee.

I get asked all the time, "How well does he travel?" Well, he's a baby. That being said, I think he does pretty good in the car. Maybe I'll do another post sometime about traveling with a baby and share some tips that I've found make it easier.

We don't normally let him watch movies, but in the car Baby Einstein is a lifesaver!

We always have a stroller with us in the back of the van. Thankfully he loves strolling around because he is way too heavy to carry around very long! He may look fluffy, but those rolls are dense.

Cruising around, seeing new places.

We eat out a lot. It's an unhealthy but necessary part of our life. Our favorites: Chipotle and Chick-fil-a.

Munchin' on nuggets and fries at Chick-fil-a, Yum!

I love it that he gets to play with all kinds of new toys all the time. Every nursery he visits has a whole new set!

Exploring a new toy bin. Literally. He is chewing on it.

Miracle Baby

Bring out the party hats, my baby is nine months old!

Can it really be that just one year ago I was waddling around feeling excited to be finally in my third trimester of pregnancy? And then about four years later I finally went into labor. Haha. Not really, but that's sure what it felt like. After three years of marriage and a miscarriage, I felt like I had waited so long for a baby. We are so thankful for our sweet Little Bear. He truly is a miracle and a gift from our Father.

Little Bear: happy, laid back, observant, cautious

Favorites: anything outside, singing, people, bath time

I love how he's curling up his toes because of the tickly plants.

"My island!"

He is smiling and squealing just watching the water.

Loves his daddy!