Have You Seen This Boy?: It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas: Decorations and Preparations for Christmas Dec 2-8

Decorating!

With the addition of Connor to our family, we have to start getting "serious" about some holiday traditions. Since we're moving into December, that means we have to get serious with decisions for Christmas traditions. The first one being when to put up the Christmas tree and decorate for Christmas -- which we decided should be the first weekend in December.

Christian sporting his 北大 University (Peking
University) hoodie while showing off a
Christmas tree branch! Dec 2

And since it was going to be Connor's first Christmas, we wanted it to be ultra special!

One decision we don't have to face right now is whether or not to use a real or artificial Christmas tree because the only option in China is artificial. Being a bit thrifty, we used a Christmas tree left here by the previous foreign teachers.

Summer helps construct
the tree. Dec 2

On Dec. 2nd, "Summer", a girl that Christian tutors in English on Sunday mornings, helped us decorate. She'd never decorated a Christmas tree before and was a bit excited to help out.

After a bit of work we ended up with a -mostly- decorated room!

Our living room in the middle of decorating for Christmas. Dec 3

Our partially lit tree. Dec 4

But of course there were some flaws we'd need to work out! The tree was much taller than we had anticipated so we'd need to buy an extra string of lights.

Shopping was on schedule anyway because we needed to hit up "Auchan", a supermarket in town, to get some butter to make some test batches of Christmas cookies! Not every supermarket in town carries butter and / or cheese, but Auchan carries both. They are pricey because they are imported, but they are available.

Shopping!

More from outside Auchan. Also shows
some details of the winter coats. Dec 3

Kim and Connor at Auchan. Connor sound
asleep! We love the plaid interior of his hood. Dec 3

Connor is conked after shopping! Dec 4

After some amazing shopping trips, Connor arrives home sound asleep. Luckily we are able to easily take him out of the baby carrier without waking him up! Too bad getting his coat off without waking him up is out of the question!

Being able to shop at places like Auchan that offer cheese and butter make life in Wuhu very different from life in Jiaozuo. This city is more modernized and in part that means more creature comforts we are used to in life.

Cooking!

When we got home we got to work making cookies...

Christian working on a batch of cookies
Dec 3

Christian was the primary chef for the cookie making task.
Kim was the primary taster for the cookie tasting task.
Yum!

Later, Christian was rewarded with a nice grilled cheese sandwich!

You've become better at eating grilled cheese (79).
Dec 4

Connor

3 Month Updates!

Dec 7

December 6th was going to mark an important day in Connor's infant life. His 3 month birthday! We knew that along with the normal check ups, the doctors would be looking at Connor's progress with lifting his head so we'd been working on that skill with him a lot.

He'd really been making great progress, but sometimes when he couldn't hold his head up anymore, he'd get too frustrated to continue any kind of exercise and need to be calmed down. (See last post's photo captioned "Tummy Time Uh-oh")

Practicing Holding Up his Head: Dec 3

We were very happy when, at his appointment he was able to show off his head lifting skills in full effect.

Connor at the doctor's office on his 3
month birthday! Dec 6

We actually got a photo of him at the check up doing a great job!

Stats at 3 month look great!
Weight: 6.6kg - 14.55pounds - between 50th and 75th percentile
Height: 63.6cm - 25inches - in 75th percentile

Right on target, just a little bit long!

Massage!

A few posts ago we mentioned that we give Connor a massage every morning. For completion sake, here are some awesome shots of a massage in action!