Nicholas 18 month - 1.5 year old

Not quite a baby not quite a toddler.  I still call him the baby, more than I call him Nicholas.  I guess that is what he will always be.  Our baby, our last baby.  This time with him is oh so sweet.  All the things that were mildly annoying with the older boys as babies seem funny and somewhat enjoyable.  Maybe I've matured, or am more mellow, or maybe I am finally understanding the gig of being a parent.  Whatever the deal we are thoroughly enjoying raising this kiddo as a family. 

This past Sunday we reached the 18 month mark.  Monday Nicholas had his 18 month appointment.  He is up to date on his vaccinations but still needed a flu shot.  Only one stick.  Nicholas fared better than Andrew who also had a doctors appointment.  Andrew received his 12 year old vaccinations and left with 3 sticks, 1 flu mist.  Not too fun.

Milestones:
Nicholas weighed in at 28.6 lbs and is 33 inches long.  His vocabulary is growing by the day.  He tries to say almost every word he hears and mimics the boys constantly.  He can point out most of his body parts. He still loves to dance and his dance moves are hilariously improving.  Along with the dancing he is also enjoying singing and knows certain words in songs and sings them loudly when he hears them.  He is an excellent eater, in fact I am amazed at how much food he can pack away.  I guess this explains the numerous messy diapers that need to be changed.  He loves his routine, night time baths and teeth brushing. He is fond of the electric toothbrush.  He has also discovered and is entertained by certain TV shows.  Among them are Elmo (Sesame Street) and Curious George.

Side note: He has discovered what I am doing when I bring out the camera.  I knew this day would come and it's become increasingly harder to get a still photo of him.  These shots will have to do.

China - final post

I had a a really great experience in China this year.  Here are a few more random shots from the trip.  I ended up snapping over 1500 hundred photos on my phone alone.  I haven't even downloaded the shots from my canon.

I leave you with some HUMOR
It was difficult not to be amused by the creativity of the Chinese people and their culture differences.  Often I found myself smiling...

Notice the flattening technique employed at this factory. Can I have my product flattened by your rear end?

These taped up hair dryers that are meant to dry small areas of paint are also an act of genius.

China - the food

Dining in China is an experience filled with lots of wonder.  Lucky for us Steve handled most of our ordering whenever we ate.  Most vendors took us to 5 star restaurants. Food preparation and presentation at these restaurants is very important in China.  As Steve told us the reason most of the food comes out with the head still attached is to demonstrate that is is fresh and was just killed.  Good to know. Also important to note with the seafood it is important that you choose what you want prepared from the fish tanks.  Pretty much anything you would see at an aquarium is fair game.  Turtles, string rays, eels, octopus, squid, you name it.

Most meals are served family style around a large table.  All meals are eaten with chopsticks.  Tea is typically the only beverage served.  We all requested waters and cokes with every meal and I am sure this was deemed strange.

My favorites: Cabbage & pork,  noodles, steamed rolls, dumplings and shrimp.
I avoided: turtles, pigeon, chicken feet, squid, frog legs, and the like.

China - random views

It seemed our views changed quite often and each view so different from the next.  Here are some various shots from our many hotel rooms (8 in total) as well as factories and roadside.