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m e n ' s b a s k e t b a l l f e a t u r e : s t e r l i n g c a r t e r 'Rebirth' Carter motivated by daughter despite distance keeping them apart BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com birth," said Carter, a fifth-year senior at Purdue. "It was like a fairytale sort of thing." terling Carter was in awe. Capturing and When Carter held his newstoring moments born daughter for the first time deep in his mem— after hopping a plane for a ory wasn't only becross-country flight to Seattle for cause he wanted to her birth after his first Purdue basremember that day ketball game — every detail was forever but also becaptivating. cause he knew what The sprouting of her diffiwas coming. cult-to-control dark hair. Before Aria was born, Sterling The size of her fingers, so small Carter had made a decision: He they didn't seem real. would not be physically present for The way she'd stare back at him the first year or so of her life. with those dark eyes, unsure what Sterling Carter's daughter Aria was He needed to put an emphasis born at nearly 2 a.m. on Nov. 10. After to make of him. on his immediate future in order to The skin, ridiculously soft, beg- watching the birth and cutting the umbilical cord, he stayed up nearly all serve hers. ging to be caressed. So, with a bachelor's degree from night with her at the hospital and later The calm that emanated from changed her first diaper and helped give Seattle University already in hand, her, almost eerily, so much that a her the first bath. Carter opted for graduate school desire crept in to get a reaction, to with the opportunity to play baskethear her voice. ball at Purdue, 2,200 miles away from his little girl. He tried to stay up all night, studying her. "I'm not going to say it's easy being away because But at some point over the five hours after Aria it's not, but I've learned to sacrifice things. This is Olivia was born in the early morning of Nov. 10 until one thing that's been pretty hard to sacrifice, but the doctor came into the hospital room about 7 a.m., something I have to do," said Carter, who spent only Sterling Carter had fallen asleep. But upon being that day with Aria. "I just feel like me sacrificing this awoken, he was wired. little bit of time being here for a year or so, I feel It was time for his daughter's first bath. like it's going to help her in the long run, help our It was time to change her first diaper, something relationship in the long run and help me be able to he said he was "a pro" at, after having been around provide for her in the long run." 17 nieces and nephews. Carter was enthralled with every moment, every Early stages movement, every sound. Sterling Carter gets pictures of Aria almost daily, His eyes could have gotten tired from the activity, and he video chats as much as he can, considering trying to absorb every feature, every characteristic of the three-hour time difference and Aria's tendency his baby girl. to sleep. A lot. "It was amazing. It made me have a feeling like I So the moments when he is able to Skype with hadn't, a new start to life. Her birth was like my re- Alissa Monheimer, Aria's mom, when Aria is awake S 64 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 3 f