Ezra 11-16 months

As much as I wish I could stay on top of the blog, there always seems to be other demands on my time that have to come first.  I hate having so much time passing before I get to post because then I forget so much more!  Being months behind on posting means these upcoming posts are going to be large collections!

These first three photos were David's taken with film, back in May.

12 month check-up:

Height: 30 1/2 inches (55%)
Weight: 22 lbs. 8 oz. (35%)

15-month check-up:

Height: 31 1/2 inches (50th%)
Weight: 24 lbs. (45th%)

Diapers: Size 4
Clothes: 12 Months, Tshirt tops 18 months
Teeth: At 1st birthday he had 8 teeth (4 top, 4 bottom).  1-year molars arrived about 13 months, top canines about 14 months, bottom canines cutting at 15 months.
Nicknames: Ez. Ezzie, Ezra-Bear
Likes: Being tickled, playing peek-a-boo, being outside, eating, and animals
Dislikes: Diaper changes, being stuck in the car when it's not moving (like we have to do at preschool pick-up/drop-off), loud noises
Foods: Ezra has a great appetite and rarely turns his nose up at food.  He especially loves fruits such as bananas, strawberries, and watermelon.  One of his favorite games is throwing the food off his high chair.  It drives me crazy.  But lately he's been learning how to pick up his food that he's finished with and put it back on his plate, which is a much better alternative than me picking it all off the floor.

I weaned Ezra at 13 months.  Even though I only kept one feeding at the end (right before bed), it was still rough to stop nursing.  I was pretty engorged and hurting, and also felt a lot of nausea and just crummy-feeling.  I read that weaning can feel similar to early pregnancy and it was definitely true this time.  Ezra took to weaning well.  It's weird for me to think that breastfeeding is over for me, forever!  I mostly thought it was a big pain, but it also makes me a little sad to think of no more babies in our home.

Sorta have to embrace the messes around here.  Toddlers LOVE making messes!

Not quite walking here, and the paved spot was so slippery with his little shoes!

So cute the way crawlers get around without actually having to have their knees touch uncomfortable things.

Ezra started walking right after he turned one.  It feels like there was barely a learning period.  Once he figured it out he just took off!  He's great on his feet, loves to run and climb (can get on the couch and coffee table and now at 16 months is OBSESSED with climbing onto the kitchen chairs or even the kitchen table!).  He does fall down (or fall into something) fairly often since he's a rather off-kiltered toddler.  He's a pretty tough guy, though it terrifies me!  I'm going to have to tie down my kitchen chairs or I'll be spending every second of my day pulling him off of them.

Video of Ezra as a new shaky walker:

We call Ezra our "little puppy."  He is 100% as sweet as can be, but he has biting tendencies.  Not with the intent to hurt, but sometimes when we're holding him he will attempt to bite our shoulders or chest.  He occasionally will come walk over and try to nibble my feet while I'm standing, ha!  Another reason we think of him as our puppy is that he LOVES to carry around shoes!  He also recently began eating the food off his highchair with his mouth instead of his hands, just like a dog.  Funny boy!

Even though Ez enjoys his freedom to explore while walking around, he LOVES to be held.  As soon as he gets picked up his thumb pops right into his mouth, it's the cutest thing!  He loves to lay his head on my chest or come up and give me "pats" (I call them 'love pats,' his little hugs).  He doesn't often care to be held if we're out somewhere (though he never fights it if he gets picked up), it's mostly just at home that he wants to be held a lot.  Even if it's just a minute for a snuggle, he loves to find me and connect.  Ezra attached himself to a very thin, small white receiving blanket with light gray stars.  He makes a giddy little giggle when he's fussing and finds his blankie to hold.  It really does the trick!  But unfortunately I just have one and he won't take a single other blanket, not even one that looks and feels VERY similar.

Video of playing peek-a-boo--

For so long Ezra only liked books for helping to aid him in finding relief for his teething pain.  These days, however, he absolutely adores being read to.  It is so cute when you say "Story time!" and he runs right over to snuggle and read, then once the book ends he gets down and hands you another.  :)  He learned quickly that we are a book-reading household!  Whenever he sees a picture of a dog in a book he starts bouncing up and down excitedly.  He is CRAZY about dogs!  He loves to say "woof woof!" whenever he sees a dog, although hearing them bark absolutely terrifies him to the point that he will freeze and cry in fear (even if it's just hearing the bark with the dog not in sight.)w

Ezzie definitely has a mischievous test-the-limits streak in him.  Some of his favorite hangouts are behind the television (generally only when the kids are watching a show, which makes Eli so frustrated); in the toilet (he learned how to lift the lid up himself, eeek!), in the trashcan (he apparently thinks of it like another pantry, always looking for food in there); and at the bathroom sink (to play in the water).  He thinks it's hilarious to be "chased," when I run after him at the library or wherever we are, as he turns around and runs the opposite way, giggling.  He's also become a little helper, too, as he is finding it fun to pick up and hand me things, or help put things in boxes or on a table, etc.

It's so amazing how smart kids are at such a young age and how much they totally understand!  I love that even though Ez can't talk yet (says "mama, "dada," "woof," "bah (bye/ball)," "yah (yeah)), he very much gets what I say to him and responds accordingly.

Sleep: Once Ezra was weaned he finally started sleeping through the night!  Woo hoo!!  He sleeps at least 12 hours/night, 7-7:30ish.    He was taking two naps for a long time, but for the last two-three months or so it's been a struggle for him to get both of those naps.  He would often not sleep and talk/cry for one nap.  Too often he just wouldn't sleep in the morning, but if he did then he wouldn't sleep in the afternoon (even if it was hours later and his first nap wasn't very long).  I grew tired of the back-and-forth and being on a different schedule every day.  So about a month ago I stopped putting him down for a morning nap and he gets put down in the afternoon about 1:00.  I hoped he would take a really good long one nap, but it varies.  Sometimes he'll sleep 2 hours, sometimes just one hour.  Nap or no nap, he seems to get fussy and cranky at 5:00 p.m. no matter what.  He picks up on my stress of dinner prep, a quick attempt-to-clean frenzy, and even though he's eaten a late-afternoon snack, he is always WAY past ready for dinner!

Ez really enjoys other kids, especially babies.  He doesn't shy away from others, and enjoys play and attention from others.  He generally will let anyone hold him, and likes to give sweet hugs to other littles.  :)

Enjoying stories

With his lovey blankie!

Earlier in the summer when we were going through popsicle packs weekly, Ezra enjoyed sharing his first with Daddy.  It didn't take him long to figure out how to eat them himself, and now he definitely understands when the kids ask for a popsicle, and he runs right to the fridge.  :)

Cute video of Ezra eating a popsicle on his own:

Boxes make such great toys!

Eli being sweet and showing Ezra his beloved Pokemon cards.

Eli is a boy who gets annoyed rather easily and always wants things the way HE wants them.  So it's a special moment when he wants to play with his siblings.  I enjoyed watching these cute boys playing together in the kitchen.  (Stirring and mixing were Eli's favorite activities as an older baby.  Ezra is too busy of a toddler to sit with one thing for more than a few minutes.)

Ezra LOVES wearing hats!  He gets such a kick out of playing dress-up. and especially enjoys the myriad of hats we have around the house.  I thought it was hilarious when he found Clara's pioneer bonnet and wanted to put it on, haha!

He also very much loves baby dolls (only the bald ones, though).  It is so sweet to watch him carry them around lovingly.  

Ezra thinks it's fun to try to sneak onto his older siblings' chairs while they are watching shows.  "Watch me instead!" he seems to say.

Peek-a-boo at the park :)

LOVES slides!

Ezra is such a fan of his siblings.  Lately Eli's been enjoying Ezra some more and Ezra loves to play with him and snuggle up to him.

Clara always has LOTS of love to give to Ez.  A little too much love sometimes, as she can be prone to practically squeeze the air out of him.

He likes to wear this pumpkin cookie cutter around as a bracelet, haha!

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS climbing the kitchen chairs (and then onto the table) now.  And chewing crayons, like in this picture.

I love this set of pictures and Ezra's different behaviors in them.  He was holding his baby while eating in his high chair.  I was trying to get his picture and he was smiling for me but I kept catching his blink.  The second one shows how he was sweetly sharing his food with his baby.  And the last is a a loving cuddle with his baby.  So precious!

Being silly with the dr. glasses!

We sure love this very sweet, goofy, smiling boy!  Gotta treasure the moments with him.  He's growing in the blink of an eye.