Ezra at Two

Ezra turned two years old in June.  I love this age and I LOVE this boy!  Ezra is full of smiles, giggles, playfulness, and snuggles!  He loves his family and playing with other kids.  He loves animals, balls, books, music, and the outdoors.

At his 2-year check-up Ezra weighed 30.5 lbs (90th%), and was 33.5 inches high (45th%).

Since Ezra received this toy mower for his 2nd birthday, every time David went out to mow this summer Ezra would exclaim, "Uh mow!" and run out there and mow, too.

Ezra thinks everything about his big brother is the coolest, and is elated whenever Eli includes him in things.  Eli's official uniform while at home is his Pokemon pajama shorts without a shirt.  For a couple weeks when I'd dress Ezra in the morning he'd declare at me, "Uh Eli!"  (meaning he wanted to be without a shirt just like Eli, haha!  I obliged a few times.  :)

This cutie boy is OBSESSED with balls, and especially fond of baseball!  I'm not sure how or when it started, but he just sort of took off with calling everything a ball and throwing it (not a fun game), and also using his hand as a bat and picking up random objects and swinging his hand into them like a bat/ball.  We have a t-ball set, which he liked using sometimes, but he really did just love using his hand as a bat!  Funny kid!

His latest hobby has been wearing socks on his hands to use them as mitts, then he throws the balls around the house..  He'll run to me intermittenly for a high-five between throws.  :)

Ezra had a rough time with boo-boos throughout the summer.  He developed a staph infection and got several boils!  On his arm, legs, sometimes stomach/groin area.  Just awful!  The doctor recommended bleach baths and they helped to heal the sores and keep them away for a while.  Poor guy!

One day we were visiting the Carmel library during one of their "Imagination Station" days, so there were more creative play activities around, including dress-up wear.  I was searching for books while Clara and Ezra were happily playing dress-up.  I had told them we were ready to go and they came running (a bit wound up and excited).  Ezra had a funny pizza hat on his head.  It must have slipped down over his eyes while he ran because I watched him run past me and smacked right into a standing bookcase (nothing else was around it).  It was surreal!  I was right there and still couldn't seem to figure out what just happened.  He started crying really hard and I ran to him.  He had hit his eye pretty bad into the shelf.  It looked terrible for a week, all black and blue and very swollen with a small cut at the top.  We took a picture after a few days so you can kind of tell how it was.

Ezra plays so well at home.  He easily entertains himself and it is amusing to watch how his brain works.  :)

 Dr. Ezra pulling a splinter out of Mommy's hand!

Ezra is a naturally energetic and curious little fellow (like most 2-year-olds).  But he's also the best snuggler!  He's always loved to be held and calms down very fast if he's upset about something and gets picked up.  He plops that thumb in his mouth (often with his blankie) and all is right again in the world!

This boy can EAT!  He always seems to be scavenging for more food!  He likes most everything and eats well (though of course he occasionally prefers just chucking his food across the room and making a huge mess in his high chair (Any chance to throw he will take it.  EVERYTHING counts as a ball to him, which means everything can be thrown!).  He's also super strong!  We call him "Baby Hulk."  From a very young age we've been amazed at his ability to open heavy doors and just be such a tough (but tender) little guy!  Several months ago he learned how to open the front door and the fridge.  David added another lock high up on the door.  The fridge...well, he's always in there!  :)

Best personality!  I'd give him a 98% for his happiness and cheerfulness levels.  He is almost always in a terrific, easygoing mood. 

For awhile the dryer was becoming a favorite hangout.

It's so good for kids to have other children around and learn social skills.  Ezra has recently begun to occasionally push or hit others.  (Hitting pretty much just for his siblings who do things that understandably upset him.  Pushing other little kids.)  It's interesting to watch how he interacts with other children.

They initiated putting on all this jewelry themselves!

Ezra's in that very fun age of LOVING dress-up and imaginative play.  He puts good use to all of our dress-up gear.

That pink gown is one of his very favorite dress-up items to wear, hahaha!

I think Ezra talks better than the other two did at his age, though his speech is still delayed quite a bit.  He puts together short sentences or phrases in the cutest voice!  Sometimes we can't understand him (like when he says "budge," we still don't know what he means!) but we usually figure it out.
After Clara's 5th birthday at a pony farm, he called himself "Buddy neigh" for months after.  ('Buddy' was the name of the pony he rode on.  :)  I love when Ez is really into telling a story and his eyes get big and very animated.  When he has a lot to say you often can't understand what he's saying because he'll start talking too fast.  But boy is it cute!

One thing you will always hear him saying is "Readg more budg," translated to mean, "Read more books." Or "Readg more ories!" Ha!  He can easily sit for hours being read to.  He absolutely adores it!  And he spends quite a bit of time looking back through the books we've read on his own.  He LOVES re-reading books he enjoys, so it's a very good thing we've got new stacks of library books each week to mix it up!

One phrase I often hear from him is "Edge me my mommy!" ('edge' means 'hold.')  He takes such comfort in snuggles!  Between the three kids, I think he's most loved being held.

Naps are pretty random these days.  I always put him down but he often only sleeps 2-3 days of the week.  He happily goes down for his nap and will be quiet for 10-20 minutes, but then generally starts talking loudly or getting upset.  Bedtime is still easy-peasy and he won't make a peep for 12-13 hours.

Writing this at age 2 1/2 now, and his recent favorite toys are Eli's old rescue bot transformers, Heatwave and Bumblebee!  He makes a funny-sounding low raspy voice as he plays with them.  :)  I was so proud of him.  The other day when we had some kids over to play a 4-year-old boy asked me where the transformers were.  Ezra had them at the piano with him and was leaning over them, as a way to show that HE was playing with those toys.  I went over to ask Ezra if he'd let the other boy play with them.  At first he shook his head no.  Then I kindly told him that the other boy would just like to play with them while he's here and then he can give them back when he leaves.  Ezra said okay and gave me the toys.  I thought it was such a mature moment of kindness in sharing!

If music is playing you can expect to see Ezra dancing!  But the time when he REALLY shakes his stuff  is when he gets undressed!  What little one doesn't love the freedom that comes with being naked?!  

Here's a little video to show off some of that boogie:

Life is so much better with this little boy!