Ezra's 18 Month Recap

Has it really been six months since I did Ezra's one year update?! He has grown and changed so much since then makes it hard to believe it's only been six short months! Nevertheless, he is still my darling little cuddlebug and just as cute and sweet as ever. :)

He has covered quite a few milestones since the last update, and this will be quite a long detailed entry to try and capture as much as I can remember.

Let's start with the stats from the doctor's office for both his 15 and 18 month appointments:

15 Months (appt was on Dec 16, so closer to 16 mos old)
Weight: 26lbs 1oz - that puts him in the 50-75%. (Gained 3lbs from August)
Height: 34in - off the chart! (Grew 2.25in)
Head: 18.5 inches

18 Months
Weight: 27lbs, 10oz (up 1 lb 9 oz from Dec) which puts him in the 75%.
Height: 33in (yes, it looks like he shrank an inch, but the 15mo measurement was probably inaccurate) - that puts him in the 75%!
Head: 19 inches - again in the 75%.

He has been very comfortably wearing 18mos sized clothing since close to his first birthday, and he just moved out of regular size 5 shoes into Converse size 6. I don't think it will be long before I move him into 24mos/2T clothes!

Ok, let's hit up the milestones, shall we?

• Ezra walks like a champ. When motivated he can move quite quickly! Falling flat on his face is no deterrent if it means something like the opportunity to climb the stairs! He has recently discovered the fun in pulling along toys on wheels behind him. He is also getting very good at walking backwards. He isn't running quite yet, but I'm sure it won't be long before he has that mastered too!
• Still holding steady at 4 teeth. Two top front and two bottom front. Those first two that came in were the top pair, and they made their grand entrance in September.





First teeth!



• He self-weaned from breast feeding in October at 14 mos old. We were down to one to two feedings a day and for a few days he simply refused to nurse. So I took that to mean he was done. For a few weeks to follow, he would occasionally try to lift my shirt looking to nurse (usually only in the morning when Brian would bring him into our room which was part of the old routine for him), and I would remind him that he was all done nursing. Sometimes he would get upset and other times he just moved on to something else. Part of me was sad to see nursing him end and to not have recognized those few final nursing sessions as being just that. But at the same time it is refreshing to have my body back to myself after 4 years of pregnancy + nursing.
• He also kicked the bottle habit shortly after weaning. He started refusing bottles at nap time, so I switched him over to a sippy cup, and he was much happier. It has been kind of nice no longer having to worry about having clean bottles available and freeing up cabinet space.
• Within the last month or so Ezra has started making clearer words. And on Feb 18th, he was saying "hi" all day long. Before that, you could sometimes get him to parrot back mama or dada. And at other times, it almost sounded like he was saying things like "here you go" clear as day. I think he is working hard on mimicking sounds and words though. He certainly "says" plenty in his own little babbling language, and often he'll repeat the same series of sounds to you when asked. I just have no idea what he is actually saying! :) He also says "bong" for the bell in a book and "ding dong" for the chimes on a doorbell/house toy.

Videos of Ezra Talking


• He is also signing more things. He signs milk, bath, more, book, waves goodnight/goodbye, and blows kisses. I think there may be a few more, but I can't remember at the moment.
• He is still very much a mama's boy which (most of the time) I think is the most precious thing. He lights up when he sees me, and is often my little shadow. He gets upset when he is forced to stay in the playroom while I am working in the kitchen (much to Caiden's chagrin), and he gives me the biggest hugs when I come back and pick him up. He is also very hesitant to leave my side when we go different places. I have learned that he needs extra time warming up and do my best to keep him close until he starts feeling more comfortable.





Somebody does NOT like Santa Claus!

• Speaking of hugs, he is the cuddliest most snuggly little guy on the planet. I love rocking with him at nap time and bedtime because he is so content to just lay over my shoulder and let me cuddle and kiss him to my heart's content. We often play little games, and I love making him giggle and laugh during these times. I often call him my little cuddle bug.
• He also still enjoys being carried around and seeing what is going on at "big people levels." I think if he had his way, he'd be carried around all day long. :) He also likes to sit on my lap whenever possible. Often I'll just sit on the floor, and he'll bring over toys or books and hang out in my lap. I am making sure to enjoy those opportunities as much as I can!
• We have finally moved into that magical period of coordinated naps. Around Thanksgiving, the stars aligned and we were able to shift his bedtime from 6pm to 8pm. Fortunately he started sleeping in later as well and gets up between 7:30 and 8:30am. This has allowed me to push his nap to the afternoon (usually around 1pm), and he usually naps for 2-3 hours. Caiden also naps in this window, and I adore having a break and time to myself in the afternoons. It appears to be a very healthy sleep schedule for him as he is usually in a pretty good mood for much of the day.
• He has been eating like a champ. I swear these boys are going to blow out our food budget! :) He has oatmeal, fruit and some O's for breakfast. For lunch he has been happy with grilled cheese, banana, more fruit and veggie straws. Some days he enjoys an after nap snack, and dinner usually involves sweet potato plus whatever else we're eating that night. He doesn't appear to have any allergies to any foods either. We haven't been able to be as aggressive about limiting his sugar intake as we were with Caiden. It was pretty easy to hide the sweets from Caiden when he was this age, but now he gets to eat those things more often and Ezra often wants demands some of what Caiden is eating. I still try and limit the sweets, but he does get to enjoy them from time to time.
• Ezra has learned how to throw some wicked temper tantrums. They are almost humorous to watch (at this age anyway!). When he first started throwing them a couple months ago, Brian thought he had hurt himself and wondered what all the commotion was about. He was shocked to learn this was just one of Ezra's soon to be many temper tantrums! His tantrums often take the form of a boo boo lip accompanied by tears and an angry cry. When he really gets going, he'll fold himself in half (if standing) so that his hands and head are also resting on the floor. Sometimes he goes into all out stretched-out-on-the-floor-on-his-belly tantrums. He is generally distracted out of them by either getting focused on something different or (in extreme cases) getting what he wants.
• He absolutely loves climbing the stairs. Boy was he ever furious when he discovered the safety knob we had to install on the stairwell door to prevent him from unsupervised climbs! All I have to do is ask him if he wants to go upstairs and he makes a beeline straight for the stairway! Heaven forbid if something is in his way! LOL!
• He is very particular about closing doors and gates. Whenever he spies one that is open he makes it his personal mission to make sure it is closed right up. 
• He absolutely loves playing with gadgets and electronics. His favorites include remote controls, phones, and cell phones. With the phone, he'll often walk around with it next to his ear. So cute! I have to often keep an eye on my purse or pocket as he'll pluck my phone right out before I know it!
• He has really gotten into books. For nap/bedtime, we must absolutely have his two favorites on hand: The Best Nest and In A People House. He will seek those out as soon as we get into his room. And those are the first things he asks for when he wakes up. In fact, one of his first understandable words/sounds was "bong" for the bell in The Best Nest. From our library downstairs, his top books are Gossie & Gertie, Ollie, Brown Bear Brown Bear, Baby Colors, What Does Baby Say, and You Are My Sunshine. I absolutely love spying him sitting down with a pile of books and looking through each one of them.
• Ezra and Caiden are getting better and better about playing with each other. Sometimes Caiden is a bit rough or not in a sharing mood and in those instances, there are tears from both of them. But when they are happily playing together it is the sweetest thing. I love peeking in on them and just observing them interact with one another. Caiden often calls him "buddy" and often asks for Ezra to keep him company in the playroom. Ezra likes playing with Caiden's toys, and I think as he gets older they're going to have even more fun playing together. Just the other day, I caught Ezra grabbing Caiden's hand and pulling him around the room. It just fills me with such joy to hear them laughing and giggling together. Those are definitely the good days. :)





Playing with Daddy's old toys at Grandma & Grandpa's house






Boys in the bath






Caiden sharing his pear with Ez

• Once or twice a month, I'll leave Ezra with Caiden at Wednesday's Drop 'n' Play at the park district. Initially he is very upset that I am leaving, but about two minutes after I've left, he is a happy camper. It's nice that he gets to socialize with other kids (while having his big brother around), and I get a little break too.
• We've also been working on reinforcing his interest in music. We did a session of Kindermusik (sadly the teacher was not very engaging) and then a session of Tot Rock. The Tot Rock classes were a lot of fun, and he seemed to really enjoy them. They have lots of fun songs and instruments, the teacher was fantastic with all the kids, and Ezra seemed to have lots of fun there. I look forward to taking him to more of those classes soon.
• He's gotten very good about cooperating with picking up toys and putting them away when asked. When he sees Caiden or Brian or me picking up toys or books and putting them away he gets in on the action as well.
• He is definitely at the age and the type of kid who freaks out when a parent changes something about themselves. Brian shaved his mustache and goatee off and Ezra was completely freaked out about it. Brian tried to pick him up right after he shaved and Ezra had a massive freak out. Full on silent shriek followed by a very loud and hard cry. I came upstairs shortly after and he totally clung to my legs and hid behind me whenever Brian got close. It took a few hours, but he finally got used to seeing Brian's new look and understood he was the same person.
• Overall, he's been pretty healthy. He's had a handful of colds with runny noses and a couple of rough nights' sleep, but in general nothing major. Fingers crossed that he finishes out the winter in the same manner!
• He had his first and second haircuts over the last six months. The first was in October at the same salon where Caiden had his first cut. He did pretty well and only got upset at the very end. I opted to have a less dramatic change and decided to keep his hair on the long side. He had his second cut in January and handled it like a champ!

Pre-haircut in October

During his first haircut

Goodness this has turned into a mighty long entry! Then again, there was six months worth of recapping to do, and at his age there is a lot of material to cover!! I tried to capture as much as I could without turning this into a novel. I hope I got it all! :) Let me leave you with one of my favorite videos and a cute picture of Ezra all dressed up for the snow.

Video of Ezra in the Bath

Our little man in the snow

Cookie Monster

Ezra was very excited to have his Valentine's Day treat! He wasn't completely sure what to make of it at first, and did lots of looking at the cookie and then looking at me and grinning. Eventually he decided to give it a taste and it wasn't long before it was all gone! :)

Little Hugger

I had some other photos planned for posting today, but then I captured this little gem on camera last night and its cuteness far surpassed anything else. :)

The Little Hugger

Vintage Post - Ezra Walks!

Wanna talk about behind on updates?! This one is, oh, 3 or 4 months old? His official first steps were on November 14th which was a few days before this video, but we didn't have the camera on hand. He spent a couple weeks tentatively walking between mom and dad, and by Dec 3, he was walking all over with lots more confidence. :)

 

Video of Some of Ezra's First Steps

One of my very favorite things are new walkers. I love all the bow-legged and stiff kneed cuteness of it! I also love the adorableness of watching him from behind.

Video of Ezra walking a couple weeks later

Video of the "Behind the Scenes" View

Moving Up

Notice anything different? If you realized that Ezra is sitting at the table and not in the blasted piece of crap annoying haaaaaaated high chair, then you win! :) He transitioned into Caiden's old booster chair this past weekend. I am SO happy to finally be rid of that most annoying item! I cursed it pretty much every day. :P

Ezra seems pretty happy in his new place at our table, too. Awww...now we're really a family of four as we sit around the table for dinner. :)

Headbanger in Training

Ezra had me cracking up over this! So glad I could capture this on video! Now you can enjoy it too! :)

My Goodness - My Baby Ezra is 12 Months Old

Wow. Just wow. My baby is one year old already. It was nice in the middle there for awhile when it didn't seem like time was flying quite so fast. Then we moved to IL and suddenly time warped and here I am writing up Ezra's last monthly update. (Yes, this will be the last of the monthly updates. The next big update will be 18mos.) It hardly seems possible that he is already one. I want to share a comment one of my friends in Seattle made at her 2nd son's one year birthday party. She noticed that with child number two, you really see that they're still really babies at age one. At the time I was still pregnant with Ezra, so I didn't really understand. Now I totally get it. When your first child hits that milestone they seem like such a big kid. But really, you don't truly understand that isn't the case at all until you can see how young they really are at the tender age of one. It's kind of mind blowing and a little comforting all at the same time.

We had a little family celebration on Ezra's birthday. Ezra enjoyed his first cupcake. (Although he didn't eat nearly as much of it as I thought he would, and he really didn't seem to like the lemon butter cream frosting at first.) He didn't make a huge mess of himself, but he sure did like squeezing the cupcake in his hands! After that, we moved into the family room for presents. Big brother was a little overly helpful in the present opening, but Ezra kind of figured out how it all worked. Caiden "gave" Ezra some Matchbox cars (which C has since attempted several times to adopt as his own), and he got a water table (outdoor toy) and puzzle (which I was pleasantly surprised at how interested he was in it!) from Mom and Dad. He'll have a few more things to open from us at his party on Saturday. Grandma and Grandpa got him a cute outdoor water toy that attaches to the sprinkler. I can't wait for him to try both that toy and the water table this week!

We are looking forward to the big birthday party with family this weekend. We are especially excited that Ezra gets to meet his great-grandparents for the first time! It was a little strange celebrating his birthday with just us first and then having to wait for the party. With Caiden, we were able to celebrate with the big family party on his actual birthday and then we did our own little family thing a few days later. I hope he has fun on his big party day!

Unfortunately, Ezra's birthday also falls right around the start of school So that means getting him a doctor appointment for his one year checkup had to be delayed. So I don't have any official stats to post yet. I can tell you he is bigger and taller tho! LOL! He has been wearing 12 month clothes for awhile now and he is growing out of the shoes I bought him earlier this summer. (Why I bought him 3 pair of shoes all in the same size at this big sale is beyond me.)

ETA: As of 8.31.11
Weight: 23lbs, 2 oz (50-75%)
Height: 31.75in (95%)
Head: 18.75in (75-90%)

And now, let's get on with what Ezra's been up to this month!

• He'll routinely turn himself around in a full circle spinning on his bottom using his heels to propel himself. Makes me laugh every time!
• He loves to give kisses! Granted, they're presently open mouthed slobbery licks for the most part, but I still love that he will give kisses when asked. In fact, on his birthday I was playing with him on the floor, and he just kept on leaning over, taking out his paci and giving me kiss after kiss after kiss! Without my even asking for them! Melted my heart, it did.
• He suddenly adores books (YAY!). I've been concerned that I haven't been reading to him enough, and when I did, he wouldn't sit for long. Up to this point he'd be content looking thru some books and did generally like to be read to, but he didn't seem overly interested. But now that has all changed! His current favorites are Gossie & Gertie, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See, You & Me, Baby and pretty much anything with pictures of babies in it. He will find his favorites, bring them over to you, and sign for "more" after handing you the book. After you finish a book, he will request that you read these over and over and over. I love it!
  
  

  

  I love my  book!

  
  

  

  Will you read to me?

  
  

  

  More Gossie & Gertie please!

  
  

  

  I'm hungry for books!

  
  

  

  I am concentrating very hard

• Speaking of signing, He pretty much signs "more" for just about everything. I've been working on teaching him other signs, so we'll see how that goes.
  
  
  
• Ah sleep. My ever obsessive topic of discussion. His overnight sleep is great; he generally sleeps from 6pm to about 7am. His morning nap has been mostly good, but the afternoon nap has been a fight for the last 3-4 weeks. He'll take the afternoon nap about once a week, but otherwise he just skips it. He is pretty happy up in his crib while he is fighting his nap, but as a result of skipping it, he is exhausted by bedtime. We already had to move his bedtime up by 60-90 min to accommodate his lack of nap, but some days that gap is very long. He makes a game out of chucking his turtle, blanket and pacifier out of the crib and then complaining for them. No matter what we've tried, we can't seem to recover this nap. I am preparing to move him to one nap a day in the afternoons. It has quite honestly been driving me crazy, and I wind up feeling very defeated day after day of losing the nap battle. (I also don't get a break from the kids during the day as a result of him skipping that 2nd nap.)
• He still eats like a horse. I can hardly believe the amount of food he puts away. I think he eats about 2x as much as Caiden. He almost always cleans his plate, but he can be particular about eating food in a certain order if he sees something on the plate that he really likes. If you aren't fast enough with adding food to his tray after he signs for more, he lets you know just how impatient he feels about waiting with a loud shriek. Over the last couple of weeks, we've been feeding him the same dinner we're having. Up to this point, we'd occasionally share with him, but often we'd have to make something separate because of all the frustrating dietary restrictions that lift at the one year mark (e.g. tomatoes, and we have A LOT of tomato based dishes). So far of all the meals he's shared with us, he hasn't rejected much of anything! Some newer items he's enjoyed are: spaghetti and tomato sauce, taco casserole, salsa chicken, and some of our beef crock pot meals. It's been so nice not having to worry about preparing separate items for him! One thing I haven't been talking about for some reason is nursing. I am still breastfeeding him, tho his feedings are down to 2x a day. Once in the morning and again right before bedtime. He was nursing 3x a day up until about a week ago when we dropped the mid-day session. We'll be starting him on whole milk this week, but I'll keep nursing him as long as he wants to continue.
• He seems to have figured out the grass outside isn't so weird after all. Maybe it feels nice after crawling around on all the hardwood floors here. :P
• He has made quite a few strides (heh) in the walking dept. No independent steps yet, but he is much more confident in walking while holding on to the furniture or someone's hands. It's been fun walking him around the room or down the hall.
• He has become positively attached to his paci. It strikes me as so odd since he wanted nothing to do with one the first several months! It really has been a lifesaver at bed/nap time tho! I also made a very wise investment in a mesh bumper for his crib. He would often knock the paci out of his crib by accident and then wake up and cry when he couldn't find it. The bumper has totally solved that issue and has made for more restful night's sleep for baby and mom & dad!!

I think that covers most of the major highlights from the month. In case you were wondering, the first tooth remains elusive. I swear, at this rate we're going to wake up one morning and he'll have sprouted a full set of teeth!

I still can't believe I'm writing his 12 month entry. It hardly seems like that much time has already passed. I do look forward to seeing what kind of person he is going to be, I just don't want it to happen too quickly. :) So far he has such a lovable and cuddly personality. He's pretty laid back and often content to play on his own. He loves to be carried around and gives great snuggles. I love the huge grin he gives me whenever he sees me walk into his room. He is such a sweet little boy and I love him to pieces! :)

Here are the links to the latest photos for both Caiden & Ezra. (Sorry for so many blurry pictures. I'm learning how to use a new lens and it's been a little challenging.) And here are a few favorite shots. :)

SIP

Ahhhh....refreshing!

Happy 1st Birthday Ezra!!!!!

Happy Birthday to our sweet sweet little boy! It's been such a fun first year with you!! We love you very much!

Ezra at 11 Months

I can't believe my baby is 11 months old already. I felt like time was slowing down for a wee little bit awhile back, and then suddenly it just up and went warp speed on me! *sigh*

He's been a real trooper with the move back to IL. I was very pleasantly surprised at how well he adjusted to the new time zone. There were a few hiccups in the first week, but he transitioned very well. He had plenty of fun finding his way around Grandma & Grandpa Duchek's house, and of course what kid wouldn't love all the extra attention?! :) There has been no shortage of hugs and smooches for our little mister from all his adoring grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

One more month until I have updated stats on his height and weight, but suffice to say he is quite comfortable in 12 month clothes.

And no big surprise that I didn't keep much of a running log this month of his changes what with the move and all. So I'll have to wing it again to try and remember all the things he's up to these days!

• I'd say his biggest accomplishment this month has been pulling up and standing while holding on to something or someone. He is getting more and more confident in these skills, and I can hardly believe he is already at this stage!
  
  
  
• He is starting to do just a little bit of furniture walking or "cruising." He is still pretty hesitant here, but he has done a few steps here and there.
• He is positively zipping along on all fours! It's funny to see him kick it into high gear when he sees something (or someone) he wants!
• He knows how to wave bye bye or night night.
• He finally figured out how to sign for "more" and "all done," although his "more" sign is basically clapping.
• Ezra has started sharing his baths with Caiden. Some nights this goes better than others, but overall, they seem to enjoy each other's company.
  
  
  
• Ezra is definitely playing and interacting more with Caiden. Often times, Caiden is taking toys away from him, or somehow whacking him, but Ezra is very interested in what his big brother is up to. Some days Caiden seems to rather enjoy playing with him. One game he likes is to crawl around the house with Ezra.
  
  
  
  
  
• One of my favorite things is listening to Ezra and Caiden blow raspberries at each other in the car. What I like most about it is seeing (or hearing) Ezra respond to Caiden initiate this game.
• He has adjusted real well sleep-wise to the new house. He didn't sleep so well when he was away from Daddy tho! Most days he naps well, and bedtime has been real smooth. The only issue has been trying to deal with Caiden inadvertently waking him up in the morning.
• Ezra loves playing with Caiden's matchbox cars. I think he is so cute clutching a car in each hand. He also still likes emptying boxes and bins of their contents one by one.
  
  
  
• He likes to "share" his pacifier by trying to stuff it in your mouth. And he loves the game where you pretend to stick his pacifier in the wrong spot - on his cheeks, his nose, in his ear, etc.
• One thing he has discovered is trying to explore your teeth and mouth with his hands. When his nails are too long it hurts!!
• He really loves being outside and going for walks. He has been positively lighting up when we get outside. However, this nasty heat wave we've been stuck in has made this quite a challenge, so the poor kid has been stuck in doors most days.
• Often time, Ezra really wants to be held and see what's going on from the "big person's" perspective. I enjoy holding him and carrying him around, but sometimes it proves to be quite the challenge when I'm trying to do something like cook dinner!
  
  
  
• Ezra continues to be the black hole at mealtime. Such a voracious appetite! He devours his sweet potato along with just about anything else you put down in front of him. Things he doesn't like so much wind up tossed on the floor.
  
  
  
• He totally cracks us up when he's working on a poop. He makes the funniest expressions and sounds ever!
• There are times where he can be super squirmy. He just tries to crawl and flip all over you while being held and then complains when set on the ground. I'm not sure what he wants during those times, and it can be excessively frustrating if you are the one he is making into a jungle gym.
• Like his brother at the same age, he is not thrilled with being set on the grass, but has learned to occupy himself with pulling up clumps.
• Also like his brother, he absolutely loves to swing at the playground. I swear he could spend hours in the swing!

I wish this could have been a more thorough and thoughtful entry, but it is already 13 days past due and I'm afraid if I put it off any longer, it would wind up being even more terse! I also can't believe that the next update will be marking his 1st birthday! Yikes!!!! My baby is growing up too fast already!!!

And here are the links to the rest of the photos for Caiden & Ezra. (Make sure you are looking at the prior month's photos too, since those get updated thru the 22nd of each month. For example, June has more photos added of both boys.)