ezra august, nine months old

at the mount baker theatre, entertaining himself while isla has dress rehearsal

this boy has been with us on the outside now for as long as he was with me on the inside.  that seems like something notable!

the past month has brought lots of change for this little guy.  when we left for mexico right after christmas, he had just starting crawling around a bit.  he was kind of slow and cautious.  but when we returned home and set him down on the floor, he immediately attempted to pull down the christmas tree, to eat the christmas lights, to pull down and play with all the fragile glass dishware he could reach on our conveniently open kitchen shelves.  he found noah's legos and isla's craft supplies if left lower than the table top.  he crawled right into isla's play area to feast on her tiny, choky, dollhouse furniture.  he pulled himself up to standing on the very solid and bonky wooden bench.  he found every toy smaller than his mouth, and inserted it immediately!  so, suffice it to say, we have been frantically following him around, taking things out of his mouth and rearranging the house!  i think we've finally gotten things arranged so that he is free to explore in a fairly safe manner.  but he is still surprising us with how quickly he can find anything yucky or choky and stick it in his mouth.

he is just beginning to feel comfortable sitting up on his own.  maybe it is his heavy head that throws him off balance?  he has always been more happy on his belly, and still when we sit him down he usually rolls right over to his belly and then leans up on one elbow to check you out.  it's a funny lazy-teenager kind of move.

eating the pool toys in mexico

ezra still takes two naps a day, usually.  the morning one is about two hours and the afternoon one is shorter.  maybe my favorite time with him is right after he wakes and i lift him out of his crib.  he snuggles into me with his puffy, sleepy eyes and warm, rosy cheeks.  this is notable since most of his waking time he does not waste on snuggling.  he is too busy for that!

he is pretty much done with such baby gadgets as the exersaucer and the johnny jumper.  he would rather be left to follow his big sister and brother around the house.  he loves to watch them and loves it even more, of course, when they really focus on him.  noah sometimes reads board books to him, or builds little block towers for ezra to knock over.  isla dances and sings for him and engages him with his basket of baby toys.  they both love to feed him and take baths with him.

he has nearly outgrown his small metal mini-crib.  he turns himself in circles on his belly and when he's perpendicular he bonks his head.  our room is going to be quite cozy with a full-sized crib in there!

we have been taking walks every sunny day we can, and ez seems content to hang out in the bottom part of the stroller, cozy in his green dragon snowsuit, just checking out the scenery.  he also loves to swing in the blue baby swing in our yard.

ezra loves to eat!  i remember that when he was 6 months old i worried that he was not gaining enough weight.  well, those worries are over.  i think he weighs about 22 pounds now (we weighed him on the airport luggage scale), and he is wearing all 12 months size clothes.  he takes after his father in the food department: not picky and enjoys nearly everything!  pirate's booty and peaches are his two favorite things.  bananas and mashed peas are his least favorite.

ezra playing in one of the empty dance studios while isla has her ballet class 

ice skating outside in downtown vancouver

he has had 6 teeth for a few months, with no more in sight for now.  his hair is growing longer and darker red.  his dimples are still strong when he smiles, which is all the time.  he can do downward dog.  he laughs at "peek-a-boo" and "hole in the road."  he doesn't mind car trips.  he does not hook his legs around me when i hold him, but just hangs like a dead weight!  he does not like the nursery at church.  he seems to understand the few signs we do with him, but he hasn't signed back yet.  he takes off any hat that doesn't tie under his chin.  he loves to eat his booties.  (and mama's crocs.  yuck!)  he says "dada dada," and laughs.  he is learning about books, though he still loves to eat them as much as look at them.  he does not like diaper changes, or outfit changes, and he is the wiggliest of all my babies!  sometimes i need backup just to get him dressed.

in his new hat from carrie, which he tore off immediately!

aaron thinks that there is a special fondness for a baby whose birth was not exactly on the schedule.  maybe this is true.  we all adore little ezzie, and he brings so much joy to all of us.  (now that he is sleeping a little better, i can say this more honestly.)  of course we can't imagine our family without him.  

at mount baker, in his bear suit from grandma katie