ezra's first birthday

i can't believe it's been a year already since the sunny spring afternoon that this little boy joined our family and our home.

he was so very new then!!  so cold and curled up, and with just a hint of the dimples and red hair and big smile and agile body and wildly fun personality that were to come.

it's amazing how seamlessly a new person can be blended into an existing family mix.  it's like he's always been here.  and yet, as he grows, we adapt how we live to fit his needs.  mostly this is done without complaining.  legos are now played behind closed doors.  gates are built to keep him away from craft supplies.  block towers are built just for him to crash down.  hands, big and little, are reached down for him to hold.  little bits of snacks are snuck into his sticky fingers.  board books are read to him.  balls are gently rolled his way.

and now, with sister and brother and grandparents and godparents and friends, we sing to him and celebrate him, this sweet little boy who has been with us for a whole year.  

we are incredibly grateful for his toothy grin, his rosy cheeks, his red curls, his lightening-quick getaways, his sweet snuggles, his open-mouthed kisses, his shy waves, funny growls, his ravenous fruit-munching, his happy bath-splashing, his proud walking with his truck, his delight in the outdoors, his comfort in his home and with his family... and everything else about this little wonder of a boy.

we love you so very much, ezra august bandstra.  happy first birthday!

(more birthday photos here.)