One and Three

When I look at my children lately, I am in awe of how the are simultaneously so vulnerable and resilient. Who knew an ever-moving 1 year-old could bump his face/head so many times, fuss for a moment, then get right back at it? I know adult men who’d be out for the count if they experienced some of Ezra’s encounters with the stair railing! And Ella struggles daily with wanting what she clearly considers to be the “perks” of babydom and wanting to be a more independent “big girl.” I’m pretty certain a day with a 1 and 3 year-old could rival the drama faced by a parent of a 13 and 15 year-old!

With the start of a new year, I thought we were past due for a “kid update” to review how the little ones have changed over the past year and to give us a starting point for where they’re headed in the coming year.


Ella

         Ella is a determined little girl with a mind (and will) of her own. She is currently pony-obsessed and, when she paid a visit to Santa at the mall, she requested a pony for Christmas. I often hear requests to “play ponies” throughout the day and she brings me one of her pastel, glittery haired My Little Ponies. I love it when it’s Daddy’s turn – he’s so great at getting into pony make believe!
          Ella’s hair continues to be, well, interesting. She didn’t even really get much hair until one and then it arrived to surprise everyone. My hair dresser told me that, in 30 years of doing hair, she’d never seen anything quite like it. The texture is incredibly soft, but it looks slightly coarse. People think it’s curly and I’m straightening it, but it’s not. Our friend, Kendra, helped cut it into a fun style that flips out in the back while the top layers struggle to meet up and her bangs grow out. Unfortunately, Ella has an extremely low tolerance for hair clips, rubberbands, etc. So, I often style her hair in the morning and she comes home from school with a hair fastener in her bag and her hair sticking up all over the place. Oh, well! It gives her character and people notice it where e’r she goes!
          Our girl continues to be a voracious “reader” and could sit for hours listening to stories. Every night at bed time, you can hear her “reading” stories to herself. She is working on her letters and numbers and is a color expert. Ella’s vocabulary never ceases to amaze us and we are delighted daily by the new things that come out of her mouth. She can be so incredibly random and I love to hear how she’s trying to figure things out constantly through language.
          There truly isn’t a meal that is kid friendly enough for Ella. She is a consummate snacker and would prefer that foods not be combined. Sitting down for a meal for more than 2 minutes is difficult for her. Ella would prefer to fill up on snacks and goodies all day long, so it’s a daily struggle to find balance.
          Last night, I turned to Tim and asked him if his heart ever swells up at night because he’s overwhelmed by how adorable Ella is. I’ve been experiencing that a lot lately – no matter how frustrating our days get, she is such a sweet, loving, curious, wonderful person. I’m so lucky to be her mom!

Ezra

          Ezra’s got a bit of Jekyll and Hyde about him. This boy has a smile as bright as the sun, but he’s also a fussy guy. People at church always comment on how happy he is and he is apparently a terrific baby to babysit. I am so glad! At home, he is much more moody and determined. He’s never been cuddly, but he will look at you sometimes and his eyes will light up and he’ll greet you with the sweetest grin. It (usually) makes all the fussing worth it.
          Ezra’s favorite gal is Ella. He will call her name throughout the house and go knock on her door if she’s in her room sleeping. Sometimes he shows his love by pulling her hair and climbing on big sis, much to Ella’s chagrine. But they’re starting to play together more now, trading silly screams, laughing together. It’s common to hear “Come on, Ezra!” and see him hurriedly crawling after her. Bath time is the best play time for the two and I love to hear his delighted giggles as they play.
          Our chubby, long baby has turned into a lean, tall toddler. Now that he’s turned one, people keep guessing that he’s 9/10 months. At 10 months, they figured that he was 1. Go figure. This kid is so lean now because he never stops. If he’s awake, he’s moving, crawling, up the stairs, or getting into something. I love to see him push little trucks and cars around and eagerly move from toy to toy. As is always the case, his crawling is both a blessing and a curse. We haven’t had to block our stairs, yet, because he goes up, but doesn’t risk down much (plus we’re alway watching). I think he could easily walk, but he’s still too nervous to try without holding onto something.
          Baby has turned into a real babbler and was telling me something serious at breakfast today. He says “Mama,” “Dada,” “Ella,” and “Ezra.” I think he says “num num” for food as well. He’s getting a bit more patient with books (can’t sit still that long) and I try to read books aloud to Ella while he’s playing in the same room as often as I can, with the pictures turned out so he can see.
          As much as I might complain about him being fussy or a terrible napper, Ezra is truly a delightful boy. He’s sweet and funny and I always want to snap his picture! I love this age and I’m excited to watch our little guy grow and change. I’m so grateful for Ezra!