Two things to know about Ezra- 1. He likes to hold on to dangerous objects (finger nail clippers, pens, toothbrushes... hangers). 2. He hates wearing socks, and unless he is involved with a dangerous object he is usually taking them off or not letting you put them on. A few days ago Ez and Troy woke up from their afternoon naps and Kel and I wanted to take advantage of the sunshine and go on a walk before dinner time. After I changed Ezra's diaper and cleaned his helmet, I needed to get changed really quick and head over to the Buehler's. While I was getting dressed Ez scavenged around in my closet and found a wire hanger. When we left my bedroom he brought the hanger with him. When I attempted to take it from him while I put his socks on, he went into a full blown fake cry fit. With hopes to get out the door faster, I gave him the hanger back while I put his socks on (can't make a habit of this!). After I put one sock on I heard a genuine cry of pain. I looked up and noticed that Ez had the hook of the hanger in his mouth. His eyes were squeezed shut and he was shreeking so loud. I tried to get the hanger out and it wouldn't budge. I tried again and could feel the tension in his cheek. With my third and final tug I got the hanger out and hugged my Panda as closely as I could. He cried hard for a good minute and then popped his head up as if nothing ever happened. Such a close call, he seriously made my heart stop. We made it in time for our scenic walk and I learned my lesson about wire hangers (and all of his other dangerous buddies).
Not only have we had a gorgeous summer, our fall has been sunny day after sunny day! For the first time ever, I think I have enjoyed the fall even more than summer. Not being soaked in sweat, or battling a stinky helmet, and being able to actually be outside may have something to do with it :). On one of the first days of October, Kel and I decided to put the boys in the car and find a pumpkin patch to explore. We drove down to Snohomish and ended up at the Thomas Family Farm, which happens to be owned by my mom's cousins. Thankfully we had this connection because we got there on opening day about 3 hours before opening. They let us roam around the corn maze. We were directed to the kids maze, but on one of our later trips realized that we were actually in the 3 mile long adult side! We had a few scares when the never silent Levi ran ahead of us and decided to be quiet. Thankfully, we caught him every time and were able to loop back with out traveling through the entire maze.
Levi was in heaven! Free range to run, Mac Trucks, pumpkins, and huge puddles. What more could a three year old boy ask for?
That weekend Emily joined in on the fun. We were going to go to a farm across the street, but it was ridiculously priced so we returned to Thomas Family Farm. This time we bypassed the corn maze and spent our time searching for pumpkins.
I got a few white pumpkins for our entry way and Kel managed to bring home one of the largest pumpkins in the patch (plus a few for carving).
The following weekend we brought T and Ben along with us to join in on the Fall fun! This time we entered Kidland. The highlight of Kidland was the kettle corn and over priced hot dogs. We also had fun with the rubber ducky races, miniature golf, and hay ride. We ventured through the corn maze again, this time making sure to stay on the kid side!
These skeletons sure are cute! They make everything more fun. I love being able to drive down Seattle Hill, into Snohomish, and be so close to such a beautiful and different landscape.
Ezra tricked us into thinking that he preferred an exclusively liquid diet.
For his first 3 months of eating solid food we threw away the majority
of his meals. Most often he would refuse to even open his mouth. Every
once in a while he would eat yogurt or Gerber Bananas. We could always
count on him eating puffs, but that was frustrating because he can't
survive on a diet of cereal... This
all changed when we finally decided to start feeding him what we were
eating. With practically 10 teeth in his mouth, I decided to conquer my
fear of choking and just share my food with him. Suddenly, I couldn't
get the food on his plate fast enough! My little chunk goes
crazy for meat and cheese. He surprisingly loves cooked zucchini,
carrots, and mushrooms. The other day he ate an entire piece of
buttered toast. He pretty much insists on eating whenever someone else
is. This change in diet created an almost overnight transition
for his bowels. Our once a week pooper now wakes up from most naps with
a fresh cow pie and has even had some of his night time sleep disturbed
by dung.
......... Oh yeah... This
change in regularity slipped T's mind the other night when he was
letting Ez slink around in the nude before bath time the other night!
EEEK!
Silver Furs Elementary has a new man in town! Lele Bird is a big preschooler now!! It seems like just yesterday he was spending his days playing trains with Pink Paci in his mouth, and S the S on in the background. This big man on campus is now an official bus rider and backpack wearer. Since starting preschool he has ditched the pacifiers, started going to the bathroom in the toilet, and his vocabulary has exploded! It is amazing how much he has grown in the last few weeks. .... With Levi in school, Kel and I have also enjoyed some fun morning adventures. When it is dry out and our work schedules permit, we take the babes on walks. We've done a mall walk, and have frequent shopper miles at Target. On more than one occasion we have strapped Ez and T in our Ergo Babies and travelled down every aisle of the store. Other days, we just have breakfast together and let the boys play in peace.
One thing is for sure, we are always happy when big brother gets home!
Ezzy and I are on pins and needles waiting for a new little friend to join the world! Emily's baby boy is due at the end of October. We had a shower for her a couple weekends ago to celebrate the little lover! To compliment Em's pregnancy cravings we had breakfast- waffles, fresh fruit (grapefruit), and an egg dish. Everyone gave Em and Rem some suggestions for a name, the winner being Dylan. It was fun to be with friends and shower Emily with love! I am so happy for her and know that she is going to be an incredible mom. I'm looking forward to having our boys be friends and for us to share this phase of life together. I coerced her into letting me take some pictures of her and think that they turned out so pretty.
I remember being so excited to bring Ezra home from
the hospital. To match that excitement, I also remember feeling anxiety
about being all alone with out a nurse or doctor an arms length away. I
found comfort in having our temperature taken every hour or so and the
thought of using a rectal thermometer on my little man made my skin
crawl. They repeatedly told us that Ezra would have to be hospitalized
if he had a fever over 100.4. This turned me into a bit of a
wreck. I was so afraid that something was going to happen to my
perfect baby. I can remember sitting there holding him just balling for
fear of "something happening to him." We pretty much didn't leave the
house for the first month and had limited involvement with the outside
world for the first 3 months of his life. I kept Ez in a total
bubble... Looking back I realize I was a bit of a maniac, but my
diligence paid off (luck) and we were able to avoid a fever for his
first 9 months of life. ..... The
first signs of fever included a really weird diaper change where he had
his eyes closed and was rocking his head from side to side making very
strange noises. This was followed by an unexpected nap in my arms. From
there he was super clingy and cuddly. Ez has always been a warm body,
but as we were getting him ready for bed we noticed that he was sunburn
hot. We gave him some medicine and catered to his every whimper all
night long. This marked the beginning of a
two week fever fight. Overall he was in pretty good spirits. Other
than extra time hanging out in his diaper, or having a wash cloth on his
head, oh and a return to being up all night, we went about our usual
routine.
Until...
Tieba noticed "warts" on Ezra's feet. Upon further examination I
realized that they were blisters and they also happened to be on his
hands. At this same time we realized that he had been drooling more
than usual, and probably had sores in his mouth... Thank you Google
diagnosis, Ez had hand foot and mouth disease! Unfortunately,
we discovered this too late and he already contaminated the Buehler
family and myself. I now have a greater appreciation for the discomfort
he was in and would like to rename the virus, hand foot and OUCH!
We
survived our first fever with much help from our on call Doctor Kelly.
Having her a phone call and mile away makes the little medical
emergencies so much more bearable. Don't know what we'd do with out
her! M
Dear Ezra, You are a man on the move! You have perfected your crawling form and now switch back and forth between the typical bear crawl and the dragging a broken leg crawl. The biggest magnets to get you moving are paper (paper towels, mail, magazines), electrical outlets, credit cards, and electronics; pretty much anything you shouldn't be getting into! One day when I was cleaning your helmet your really wowed me when you unplugged my iPhone charger from the wall by the stools, and crawled the cord into your bedroom where I found you attempting to plug it into another outlet! You are a smarty! Thankfully we are transitioning into pants season because your bare knees were feeling the pain. You have also discovered the drawers around our home... You love to empty the drawers and then use them as anchors for standing. It has been nice for me because now I can get ready for the day or cook and you are happily occupied with your new discoveries. You are a professional fit thrower and have a pretty lethal fake cry that you use in attempts to get your way. Both of these art forms come out when I am trying to debooger your nose or clip your nails. Unfortunately, this means that you frequently go around with a crusty nose and sharp claws/scratches on your face. Grandma is convinced that you know how to say dog, and we all can see how much you love Gus! Well, really you love all dogs. The minute you see one you start screaming and pumping your legs. You are starting to wave to people and often times pat me on the back when I first pick you up. Your love pats melt my heart, they erase the scratches, pinches, and screams from my memory. I love you, Mom
A few days ago Ez and Troy woke up from their afternoon naps and Kel and I wanted to take advantage of the sunshine and go on a walk before dinner time. After I changed Ezra's diaper and cleaned his helmet, I needed to get changed really quick and head over to the Buehler's. While I was getting dressed Ez scavenged around in my closet and found a wire hanger. When we left my bedroom he brought the hanger with him. When I attempted to take it from him while I put his socks on, he went into a full blown fake cry fit. With hopes to get out the door faster, I gave him the hanger back while I put his socks on (can't make a habit of this!). 
