Daddy Time

Daddy had to go back to work yesterday, but we had him for an entire week, plus weekends of uninterrupted family time.  It was lovely.  It was a well-deserved vacation for all.  Even the routine activities were made better by having daddy/husband around.  We took a number of smaller outings, like exploring Cabella's and perusing Lowe's, but we also ventured further out.  Thanks to a wonderful daddy/husband, I was able to attend a temple endowment session.  And, we spent the better part of a day at the city zoo (in 60 degree weather!)  We caroled on doorsteps and delivered goodie bags.  We acted out the Nativity story--twice.  We hosted twelve people for Christmas dinner.  We worked in the yard together.  We looked at Christmas lights.  We had a movie night.  We snuggled, read books, and enjoyed being together.  Hooray for Christmas vacation!      

At Year End

The year is almost over, and while I don't intend to play catch-up for the last month, I will offer a few final comments.

"It was all worth it in the end" seems an apt summary of my year.  The first five months of 2013, I felt lousy with early pregnancy nausea, but knowing that we were welcoming another precious member into our family, made it all worth it.  My patience was rewarded by letting Maren arrive on her timetable--twelve days late--perfectly healthy and beautiful.  Our (seemingly endless) home search in a seller's market was frustrating, but our patience and persistence, and many, many prayers were rewarded by finding a house that has turned out to be practically perfect for us.  The weeks of construction dust and chaos and long tiring days with a scrub brush and paint scraper were worth it when we finally moved into a house re-made.  Ezra's "new everything" adjustments and extreme baby jealousy behaviors were all worth it when we saw his positive progress in the end.  Hopefully, in these various challenges, I was able to enjoy the journey, as well as the final result.  It was certainly a year of putting my trust and faith in God.     

Maren: Giggle Monster

Maren has turned into a giggle monster.  She is highly amused by most anything, especially Ezra antics.  She thinks it is hilarious when Ezra throws blankets in the air.  Go figure.  She laughs when I make animal noises.  She laughs at silly songs.  She laughs when I look at her with a funny face.  And, she loves being tickled.

She is officially an adorable chunk, measuring in the 95th percentile for height and weight, and in the 99th percentile for head circumference.  But, I didn't need a doctor to tell me that, my newly developed arm muscles are testimonial enough for me.  

Maren seems to be more physically active then Ezra was at a similar age.  She is very antsy if made to sit on a lap, and will try to turn, push, roll, squirm, and wiggle free.  While lying on her back, Maren will either hold her legs straight up in the air or arch her back and neck and attempt to roll over.

She has been diagnosed with some minor torticollis, or in other words, stiff neck muscles and joints that make turning or reaching left difficult.  She and I met with a pediatric physical therapist and have been working on a few simple exercises to help the situation.  She seems to be making some small improvements, and despite the discomfort she is probably feeling, works incredibly hard to move her little body. 

She is getting better control of her hand reflexes and will now pat mt cheek, grab my nose, and pull my hair when I hold her.  Recently, while sitting on my lap, she grabbed my bowl of soup, which--luckily--was only lukewarm, and dumped it on me.  She is teething now, and pulls in her bottom lip to massage her gums.  She is very keen on the pacifier too, for the same reason.        

Ezra's Latest

Ezra talks with confidence about all manner of things, but he has one funny quirk.  The letter "s" is a little tricky for him to pronounce, which makes for some funny conversations.  For example:

"Mommy, can I have a quirt?" [squirt] (when he wants to wash his hands)
"We can't watch the cary [scary] movie with monsters, Maren no like it."
"Ezra need a poon [spoon] to eat mac-and-cheese."

His responses to things keep me laughing:
Mommy: "Ezra do you want to get ready for bed?"
Ezra: "No.  Ezra need to put on Mommy shoes and go shopping at Costco."

Ezra does not like to be alone.  If I am upstairs nursing Maren, Ezra will gather up a small collection of cars, stuffed animals, and blankets, and play in the room with me.  If I go downstairs for any length of time, Ezra and the little pile of toys comes too.  I often have to tell him how soon I will be back, so he doesn't play the part of nomad unnecessarily.
 

His imaginative play incorporated many aspects of the Nativity story this month as we repeatedly watched movies, read books, sang songs, and acted out Jesus' arrival in Bethlehem.  For example, instead of riding Mommy-the-horse, I became Mommy-the-donkey or Mommy-the-camel.  Bear was often found in swaddling clothes.  Any kind of blanket, towel, or sheet draped on his head made him a shepherd (and I became Mary).  A pile of pillows became his hay for baby Jesus.  And, if something was lost in the house (me, for instance), he would exclaim, upon finding me, "Mommy, Ezra followed the tar [star] to find you!"

Ezra has been quite motherly with Bear lately.  I often see him nursing Bear--shirt yanked up and all.  He will randomly exclaim, "Oh Bear, you tinky [stinky], you need a change!"  Or, at other times, "Oh, goodness, you have big burp Bear."  It is not uncommon to have three little people in line for a diaper change and clothes in the morning: Maren, Ezra, and Bear.

Ezra liked Christmas and the opening of presents, but if I was anticipating an exuberant, emotional display of glee, I was sorely disappointed.  I think the extent of his excitement amounted to varying degrees of "Oh!" and some raised eyebrows.  Funny kid.  When all was said and done, his favorite Christmas gift was the 99 cent Matchbox car in his stocking.  Easy to please, simple, content--I like it.