Words

We took this video a few weeks ago when Ezra really started using his words. What is a bit awkward for him in this video is that we are asking him to say them out of context - so you can tell he is a bit confused by some of them. I'll post the words below that we know he is saying. I'm sure there are others, but we've yet to understand them. He turned seventeen months yesterday.

Some first words:
Dad-eeee
Dee-Dee (Blankie)
Cha-Cha (Tractor)
Pupeeeee (Puppy)
MaMa
Snaaah (Snack)
Kitteee-Kitteee (Kitty)
Baaaaah-Bah-Baaah-Bah (Bob the builder)
pst(Grapes)
fisss (Fish, the crackers)
Nin-na (Jenna, his friend from church)
Ahck (Socks)
Tahh Tahh (Thank you)
Keys
Deep (Jeep)
Bow-Bow (Brown Bear, the book)

And most recently
Naahhh - yeeh (Not-yet)
Cheeeeeese
Bath tup
Vooof (Juice)
And just tonight - Wuh bah (Wilbur, the pig from Charlotte's Web)

He has started repeating things when we ask him to, so we've been working on "E, can you say, Kurt?" so that he is ready in a few weeks :)

Helping Dad Build

Brian and E built a daybed for the mattress on our sun porch on Saturday. You can't tell it from this video, but it turned out nice. Brian has now built several projects that I've pointed out to him in a Pottery Barn magazine including shelves, a book rack for the nursery, and closet organizers. We can now slide baskets of toys, outdoor blankets and craft supplies underneath, and still have a nice mattress for guests and Sunday afternoon naps. He bought the supplies at Lowes for $30! He would like router saw bits and could use a new cordless drill, so I'll have to keep those in mind for his birthday.

I spent the morning painting a small table we got from the free furniture pile while we were in seminary, which goes great with four little chairs I found at a garage sale. We used to use it for a side table, but now it is a great size with the small chairs. I will post before and after pictures soon.

This video is of E helping Brian by bringing him screws.

Pregnancy: Week 29

This is my 29 weeks picture for family and friends who haven't seen me in awhile. My babycenter.com email this week said the baby is approximately two and a half pounds (like a butternut squash), and 15 inches long. I'm still comfortable, but ready to be able to be outside more. This weekend we did some spring clean up on the yard with weather in the 50s. The Seven Sisters climbing rose behind me will bloom in May - a hot pink. I've cut the old growth off to cover our tulips from the deer. The prickly stems keep them away. The tulips on the south side of the house are really starting to pop out of the ground.

Rainy Days and Rhythms

We've had a rainy weekend that we spent mostly inside because we all took a turn being sick. All of our family rhythms were off - meals, morning routines, projects around the house and Sunday's activities. Even though Ezra is only 16 months he knows these rhythms and reminds us in his own way when we are off...pointing at the snack cupboard, getting his boots out of the closet, finding his blankie, reaching for the door knob, pulling at his clothes to be changed, folding his hands when we sit down (even when there is no food in front of us). In fact, he points out things that we didn't even know we did until we do them wrong! This weekend he reached for the door knob to go outside, which most of Saturday and Sunday wasn't an option.


Finally on Sunday night, after the sixth bath that day (sick kids = lots of baths) and pajamas, Ezra had enough. He reached for the back door, and then ran to the front door and whined, and then the back door... until I had had enough. Even though it was raining and we weren't feeling 100 percent, we ventured out. (Brian was preaching and Ezra and I skipped church). He led me right to the spot he likes to go to - the little bench that he is almost big enough to sit on himself. The creek was pretty full so it was fun to see all the water spilling in. He could do without some things during the weekend, but going outside was not one of them!

A year ago on March 12 I wrote in his journal, "He is slowly getting a nice schedule finally, sleeping 10 hours... we just started solid foods this week." As new parents we didn't realize that it took so much work to teach a baby life's normal rhythms of sleeping and eating. We honestly thought they came with that built in. So much has changed in a year! I had fun looking at pictures from last year... One thing that hasn't changed - his hair still sticks straight up.