5/6/2020
Ezekiel has been learning so much. He has quickly gone from crawling to being able to pull himself up on things and stand. Everyday he gets better at pulling himself up, balancing, and standing. He is also getting a lot better at using his hands for balance and to catch himself. He can take a few steps if I help him with his walker. When he isn’t standing, he likes to practice by getting up to his feet and walking on hands and feet. He learned yesterday how to put a block in his toy and has continued working on that skill. He now is doing high fives. He is learning a much over just a few days. It is exciting to watch him learn and grow and change so rapidly right now. Two days ago, we noticed the first start of a tooth bud starting to break through. Now it seems like there might be another tooth bud on the bottom. They are slowly breaking their way through. He has also been very vocal.
Nine Months 5/30/2020
Ezekiel has continued to be as active as ever. Now at nine months, he can walk with assistance or while holding something. He can clap, wave, and sign some. He has two teeth. He has perfected “dada” and has been working on other sounds as he gets closer to “mama.” He enjoys eating. He still loves water and will grab at falling water or stick his hands underneath. He also loves to splash around. One thing I was not prepared for this month was that he also learned to climb. He can climb onto low chairs and then stands on them! He wants to climb on anything he can. Everyday is a process of realizing something more he can reach and needing to change or add things to baby proof better.
We celebrated Andrew’s second due date anniversary this month as well. I wish he was old enough to understand.
I can’t be silent anymore about the topics in America right now. I wish the world we lived in was so different for Zeke. To start that change, we have to at minimum call it out. Last week, George Floyd was murdered while in police custody by a police officer kneeled on his neck until he died. Now over the last week, protests across the country have begun and violence has continued. The amount of people that do not understand the pain experienced by black people in America is appalling but not surprising since we are still facing these same problems. Yesterday, Bryan attended a peaceful protest in Peoria for Black Lives Matter. I really hope change can happen so that the world does not have to look this way at Zeke gets older. I added several books to his library list to help him appreciate black lives and the history before him.
Ten Months 6/30/2020
Ezekiel is ten months old today! He has four teeth now. He got his fourth tooth in (the second on the top) on 6/13/2020. He loves eating food and is getting better at chewing and biting. He has four teeth. He has transitioned from a bottle and now takes almost all of his milk at daycare from a sippy cup. He is more stable on his feet and is excited to walk anywhere while holding something. He has been waving a ton. He has not said anymore words. We have moved his crib down to the bottom level now because he likes to bounce. He has done well learning how to slide down from the couch even though he would rather fall off. He can signal that he wants down or up. He loves music and dancing. He went back to daycare this month and he has enjoyed it. He gets excited to leave to go in the morning. For those of you keeping track at home, he does not sleep though the night and I don’t envision that happening for quite some time. We have all found our groove with it though. This month he also has his first trip to Wildlife Prairie Park. He is still our curious, interested, energetic little guy.
7/18/2020
No one told me how hard it would be to be your mom. No one told me that you wouldn’t be a sleepy newborn. No one told me that I’d be sharing my bed with you. No one told me how happy you would be. No one told me that you would be so adventurous.
Being your mom has been hard. But being your mom was exactly what you needed. You needed someone would would be willing to pick you up every time you woke up at night. You needed someone who wouldn’t be mad when you explored every inch of the house. You needed someone who could be patient and consistent every time you got into things you weren’t suppose to be in. You needed someone who would smile and laugh and play with you. You needed someone who would let you be independent while helping you trust while staying close.
Your personality amazing me. You love to adventure and explore and figure out new things. You enjoy doing everything by yourself. Yet you love having mommy and daddy close. You need our cuddles often. You are still not a fan of sleep, but who has time for that?
You are amazing to watch as you practice taking steps. I love that I got to help you take those first few steps on your own.
You are such a happy baby. You love to smile and laugh. Oh your laugh! It’s the best for sure.
You are the best.
We are everything you need. And you are the perfect way to complete our family.
Loving you all hours of the day and night.
11 months 7/31/2020
Zeke is such a big kid now. He is walking all over the place all on his own. He barely crawls anymore. He can get up without the assistance of holding onto anything when he falls while walking. He took his first steps on 7/17 and just ten days later had perfected walking and even a slight run. He says dada, mama, baba, and babbles other syllables. He signs more, all done, and eat. He had not signed milk in a while. His favorite book is “My Lucky Little Dragon.” He enjoys getting his books off the shelf and reading as well as getting all his toys out to play with. He has gotten much better at stacking his buckets and other tower toys. He waves goodbye and hello. He can point to his head when asked where it is. He loves being at daycare still and frequently plays games of chase with his friends. He is close to getting more teeth in, but they have not yet broken through. He is also better at mimicking noises and sounds we make. He can crawl in and out of laps and small chairs.
