The last month of Ezra was super fun but also had many, many challenges. Ezra made huge strides mobility and communication-wise and is really starting to carve out a niche in our little family of five. Since it’s the last weekend before school starts I’m just gonna break this month out in list form~ here’s the quick and dirty…
* Naps were rough this month. The nine month sleep regression thankfully left his night-time sleep mostly intact but there were two weeks in the middle of the month where Ezra out-right refused his afternoon nap and hooooobaby you are NOT ready to go down to one nap yet. The song and dance routine to get him down was a nightmare and then after finally getting him to sleep he’d wake up screaming the minute I’d lay him down. I knowknowknow we needed to start a sleep-training method but with the crazy, always changing schedules of the older two there was no way to make it work and keep my sanity. Thankfully the regression phased out and he went back to happily taking two naps but I know once we get a normal schedule and routine in September we have to start the process of letting him fall asleep on his own.
* So. Many. Teeth. You are up to eight now, the four front on top and the four front on bottom and please, baby, let’s take a break from that shit, shall we? I’m so super tired of the two days of crankiness/clingyness/misery before the tooth cuts and I know the molars and eye teeth are going to be so much worse. {UGH why do babies even HAVE teeth.} Also I am over the biting. You thankfully are wise enough never to bite mom during nursing sessions but you started a bad habit of snuggling into our shoulders for a hug and then taking a chunk out if them. OUCH.
* This month you learned to give the most disgusting, wet, drool-infused kisses and while, yes, they are absolutely gross, they are also the sweetest things ever.
* This leads me to the words you understand which among them includes:
~ Kiss. Mmmm slobbery baby love.
~ Ezra. DUH.
~ No. In which you stop whatever offense you are currently committing, look at me with an inquisitive stare before busting out an angelic grin after which you go ahead and proceed with whatever naughty mischief you are up to, undeterred.
~ Uh-Ah. Similar to “no” except add that you mimic {some might say MOCK} the sound in perfect inflection as you continue on your merry way of dismantling the cupboards/unraveling toilet paper/ attempt to climb the bookshelf/etc with a happy string of “Uh-Ah, Uh-Ah, Uh-Ah!!!”.
~ Dada. As in “Ezra! Where’s daddy?” Spins around, looking wildly before finding dad, once his eyes are fixed on Bill he gives a big grin before shouting “Dada!” {DIS-similarly: “Ezra! Where’s mama?” Stares blankly at the fan/ceiling/wall.}
~Drop. We are really counting this as his first word since he understands it and repeats it in the right context even though it’s not super clear. Whenever we play ball with Luna we don’t even have to say drop anymore because Ezra does it for us, with great enthusiasm.
~ Stop. He repeats this one a lot too, but it sounds very similar to “drop”.
~ Kitty, puppy/dog, Luna.
~ Come here.
~ Milk.
* Getting used to a baby that is super mobile has had its challenges. Since the other two were older and understood more by the time they could fly around on all fours {not to mention they were MUCH less adventurous than Ezra}, my baby proofing was pretty lax. It really consisted of a few cabinet locks, moving all dangerous materials up high, some outlet covers and gating the stairs for a couple of months before they could figure out how to navigate down them backwards. With Ezra I’m thinking of just duct-taping my entire house in place because he is into EVERYTHAAAAANNNNNNG. He’s broken out of baby jail a handful of times and made it halfway up the stairs before we realized. He also learned how to open the screen door so when we did the inevitable “oh shit, where’s the baby” roll-call one morning we found him out on the deck greeting the neighborhood with his happy shrieks. I am not a super religious person but LORD IN HEAVEN, HELP ME.
* Learned to play So Big this month which has resulted in all kids of adorableness. Especially because he is compelled to do it so he can be in the middle of something and if I call out “How big is Ezra?” he has no choice but to stop what he is doing and throw his hands above his head. This has come in handy when he’s almost made it to the dog dishes.
* Is eating a ton. In addition to four nursing sessions/day, three big servings of smooshy stuff, and puffs/melts/baby biscuits, we’ve made the big foray into table foods this month and he will eat everything, all of it, anytime and then screech for more.
And I think that’s a wrap on Month 10! Ezra was born right before Halloween but as far as nick-names go, he has proved to be much more of a Turkey than a Pumpkin. Turkey because he is mischievous, independent, screechy and absolutely, unequivically the most delicious thing ever created. We love you Big Turkey Baby.
My super kaduper life 