29 Months!

A LOT has changed for Ezra in the last month!  Two big changes are that he has stopped nursing and has begun phasing out his daily nap!

The nursing happened a lot quicker than I'd expected (I thought it would take longer to completely be done)...and though he occasionally asks for his "milkies," he was genuinely excited about the change from "wake-up-milkies" to "wake-up-eats."  I know that a lot of people in our life have expressed their thoughts on our extended nursing, but I made the choice to let Ezra nurse as long as I did because I know it was what was best for him.  Sometimes it got to be a little irritating, frustrating, etc, but I always knew that he wouldn't nurse forever.  He and I really enjoyed our time together.  And though I'm happy he's done, I'm also a little nostalgic for our special time and sad that it's finally over.  I'm also extremely proud that we maintained that long and I wouldn't have had it any other way :)

As for the nap-drop...at first I wasn't so happy that he started skipping it.  It was the time during the day that I could catch up on housework that I simply couldn't do with him around or get started on dinner...whatever.  That said, he had been having some seriously restless sleep a few times a week...so when he started going napless, his nighttime sleep got WAY better.  He almost stays in one spot at night!  We still have naps a couple times a week - his pattern is usually 3 days w/o a nap, 2 days w/ a nap.  We're both starting to get used to it and, though it is easier to have that mid-day break to get stuff done, the way-more-restful sleep for everyone at night definitely wins out :)

Other news for Ezra this month?  He continues to add more and more words to his vocabulary, he's doing way better with potty-training (we finally got back into it again), he climbs up things at the playground that, I swear, he shouldn't be able to climb, and he has really been loving helping me cook lately.

Here's the succession of photos.  Notice that not a single one is frame-worthy.  This child simply refuses to 1. Look at the camera, 2. Smile, and 3. Pose with his chalkboard.  He actually just started saying, "No, Mommy, NO, NO, NO!" when he saw the chalkboard.
FUN.

Look! A new post!

In an attempt to catch up a little, here's a rather disjointed, random offering of pictures of the boy.  I realize that, if you are my mother, this is not enough.  Bare with me.  Lots of stuff happening these days.

Ez likes to go for rides in the laundry basket (Blast OFF!) and has been requiring that Lucy also go along for the ride.  While she seems to like Ezra (he gives his "Goosey" lots of love), she's not too keen on the idea of being in such a confined space with the little monster...as you can see from her about-to-escape-pose...

He's a lover of the vacuum.  Seriously.  It's a pain to vacuum when he's awake because he insists on helping...which generally doubles the time it takes :)

Just pay no attention to the mess around Ezra...our closet tends to be the messiest place these days - between our own laziness and Ezra wanting to "help" by taking out clothes and shoes...
This pic is really just to show Ez, in all his Ez-glory.  He LOVES wearing that hat (he calls it his Goofy hat) and he's also in his favorite Cat in the Hat shirt.  Yes, he has more than one.

Here's Brodie, hiding under the coffee table.  He's generally afraid of Ezra.  I'm not sure if it's because he's actually afraid of him or if he is more nervous about possibly hurting Ezra.  Either way, he tends to run away from Ez, unless he's getting a treat from him ;-)  In which case, he takes the treat as gingerly as possible and then runs away.

His expression here reminds me of of of the guys from Dumb & Dumber.  JUST THE FUNNY FACIAL EXPRESSION.  That's it.
Also, let's all notice that he sat down in one of the smaller plastic toy bins...then required a push around the living room (playroom).  Because he doesn't have enough ride-on toys, he has to create his own.

28 Months!

I'll catch back up.  I will.

Until then, here's E-Z-E's 28 month pictures!

Ez decided to do his best impression of Quincy from Little Einsteins.  What?  You don't know Little Einsteins?  Neither did I until two weeks ago.  That damn Disney Junior app is getting a workout...

My happy boy.

CHEEEEEESE!

He's the coolest kid ever.  Seriously.

Mini Man is growing up SO fast now.  His spoken language has just exploded over the past few weeks.  He's trying to say just about everything - he's finally parroting us...which is great...except for Jordan's habit of not catching himself before swearing ;-)  There's still a few words he completely avoids, but he seems to want to try so many others that we aren't concerned.  He's still signing sometimes - but really only uses the signs when his Signing Time DVD's are on - I think he knows all 10 volumes by heart now ;-)

I keep meaning to mention this...but always forget.  Awhile back, we noticed that Ez was hearing some words that we were saying -- as different, but similar sounding words.  He was frantically signing or half signing/half speaking these word-combos before we finally realized what he was trying to say.  Two that we thought were really funny - He was signing "bean" and "stop"...duh...it's beanstalk!  And one that we constantly say to each other, even now - Ez kept signing "girl" and "cheese".  Jordan was dumbfounded until we started saying it fast...girl cheese, girl cheese, girl cheese.....Grilled Cheese!  Get that kid a sandwich!

He's such a cool kid.  I'm kind of jealous of his coolness.

Christmas!

Here's Ezra's Christmas haul.  Far too much for one kid...but he totally deserves every bit of it ;-)

Christmas morning, he walked out to the living room and did his signature gasp of surprise when he saw all his "pessies" under the tree.  He was SO FREAKIN HAPPY.  Here's the only picture I took during the actual present-opening process.  It was the first one that he opened - some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse figurines.  Oh, how he loves these things.

We had to take a couple breaks from present-opening...to eat.  He also had to have gifts shoved in front of him and we had to really entice him to leave the previously-opened gift alone for a moment ;-)  After all was said and done, he did some serious playing.  The huge box of Hot Wheels, the Mickey Mouse Camper set, Mickey figurines, and plush Goofy & Minnie were probably his faves.  

 Here he is, dancing around in the bubbles....because if we can't have snow for Christmas, we'll have bubbles!

Here's my Mini Man, having a tea party with Mickey, Minnie & Goofy...

And Ez playing with his Mickey Mouse Camper.  Oh, geez, does he love this thing.

We had a fantastic Christmas. Ez got a ton of great gifts - I'm pretty sure that the theme this year was split between Mickey and Thomas the Train...with only a few other gifts not adhering to either ;-)  

Also, we've still got the tree up and he periodically will start asking for more "pessies" and look around for more.  It's pitiful.  And funny.  And makes me want to give him a gift every day...because I'm a sucker for making that kid light up like that :)

Monthly Pics, Hotel Blaustein & SHUT IT DOWN!

First and foremost...Ezra would like you all to know how old he is!

He really didn't want me to take his picture without him holding the chalkboard in front of his face...but I finally got one (out of the twenty-three that I took).

A few days before that, I'd left Ez, happily playing in the living room.  I came back about 2 minutes later to find him sitting at the table (it's a counter-height table, mind you), tearing into these tomatoes like they were apples.  I couldn't be mad...there was a container of cookies within his reach, but he chose the tomatoes :)

Post-tomato-massacre-Ezra

Our friends came back to visit for a couple days.  The boys were, once again, awesome together.  They really get along well.  Here they are, wearing mesh strainers as hats (pastafarians?!), riding fire trucks, after terrorizing the living room.

Where did they go?  I swear they were just here!

Surprise!  (or, as Ez says...PIES!)

We went down to the strip for some sightseeing.  Here's the boys inside Treasure Island, looking only halfway impressed ;-)

Our main reason for going to the strip (and our friends' main reason for visiting!) was to go to Gordon Ramsay's newest restaurant, BurGR.  We seriously have seen every show he's ever done (thank you, Netflix) and are kind of obsessed with the man.  We ended up eating there on it's opening night (!!!!) and it was freaking awesome.  Seriously.  We waited approximately 4 times longer than we were quoted (it was first come, first serve...no reservations).  But even with that, it was phenomenal.  It's strictly a casual burger place...with a distinct Gordon Ramsay twist.  Like, you can get fries (omg, the best fries I've ever had) just plain, truffle fries w/ truffle aioli, or sweet potato fries sprinkled with vanilla sugar served with honey jalapeño mayo.  What?  Seriously?  The burgers are just as perfectly-extravagant...and just as delicious.  Oh, and the desserts -- are milkshakes...with pudding.  OHMYGOD.  So good.   The service was great, the decor was fun...it was definitely a great time.

Here's my Mini-Man, eating some fries (dipped in curry ketchup)... 

And finally, a couple nights later, a cute shot of Ez in his Elmo slippers :)

A Conversation With Ezra

Me:  Hey, Ez!  Come here!

Ezra:  Yeah, ma?  What's up?

Me:  I was wondering what your thoughts on the 12.21.2012 craziness are...?
Ezra:  Hmmmm.....Well....

....I think Cat in the Hat is going to come rushing into the house, saying "I'm the Cat in the Hat, there's no doubt about that...." and just then, fire trucks come barreling through the backyard!  Sirens blaring and lights flashing!  And then real police officers are going to come storming over the back wall...then....then...Mickey Mouse and Goofy and Minnie and Daisy are all going to ride their bikes over to our house and tell me that they want me to join their group!  Mom, I'm telling you...it's going to be AWESOME!

....and then I get all the ice cream and cookies and frozen blueberries I want!

Me:  Oh!  Is that what you think?
Ezra:  Uh...yeah.  That's about it.

And so you have it, folks.  This concludes the Conversation With Ezra.

Thanksgiving!

(almost in time for Christmas!)  

Our dear friends, the Champagne's, came out to celebrate Thanksgiving with us!  Ez and Des have known eachother since pre-birth, thanks to our Bradley birth class.  The funny thing is how close they are in age, yet how far apart they are in size.  Ez is the second smallest of the group (and the youngest) and Desmond is the biggest - and the second youngest.  They get along great and were so happy to see each other :)

Here's the boys on the first evening...enjoying a little Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally game...

We had a DEE-licous Thanksgiving dinner and headed out to Fremont Street to do a little touristy-sightseeing.  It was a little sketchy in the surrounding areas, but the already-revitalized-area is well-secured, loud, touristy, and full of people-watching fun!

Blueberry-zombies!!

The boys had lots of fun playing hide and seek in the giant, oversized wall-cubbies in our living room. 

Finally!  Something to fill them with!  Cute kids!

I have no idea...

Thankful for some seriously delicious food!

I love how Des looks as dejected as the area surrounding Fremont Street does ;-)

Two fire trucks full of real firemen! started handing out these helmets to kids just as we were checking out the trucks.  Ezra was the happiest kid on earth at the moment that the real fireman! came up to him to give him his helmet :)  

The boys, checking out the fountain show at the Bellagio...

Us...and our giant frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 2, just outside Caesars Palace.  Ohmygod.It.Was.Awesome.  Clearly - because Ezra cannot take his eyes off of it ;-)

Post-ice cream peekaboo!

The Hoover Dam at night.

We're as tired as we look ;-)

...and to the left, Nevada.....and to the right, Arizona!

Breakin' the law, breakin' the law!