5.29.12 The Crawling Begins

Yes.  Ezra started crawling the last week of May.  Once he started, he perfected it pretty quickly and began getting into everything.  I had to do some quick baby proofing involving pool noodles, duct tape, and cardboard (our ghetto apartment looks even more ghetto if that's possible).

Crawling opened the door to rolling over, which caused some new problems in the bath tub and sleeping in his crib.  It is like he forgot how to do those things once he could suddenly move in new ways.  Thankfully, he's now figured out those things for the most part (although he seems to enjoy sleeping in the oddest positions).

Here is a little video of Ezra in action from early in June...

Happy Father's Day

I love my dad!  He has set such great example of love and dedication to God and his family.  I am so grateful for all he has taught me.  I know he would drop everything to help me at anytime.

Thank you for being a wonderful father and grandpa, Dad!  Love you and Happy Father's Day!

And Happy First Father's Day to Marc!  He loves Ezra more than anything. They already have way too much fun together and Ezra gets so excited every time Marc walks through the door after work. Thank you, Marc, for being such a great dad to our little boy.

Memorial Day Weekend

Our Memorial Day weekend was filled with fun.  Nothing too exciting, but it was just nice to do something different and have more time to spend with Marc.

On Friday night there was a free Beatles Tribute concert in downtown Midland.  Ezra loved dancing to to the music with Mommy.  Dad didn't dance so much :).

On Saturday, we went with some friends to Monahans Sandhill State Park.

Ezra loved the sand so much that he brought at least a bucket full home in his diaper...I'm sure burying him in the sand might have contributed to that.

5.16.12 Eight Months

Our little Ezra is 8 months old and what a big boy he is!  He is 29 inches tall, and over 20 pounds.  We went swimming to celebrate and then Ezra took a long nap and woke up with crazy hair--unfortunately he gets that from his mom.

Oh, what a funny little boy!

Spring in Midland

It has been a while since I have posted, for which I apologize.  I know people don't miss my writing and commentary as much as photos of Ezra, so I'll provide plenty of the latter.  Here's what Ezra was up to during the end of April and beginning of May...

We took Ezra swimming for his very first time...

Yes, it was hot enough to swim in April.  It actually got close to 100 degrees on several days.  The water in the pool, however, was freezing.  I guess they don't heat their pools here since it gets so hot.  Ezra didn't mind the cold at all.  He loved the water and despite his shivering, he was a bit upset when we took him out.

Our little boy is not so little...

This outfit that his Grandma Minster gave him is for 12 months!  He's only 7 1/2 months in this photo. He is bigger (and heavier) than every other child I know here between the ages of 11 and 8 months.    

...and thus, it is about time to retire the swing.  I remember when we put him in this that very first week he was home and even the lowest setting seemed to swing him way too high and fast.  Now, it barely moves at the highest setting.

We had a visit from Uncle Adam (Uncle Adam Young, not Uncle Adam Moore)...

It was a very short visit but so fun to see him.  I didn't get any photos with Adam, but Ezra had fun playing with his bedding after he left the next morning.

We finally got a real stroller...

It is possible that I am enjoying the stroller more than Ezra, but he does like going for runs and walks.

 We went to the Lubbock Temple...

Our stake sponsors a temple trip every month for mothers.  Several of the older sisters make the two hour drive just to provide babysitting at the stake center next door while the mothers go to a session.  How wonderful is that?  What wasn't so wonderful was the car accident we got into on the way home.  I must admit one of my first thoughts after the accident was, "We made this trip to go to the temple!  Why did we just get into an accident? Where is the protection and the blessings?"  But then I quickly took that thought back as I realized that we were blessed and protected.  It really could have been so much worse.

And finally, Ezra started becoming mobile...

He ended up in this split position quite often as he started figuring out how to maneuver around.

5.13.12 Mother's Day

I gained a new appreciation for my mom the first time I had the flu without her there to take care of me.  That appreciation was nothing compared to what I gained the first time I had the flu with a baby to take care of.  I think it definitely takes becoming a mom to fully appreciate what your own mother did for you.  Thank you, Mom, for giving so much of yourself to your daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren.

It's been a wonderful first mother's day.  I haven't felt like I needed praise or presents for what I do as a mother--maybe that is because I don't do it all that well ;).  Instead, I've felt a profound gratitude for the blessing I've been given to be a mother.  I wanted to be a mother, but there were a few moments during my pregnancy and the first week that Ezra was home that I panicked about what I had committed myself to and what I was giving up.  I learned very quickly that it is all worth it.  What I've been given in return is worth far more than any lost independence or lost sleep.  I love being Ezra's mother.  I am so lucky to be able to watch him discover and figure out the world.  So, I don't need the flowers or the breakfast in bed (although I'm not going to complain when I get them).  I wouldn't want any other life or job than the one I have right now.  I am so grateful for the blessing it is to be a mother.

4.12.12 Visit to Utah

Last month, Ezra and I made a trip back home to Utah for my Mom's 60th birthday celebration.  We were only there 5 full days, but we jam packed those days with lots of fun stuff...

We played with cousins...

With Becca

Cute little Gemma

With Greta and Lily at the family party

Ezra loved Scout's arm bands

Playing with Jaxson and Tanner

We had TWO surprise birthday parties with LOTS of balloons...

We went to City Creek THREE times (its obviously THE new thing to do in Utah)...

We saw ALL THREE of Ezra's living Great Grandparents (all Grandmas)...

Grandma Moyes

Great Grandma Young who turns 97 this month!

Great Grandma Thomas

And we had fun on the farm in Mona...

Very first tractor ride with Grandpa.

Ezra was more entertained looking in the mirror than by the cows.

It was nice to come back after only being gone a couple of months, but it was also nice to have the feeling that we are living where we are supposed to right now.  I absolutely LOVED seeing the flowers on Temple Square.  

I kept commenting how green everything was because compared to Midland, IT IS!  But Codi, who is living in Pennsylvania, just laughed and said, "I keep thinking how brown everything looks!"  You know you live in barren wasteland when Utah seems green and the sight of a green lawn is a distant memory :)