10 Months

Every month, I find myself thinking, "Really? Another month already?"

Time is going by so fast. It feels like it was just yesterday that I was laying in bed all day, watching seasons of every show imaginable on Netflix, finding cute baby things on Pinterest, worrying about eating enough calories, and anxiously awaiting the arrival of Ezra and Elliott. And although it is easy to imagine life before our boys, it is hard to think of life without them. They bring us so much happiness.

Here are some updates on the boys:

Elliott

At our appointment earlier this week, Elliott weighed 21 pounds. He is so big and chunky. I love it. Elliott already acts like the big brother. When Ezra is crying, Elliott looks at him with genuine concern. After the surgery, Ezra had a couple of rough nights. My mom and I went into the nursery and found Elliott reaching through the bars of his crib, trying to touch his brother. And although you may not believe this, my mom and I  both heard him babble, "Ez-ra. Ra-ra-ra." I wouldn't have believed it myself if my mother didn't immediately say, "Did he just say Ezra!?" It brought me to tears that Elliott was so concerned about his brother being in pain.

Elliott really wants to talk. He days "Da-da" constantly and has even manged to say "Pa-pa" a couple of times. Nathan likes to play a game with him where they say "Gee!" back and forth to each other. It is pretty entertaining for both of them. Elliott enjoys doing just about anything with Nathan, including going up and doing the stairs. When Nathan walks down the stairs while carrying Elliott, he will go "uh-uh-uhh!!" with every step his daddy takes.

We can already tell that Elliott has a big heart.  He is willing to let Ezra go first in most things and does okay with sharing toys and parents. Ezra wants to be picked up as soon as he is awake. If Nathan isn't working, we each get a baby. If Nathan is working, I pick up Elliott and take him immediately to a high chair. I then pick up Ezra and hold him until he is happy and willing to be put down. During this time, Elliott is fine with eating a few Cheerios and usually watches us with a big, goofy smile on his face.

Elliott can pull himself up to standing anywhere. Yesterday, he and Ezra discovered how to open and shut doors. They had so much fun opening up every cupboard today. Elliott has also mastered climbing the stairs. He definitely is interested in exploring his surroundings.

I could probably go on forever and how cute he is and how adorable his cheesy smile is, but I think the above picture says it all.

Ezra

My little Ezra. He is just a few ounces behind his brother and weighs 20 pounds 7 ounces. He loves to be held (not cuddled, though, just held). Ezra loves to be held so much that he has started refusing to sit in his highchair. He will lock his legs, kick them outward, and do just about anything to stay in my arms. How can I resist that little face? While Elliott smiles with his whole face constantly, Ezra seems to always be grinning. It is so cute. His little smirk always makes me smile.

In addition to his trademark grins, Ezra has a few other personality traits that shows some of his spunkiness. When he is excited, he scrunches his face up and breathes loudly. Eliza did the same exact thing, so maybe this two of a kind face is taught in utero or something. I have never seen another baby (other than his sister) do this!

Ezra shares a couple of other things with his older sister: he has already started to bite the sides of his crib (Eliza was a beaver and seriously chewed up her entire crib) and he loves twirling his hair in addition to touching the hair of others. Eliza was fascinated with hair as a baby, so maybe he and sister will be two peas in a pod.

Unlike his brother, Ezra isn't as anxious to climb and stand. He likes to crawl around and find new toys, but he doesn't enjoy standing. He hasn't expressed too much interest in climbing the stairs and stays on the bottom step, crying for Elliott to come back and be with him. I'm not worried about Ezra "catching up" because he is allowed to accomplish milestones on his own time schedule. Our boys are individuals, so I expect them to do things at a different pace.

Ezra loves music. When a song comes on, he will rock and sway to the music. He loves to shake his head back and force in rhythm.  Ezra also loves his brother. When Elliott is playing with a toy, Ezra will often crawl over to him and just put his leg or face. He loves to be close to Elliott. Ezra often wakes up at night and will begin to cry for milk. If I don't get to the nursery quickly enough, Elliott will also wake up and sympathy cry for Ezra. I love the connection that they already have.

Ezra has four teeth (so does Elliott, but his front teeth haven't fully come through) and they make his laugh absolute adorable. It reminds me of a jack-o-lantern with the four teeth so widely spaced apart. I am determined to get a picture of him laughing with his mouth open! I could also write a novel on Ez, but I think those are the best highlights.

Our boys are pretty amazing.

(Oh, and Ezra learned how to twist out of his highchair and stood up while I was washing dishes. He is a little Houdini baby! I have a feeling things are about to get crazy with all the stair-climbing, standing, and demands for cuddling.)