Ezekiel at eighteen months

It's now been more than a year since I have been able to download my digital pictures. But I still take a lot of photos. I have no idea how I'm going to make time to go through them all when I finally do get around to organizing them.

I started working on Ezekiel's baby book again the other day. The other kids' books are about 90% done, just missing some pictures here and there, ones that I didn't get around to printing off yet. Ezekiel's baby book, on the other hand, is like 10% done. Poor kid. I can't even remember when he started crawling. But there has been a lot going on this year... moving three times, among other things... and I haven't forgotten to nurture and treasure and delight in my dear boy all along the way, and I think that is more important than a baby book with lots of pictures.

That said, this little guy is eighteen months old now. I can hardly believe it.

He is the sweetest little guy. His hair is long and is either adorable and full of red-gold ringlets, or it looks fuzzy and crazy all over the place. Or sometimes it is both. We haven't cut it yet at all.

And he's got these beautiful blue eyes. They are just so big and lovely. He is a sweetheart, too. He loves so much to play with his big brother and sister. He will do anything they are doing. Somersaults in particular are pretty great to watch him attempt! He is such a sweet boy.

He loves to be with me. I treasure that so much. Rilla and Abe are often off and going in their own imagination games, and Keith is off and going in his work, but Ezekiel sticks close to me through the day. Not clinging, just sharing my company. It's nice. He helps me with dishes, and sweeping, and throwing things away, and putting things in the laundry hamper or dryer or away on a shelf. He helps pick up toys or goes outside to get flowers with me or check the mail or put diapers on the clothesline. He is just such a wonderful little buddy. I love being close to him. He is still snuggly and soft and sweet. I still rock him to sleep for naptimes and bedtimes.

Ezekiel loves letters and the alphabet. See the alphabet magnets that he's carrying around in these pictures? He sings "A, B..." or says, "A? B?" and dances to get us to start singing the alphabet song to him. He doesn't say a lot of phrases yet but of course he understands us quite well and follows simple directions. He is getting to where he can obey unflinchingly when I tell him to sit and stay (important commands when I am out and about with three kids on my own) or do simple tasks for me. He can usually say "Happy bir-day" when we begin that song, and a few times he did say the whole "happy bir-day to you" phrase. He likes to pray... if we forget to pray at the start of a meal, he reminds us... and he likes to stand up and sing at church. I usually start out holding him during singing time at church, but he wants down on the floor so he can stand and sing and stomp his feet. He likes rhythm.

He likes our kitty and likes to pretend to be a kitty, crawling around and meowing. He loves to run around the house with Abraham or play jumping and rolling games on the couch. He brings me stories to read to him, especially if I get distracted with something and he wants my attention, because he knows that's my soft spot and I can't resist reading a book to my baby when he asks for one. He's really into The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight My Duckling, Inside Outside Upside Down, Baby Sounds, and Hooray for Fish right now.

He loves to be outside. Loves to play with the cherries from the tree in our front yard, loves to slide on the slide on the park, loves to go for rides in the stroller. He's more and more able to do things with his big brother and sister, but they forget sometimes that he isn't a baby anymore and won't knock things down so much... they are still adjusting to sharing with him. But they do love him and dote on him and help him. And he is super patient with them, I think. Tolerating just about anything if only they will let him play with them. I have heard how younger siblings are, how much more resilient and patient and such, and used to not always having things go their way, but it does impress me to see him growing and developing in these ways.

He sleeps all night now without waking up and it makes me miss him a little bit. I really love this kid, really love our times together, really treasure him, really love watching him grow. He is just the sweetest little guy and he has been nothing but a pure blessing to us. I think every month since he was born, I have wanted to just keep him that age forever. Every stage and phase with him is the dearest and sweetest while it lasts. I am treasuring this boy so much.