Ezekiel: 12 months

So of course, Zeke has a birthday and it flies right by me without a post about him.  Many thoughts, but no action.  Here's hoping I can remember back to give an accurate picture of what he was doing at 12 months...

• He is finally coming out of the crabby baby he used to be.  I think he was tired.  I probably should have been more strong-willed about sleep training.  Too late now.  
• He has the best smile and laugh.
• He loves to dance and will go to the CD player and lift up his hands toward it to get you to turn it on for him.  
• Never did take a paci or suck his thumb
• I think he might be my pickiest eater, if that is even possible.  He never did like many purees.  And he is super picky about table foods.  Fruit is definitely the favorite, but a kid can't live on fruit only.  He doesn't like a lot of things Thomas did, like hummus and guacamole.  He recently decided he likes black olives though, which is weird considering all the things he doesn't like.  
• He likes to paint himself with whatever food juices come with his food.  He does a lot of food hair gelling, ha ha.
• Mike and I say he definitely has the personality of "the baby."  He can put on a show when he wants to, lol. 
• He loves to follow big brothers around and wrestle with them.  He gets so mad when they leave the house or go outside without him.  
• He loves this little spiral ramp car track that we have.  
• He puts everything in his mouth.  EVERYTHING.  Leaves, grass, rocks, legos, bottle caps, lint from the dryer.  
• He also likes to bite stress balls and tear them up into little pieces with his teeth.
• He has mastered the stairs, both up and down.  Thank the Lord.  No more gates for me. And he loves the climb other things, like the ladder up to the trampoline, Lord help me.

Ezekiel: 11 months. What?!

Our blonde little squeaky Zeke is already 11 months old.  

• He is the blondest of all our babies. 
• I feel like he might also be the pudgiest, but that is not saying too much, lol.  
• He likes to yell just to hear himself, especially in the morning, when he is the only one up. 
• He has his two bottom middle teeth and his incisors actually came through on top before any other top teeth.  Little vampire baby.
• Walking is his thing and he is our earliest walker yet, starting about 10 months, but really going strong about 10 1/2 months.
• Eating is not his thing.  He might even be harder than Jackson and Max.  Thomas likes SO many more things than Zeke does.  Zeke really likes to feed himself.  If I try to spoon feed him, he usually spits whatever it is out all over his hands and tries to feed it back to himself.  This does not work so well with pureed things or oatmeal.  
• Loves to be on Mama's left hip.  And he will wiggle and jiggle himself around till he is settled there just so.  
• He loves to play in the toilet.  He is our first child to be so into this and he is fixated on it, watching to see when anyone leaves the toilet seat up.  Gross.
• He LOVES to be outside.  He will cry (mad cry) if I walk toward the back door like we are going out, but then I don't actually go.  
• Still nursing.  Gets up once in the middle of the night most of the time.  If I nurse him sometime before 0500 he will usually go on sleeping until about 0600 or 0630.  
• It is incredibly hard to get a good picture of this kid.  He sees me with the camera and he runs toward me.  And then, he gives me this terrible look, like he is trying too hard to smile.  

Zeke: 9 months!

Zeke turned 9 months on Thomas' second birthday.

• Pulling up and furniture surfing.  Attempts to stand on his own, but he is still very wobbly. 
• He can climb up the stairs, but of course, he is a danger to himself because he sits backward like there is a floor under him.  Therefore, the stair gate went back up.
• Does not have a huge variety of food he likes and what he does like, he wants to feed himself.  If I am giving him something pureed or mashed, he will take the spoonful and then spit it back into his hand so he can feed himself.  Gross.  And annoying.  And it makes for really messy mealtimes.  
• Still does not sleep through the night.  None of them did very early, but Zeke and Thomas take the cake, going past 9 months.  
• Doesn't take a paci or suck his thumb.  What?!
• He is the wiggliest, squirmiest baby just in general.  He takes it to another level with diaper changes.  
• Loves the brothers.
• Is not really interested in cups. 
• Just has two bottom teeth.
• He loves to slime my hair and chew on it.  He also loves to do this to anyone with hair, especially Thomas.
• He is a very early riser.  Every day at least by 0600, but usually earlier.
• He smiles for the camera.
• He got his first haircut this month because his bangs were just ridiculous.