My kid is back.I'm not sure if it has come through in the last, oh, three or four posts, but we've been having a hard time over here. There's been a lot of illness, a serious lack of sleep, some teething etc etc. Through all of this, Ezra has become... shall we say, the "Luke Skywalker" of the family.And by that, we mean he's been a whiner. It was going on for so long that I was seriously worried that this was just who he had become and that "no" was his answer for everything (bright future in IT at a major corporation at least!) and that we had some serious lessons in "bucking up" to work on.But then! Then the New Year started and he slept. And slept and slept. And he started eating EVERYTHING again. Like, last night? For dinner? He had three helpings of salad (!?!) and a full bowl of lentil stew (which has curry! and paprika! and all kinds of nutty spices in it!), a big slice of naan and then on top of that he wanted some oranges for dessert. A toddler who smells like Indian food? I'll take it!I seriously could not be more relieved.Not because I think this will last (hahahhahaha! See? I'm learning!), but because I know this little guy that I love so much, who is easy going and loves to laugh and sing to himself in the car and eat all of the things -- I'll know he's not lost forever next time. I'll know that I just need to be patient. And that right there? That's an important thing to learn.
This is Ezra playing with his rad new dump truck that the amazing Matt and Bryan gave him for Christmas. And he's in a totally fabulous jammie set from Ina in Norway!Yeah... I am just now seeing how much the dog hair is sticking to those clothes. I could photoshop that out so you all thought we live like Martha Stewart. But now you know the truth. Magda owns the couch. She is the queen. As if there was ever any doubt.
On Saturday we went to a local gallery to see a WONDERFUL photo exhibit of Elliot Erwitt's work. If you are unfamiliar, please click on that link. His dog photos, in particular, have such a great sense of humor about them.
Just a straight-on shot so we can all admire that cute hat.
This was taken Sunday night after that big dinner. LOOK AT HOW HIS BELLY IS STICKING OUT. It's like he's growing a child in there. It makes me laugh. I love a fat, happy kid.
I caught these two napping this weekend while I was cleaning up the kitchen. I noticed it was *awfully quiet* in the living room (Ezra was officially napping upstairs) and when I walked in, this is what I found. It's hard to tell in this image, but I shot this from above -- they are both on their sides facing the back of the couch. I love these two so dang much.
As for the boy? He is Señor Crankypantz this week. We were so lucky for all that sleep last week, because now (apparently) there is another tooth coming in and we are back to waking up several times a night and soothing this poor guy who is having a hard time enjoying life. We even took him to his first holiday party today where beautiful women plied him with cookies, and he still wouldn't smile. I MEAN, COME ON. (At least he had a sharp outfit on, though eh?)
Let's try to forget about the teething though and focus on the fun. Like those two smoochers up there.
Or how Ezra slid down the slide by himself today. About 15 times. Because once he realized he could do it on his own? His world changed and he was thrilled.
Plus, he got to explore this elf cave at the park. What a great fort!
And he got to sit on this spinning chair with Dad!
Magda was great at the park, just watching the other dogs walk by. Very alert, but very quiet. Which we would like more of, please.
And then it was time to leave and someone was very upset about this. Ah well, at least there was that nice moment on the slide...For your internet share how about this article on 
We had a busy week around these parts: Five shoots, three holiday parties, a trip to the museum, and a haircut (for me, not the kid... obviously).The best part? Ezra slept through the entire night every single day this week. EVERY SINGLE DAY. You guys, it has been months since that happened (thanks to the teething).And we now all feel like superheroes.
I love how Ezra likes to walk around brushing his teeth without any pants on. Adorable.
Sunday morning I was wrestling with Ezra on the couch. We were having so much fun, and I demanded Jamie come and take some photos of us. I am so glad! He did an amazing job!
And my favorite part about that last shot is that Jamie is being so sweet and kissing Ezra, while Ezra is reaching to burn the house down. Typical. :)
Things are getting a bit better! Ezra's fourth tooth broke through last week, and he instantly got sweeter and began sleeping better. Whew! We needed that!We had a fantastic weekend having our own holiday photos taken, posing with Santa (below), cooking a ton of delicious food, long walks outside in the unseasonably warm weather, a Saturday night dinner out along with time by the Christmas tree. Oh! And the Hanukkah candles.
Obviously, Santa was terrifying. I was still thrilled to get the photo though :)
I like this photo because you can see the new teeth (or nubs) as they are coming in. In this photo, I'm saying, "Hiiiii," and he's waving and saying "Hi!" back. It's my new favorite thing with him.
Ezra also started a phase this week where he wants to do everything on his own. He wants to walk on his own and he wants to push the stroller and he wants to eat everything on his own etc etc etc. This means things are slower going for us, but we're just enjoying the the journey.
Also, on Sunday we were leaving for another long walk and my camera fell off the strap I had carrying it. Oh, the noise it made when it hit the cement. I lifted it off the ground and I took this photo of Jamie to test if all was still working.Yup. Jamie was pretty stunned. (I love the expression on his face up there.)In answer, the camera is fine. The lens has lost its ability to auto focus, so I'll need to send that in for repair. But it still works as a manual focus, so not all is lost.
And Sunday night, we lit the Menorah with Ez after dinner.Pretty rad week.
My little girl is three years old today. Happy Birthday, Mags! I plan on spoiling her later with a romp in the snow and a glazed doughnut. Normally, we give our dogs ice cream on their big day. But Magda here is our first winter birthday, and ice cream doesn't sound as good as doughnuts, so there you go.On one hand, I feel like we just got Magda a year ago. Not because time has flown by so fast with her in our lives (although it has), but more because those traumatic days of her puppyhood seem still so fresh in my mind. But... then I remember that when she was a pup, Merlin was with us (and healthy). And there was no Ezra. And my dear friend Alby was still with us, and still undiagnosed with cancer. When I think of all that has transpired since we brought this girl home, it's more like she should be seven or eight years old today. Time is weird, eh?For your internet share today, I'm sending you over to 
Hi there! Did you all have a wonderful holiday? I hope so. And I hope you are well rested, well fed and returning to work in a happy and healthy place.Me? I'm still battling a horrific cold. (Yes, I beat the last one. Then this toddler of mine gave me a new one. I really cannot win.) But the time off was much needed around these parts (especially due to illness), and we made the most of our long weekend.The highlight of the weekend (besides a visit from my folks) is that Ezra continues his love of organization and cleaning up. One habit the kid cannot seem to break just yet is the love of his bottle. This drives me nuts because after he's had enough, he loves to turn the bottle over and shake out its remaining contents all over the rug/floor/couch/whatever. Gross. I always take the bottle away and then clean up the mess. Well! Now, when he does it, I take the bottle away and when I turn around, he has grabbed a tea towel or cloth of some kind, and is trying to clean up the mess himself. Who can get mad at that?!? Adorable.The lowlight is the lack of sleep. Seriously, kid. I know you are teething, but you are 1 year old. GO TO SLEEP.
Another highlight was when Meredith stopped by with her pup, Wally, and Ezra was drawn to the dog immediately (duh). I totally love it when friends drop in. When you grow up in the city you reside in, this isn't rare. When you move here in your late twenties, it's a fabulous surprise. As long as you're dressed. :)
We also picked up our Christmas Tree this weekend, and thankfully Ezra likes it, but is not TOO into it (like, pulling it down or eating it).
What Ezra is really into instead, is Magda... who might be a touch freaked out by all the attention. This is Ezra "hugging" Magda.
Poor girl is finding more and more hiding spots around the house. Don't get me wrong, she does like playing with Ez. But she's not as much into the physical hugging part as he is.
And yes, eating with utensils is still a (messy) work in progress.
Here is Ezra with my mom and dad! They drove up from Kansas to spend Thursday and Friday with us.
Magda is watching potential intruders. Ez, as usual, is watching Magda.
My cough has gotten so bad that I am keeping Jamie awake at night (and waking up the kid). So I have moved downstairs and have been sleeping on the couch for the past few nights. I'm honestly not complaining as I think my couch is just as comfy as my bed (seriously), but the living room is starting to look like the sick ward.
Those eyes. I swear.
I suspect I will get this look a lot more when he's a teenager.
And lastly, these two photos just made me happy. We decorated the tree yesterday and today, and that is really fun with a little kid around to see it all for the first time.
For your internet share, 
I hardly got any photos in this week as I was shooting for so many hours on other projects. That, and I only got about 15 minutes of daylight each weekday with The Kid, which I used to snuggle instead of take photos.Above, the boys enjoy the Sunday paper. Or maybe not enjoy it? I'm not sure what moment I caught Jamie in... maybe mid-chew?
And today was my full day with the family. And I got sick as a dog. Which meant most of the play time fell to Jamie... again. (Sad.) But he did a bang-up job!
But besides killin' it on the Dad Front, Jamie also managed to fix the broken refrigerator by himself. So he's just winning Husband of the Year all around. We thought we were going to have to spend hundreds of dollars to have the fridge fixed before Thanksgiving, but then Jamie searched You Tube, ordered a $3 part online, and proceeded to blow me away with his skills.
In terms of kid news, Ezra got a third tooth this week, so there was a lot of chewing on teething toys.
And he started hugging us. A lot. Which is awesome.
What a week, indeed. We had Halloween (obviously). I'm Cruella DaVille and Ezra went as Jaws*. Or Ezra being eaten by Jaws. Whatever.Ezra also got another new tooth, which brought on a fever and some serious crankiness. Magda had a bladder infection, but we got that cleared up. Other than that, she was a Master Snuggler as the temperatures dropped. Also?Oh yeah. Ezra is walking. WALKING. LIKE A ZOMBIE. It is wildly hilarious and terrifying, but so far, his balance seems pretty great.
He also was gifted 
On Friday, he went to daycare as the monkey (easier to move around in) and we toured Jamie's office trick-or-treating, and one department had this giant wheel you could spin for candy. Ezra just liked the wheel. He's not nuts about candy just yet, but he does like Reese's peanut butter cups. I mean, he is human.
Yeah. Did I mention the crankiness?
And poor Magda. As Ezra starts getting more and more balance with his walking, I fear she will be chased to the ends of the earth. But maybe she'll love it...
And lastly. You guys, I SUCK at these haircuts. Today I thought I would tackle the back with a razor with a claw/clip attachment guard thing in an attempt to clean up the length a bit. OMG, do you see that up there? I AM TERRIBLE. But whatever. That's what he gets for all those damn wiggles. At least he can't see it.(My friend Leah the stylist is horrified. I'm so sorry, Leah!)*The photo of Ezra and I was taken by the lovely Erin. Thanks lady!