Tuesday Tangents

Ezra has cut his second tooth. His little grin is even more cute to me now. I may be regretting that I said the teething process doesn't seem to be bothering him. He has not napped well the past couple of days and last night he woke up at midnight crying. I suppose it could have been a nightmare but his napping issues during the day seemed to point to teething. Or maybe it was stomach problems. I wish he could tell me.

Ezra is starting to get really good at pulling himself up on things. You can tell once he has reached the standing position that he is so pleased with himself. He flashes you a great grin and gets all excited. He has reached a stage when all he wants to do is stand or walk. However he can't stand on his own unless he has something to hold on to and he definitely can't take steps independently yet. This means that I am getting a pretty good workout. My mom told me my jeans are going to have holes in the knees pretty soon. I am glad he is wanting to do these things but it wears me out! Too bad my birthday is still 6 months away because I know I would be asking for gift certificates for a massage.

It is possible that Ezra looked at me this morning and said, "Mama." It totally took me off guard so I can't say for sure. He has been babbling the "Ma" sound a lot recently but he has never addressed me with that term. Stay tuned.

I have started brainwashing teaching Ezra about politics. Too early? Perhaps. However, what I am teaching him is very cute. He hasn't quite perfected it yet but when he does I promise to post a video. No matter what your politics, I promise it will make you smile.

Ezra and I went to a 1st birthday party this past weekend for one of my friend's daughters. I was talking with the birthday girl's grandma and she was asking me some questions about Ezra. And then she said something incredibly refreshing. She told me, "You guys are so blessed to have Ezra." Yes! Usually people say the opposite and tell us how lucky Ezra is that we adopted him. I know the intentions are kind and they are just trying to pay us a compliment. However, it always makes me cringe. I know a lot of adoptive moms write about this and how hard it is to respond to that comment. I am glad Ezra isn't able to understand those words yet. The circumstances that led to his adoption are far from lucky. I don't want him to ever feel he owes us extra gratitude. He made me a mom and Damon a dad. We are the grateful ones. I also know that as an adoptive mom I am much more in tune with the loss that leads to adoption and I don't expect everyone to get that. Heck, I am sure before adoption was on my radar screen I may have said the same thing to an adoptive parent. So it was just so wonderful to have someone recognize how we feel.

Two years ago today my Grandma Virgina passed away. I have been thinking about her a lot this morning and what she would have to say about Ezra. My Grandma was well known for using superlatives a lot in her speech. Everything was always the best, most, funniEST, etc. Perhaps she would have said he is the most expressive baby ever or he has the biggest eyes. At some point when I was in high school my Grandma put together a folder for me with photos and descriptions of all the things she was doing when she was my age. I think it was a way to show me how some things had changed yet others remained constant. She was always teaching. I used that as inspiration for an assignment in a creative writing class in high school. It was the one poem my teacher, who was known for being a tough grader, gave me an "A." My mom recently found the poem and sent it to me. I thought it would be fun to share.

I sit on the cold hard floor

of my grandma's attic

photo albums surrounding me.

Yellow faded pages crinkle with every slight touch,

each black and white picture carefully dated.

I turn page after page,

delicately,

hardly blinking.

Grandma and Great Uncle Ross

playing marbles - 1921

Creating obstacles

with furniture, twigs, and utensils.

Ballroom dancing lessons - 1928

Face Flushed

Stuck with a short toe stepper

Stumbling through the fox trot.

Thanksgiving dinner - 1930

cutting carrots and potatoes

Being helpful.

Standing outside Border Star School - 1931

Alice on one side, June on the other

Dressed in kimonos

Chrysanthemums in their hair

She is my age - 1935

Packing her Royal Typewriter and Atwater Kent Radio

Off to an all girls' college in Boston.

She smiles,

eyes filled with hope,

suitcases full of promises.

Lastly, a photo for you as the final tangent of the day.

As my grandma would have said, the cutEST.