Zeke's 1!

I wanted to post these pictures of Zeke's birthday week, even though I'm two weeks behind! This is supposed to be kind of my scrapbook of life, in lieu of a real scrapbook, and I like that idea. So here's my attempt at keeping up!

Zeke's first year, oh what a year. The C-section misery that was his entrance into the world...the anxiety of those first weeks waiting for his passport so we could move out of Japan at the right time...the lack of furniture in our house when we brought him home-we changed him on a dresser, he slept in a 20$ bassinet we bought at the last minute...the tearful goodbyes to the dearest friends we've ever had as a couple...the selling of cars, moving into the Navy Lodge, packing and repacking and doing laundry and nursing and living in two separate rooms for a week in the attempt to let the children sleep...the 30 hour trip back to the states with a 6 week old and a 2 year old...and finally arriving in Texas for 2 sweet weeks with grandmothers and fathers and all the help and love and rest...the Embassy Suites in Monterey, yet another attempt to let our children sleep...looking for cars and a home here in California-a million phone calls, Brian having to do most of that work while I did the kid stuff back at the hotel...meeting the Howards the 2nd day of our arrival and eating a normal dinner at their house...finding the most perfect place for our family-an old red house with plenty of room, wood floors, and these 2 enormous, gorgeous trees in the front yard. When we moved in here, I knew I could do this motherhood of two children.

Zeke has been such an easy baby, not as much of a champion sleeper as Sadie was. I can't complain, though. He has been sleeping through the night since he was about 6 months old, and though he has never taken much of a morning nap, he sleeps for 2 hours every afternoon. And boy, can that kid play! He is such a goer-doesn't like to be held much, but loves to play with toys, loves to be outside. I wish he'd let me cuddle him more, but I guess I'll get used to the quick squeezes he'll allow! I've so enjoyed falling in love with him. His little crinkly smile, his crazy hair, his sniffy sound when he laughs.

He's starting to babble now and say things like momma and baba and "dee" for Sadie. He's so game for anything, and Sadie is his best buddy. She's teaching him to walk, holding his hands and dragging him all over the house. His favorite things to eat right now are green peas and pizza. He will NOT sit in the front seat of the shopping cart, although last week I did all my shopping with him sitting backwards in the front with one hand in the bag of grapes.

As for the party, what a blast. I'm not the world's greatest party planner, but God is good. I prayed all week for good weather, and though it was supposed to rain, we got sunburned instead. Some friends from church, some from play group, some from PWOC, some from Brian's work. Nobody knew each other, but that was okay, our friends are good minglers. I'm so thankful for a husband who makes people feel comfortable. Jill made this darling beach theme cake, and it had carrots in it! One more food that Zeke willingly eats!

This picture of the kids playing in the sand is like one of my dreams come true, a bunch of little toddlers playing in the dirt.

And then we used all of the confetti eggs that Brian's mom sent for Easter. Once they figured out what was in them, the kids went to town, smashing them all over each other and us. Zeke seemed a little bewildered by that activity.

All in all, I feel like the party was a success. We know people here. They love us enough to celebrate one year with our son. Thank you Lord.

Happy Birthday little Zeker. We love you so much.