More Pict's

We went to Caledonia last weekend- Ezra had fun getting wet with daddy. Ezra has found a new favorite toy- my keys. He doesn't understand that they have a use other than a toy! When I grab my keys to go somewhere, Ezra thinks I need to hand them over. You can tell by his expression that he is quite pleased with himself!!

Fun Pictures

We celebrated Delton's 26th birthday on Tuesday. So much fun to have Ezra there to celebrate with us.

Ezra's second cousin came to play yesterday. Ezra enjoyed playing with him, although Ezra wasn't too sure about sharing his toys!

So much fun!

We had a busy weekend- the Sollenberger reunion at Cove Friday and Saturday, a graduation party on Sunday afternoon, and friends over on Sunday evening. It was a great time. Ezra slept in a tent for the first time, went swimming and loved it, and did great in all the activity. I am posting some pictures from the last couple days.

The Mess picture: I wanted to check email and keep Ezra happy while I was occupied, so I let him play with his diaper bag. Whoops. I saw the crackers in his hand an instant before they were all over him. Oh well, I rationalized. This will probably buy me a few more minutes- and it did! He loved it!

The "daddy and Ezra" picture:This evening, Ezra was tired. He was walking along the couch and putting his head down on the cushions. Delton came over to him, and Ezra laid his head down on Delton. So precious!

I am curious as to who is checking my blog. Please leave a quick comment if you can and let me know that you are checking the site. If you have never left a comment before, it's really easy. Just hit the comment button on the bottom of this posting and follow the directions- you can sign in as anonymous and just put your name in the message. I look forward to hearing from you!

Walking

Ezra has started walking! Yesterday, I had so much fun discovering his abilities. He was able to walk, stop and look around, then keep on walking. Several times, he let go of his support and took off by himself. It seems unreal- like this is just a fluke and next week he'll go back to being my little baby. He is just about 11 months old- which means his first birthday is just around the corner. I was not ready for this! I am enjoying this stage, and look forward to all the upcoming stages, but at times still miss the times I could hold him for hours. Now, I am thankful when he lets me give him a hug! :) What an amazing journey. I'm having a blast!

Fourth of July 5K Run

We did it! Delton and I participated in Waynesboro's annual 5K Firecracker Run. Delton's goal was to do it in under 23 minutes (best case scenario) or 24 minutes (more realistic scenario!). He finished in 22 minutes and 56 seconds!! Amazing! My goal was to finish in under 45 minutes, which is when you have to move to the sidewalk if you are still on the course. I wanted to finish on the road, and I did. I finished in 42 1/2 minutes. I ran the first mile, and ran about half of the next two. After not training for several weeks, and doing very little running during my training, I was extremely pleased with how it went. I felt a euphoria similar to how I felt when I had Ezra- I pushed myself farther than I thought I could go- and succeeded! I'm already thinking about what my goal will be next year...maybe simply to run the whole thing? We'll see!

A Crazy Life

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. My parents and three youngest sisters came in two weeks ago. My parents left my sisters here and left for a conference in N.C. for a week. Delton, Ezra and I, along with my sisters, moved in to Daryl and Rhoda's house for the week (they were in Canada). For a week I got to reconnect with Cameo, Katelyn, and Andrea. We went swimming, shopping, played innumerable games of rummy, scrapbooked, went out to Applebee's (girls night out!), and had a great time. Ezra got to know his aunts, and they were able to experience the gift of Ezra!

Ezra has taken several steps on his own over this past weekend. I saw his steps for the first time on Sunday in the nursery. He took two steps towards me. He is a little over ten months. It is hard to believe my baby is so close to walking unassisted.

I look forward to life slowing down. My sisters got me inspired to scrapbook again, so I look forward to taking time for creativity.

My family is leaving tomorrow morning. I will miss them.

Growing Up and Going Out

My little guy is certainly growing up...I heard Delton getting Ezra ready for church on Sunday. I came into our bedroom to find Ezra wearing this, and Delton wearing a funny expression on his face. "He picked it out," he told me. "He wanted to wear this today." I had to laugh. My wonderful men! (I changed him!)

Delton and I went to Harper's Ferry on Saturday to celebrate our second anniversary. We had a great time. I had never been there, so I was surprised at how historic it was- I imagined lots of shops, and found lots of museums/old time shop replicas. It was a beautiful day.

I'm Back

This has been the craziest few weeks, trying to figure out what is wrong with our computer. It has been at the computer store twice, a computer tech has been out to the house twice, Comcast has been out once, and I have spent innumberable hours on the phone trying to get someone to tell me why my computer won't connect to the internet. I am writing this on a loaner from the computer store...they are flabbergasted and confused- and they are the experts!!!
Life is going well for us. I am soooo excited that my family is coming in next week and spending two weeks. Wonderful! This Saturday, Delton and I are going away for the day to celebrate our two year anniversary. Two years! Crazy! It seems like just yesterday that I felt like my wedding date would never come!
Ezra loves to hold my hands and walk everywhere. Forget his toys- he wants to play with anything but! My calculator, phone, the tupperware drawer, my closet...entertaining him has become a full time job. He is so much fun.
I am looking for a part time, at home job- a few hours a week. Anyone know of anything?
I look forward to catching up with those of you who check my blog. It is good to be connected again!!!

A New Look!

I haven't had hair this short in a long time! It will be fun figuring out what I can do with it. Ezra got used to it quickly. Delton is adjusting to his new wife!

Precious Moments

There are some things that I do in my every day routine that are special- they remind me that I have a son, who is such a blessing. After Ezra is down for a nap, I clean up the toys we had been playing with- a simple act, but satisfying nonetheless. I didn't do that before I had Ezra. Another "precious moment" is when Delton and I check on Ezra before we go to bed each night. Delton will often whisper, "Char- that's our son!" Amazing, even after nine months. Ezra is close to nine months, and I am really enjoying this stage.

Hippie No More

Delton got his hair cut on Saturday. I cut it, a triumph for me, since I have two brothers who would never let me touch their hair (but allowed my older and younger sisters to cut it. Go figure!). It was scary at times, as he definately had a horrid mullet at one point, but we persevered and are very happy with the final result. We figured it was time to cut it when one of Delton's coworkers told him that if he cut his hair "he would be doing himself a favor!" I am still getting used to my new husband!

Daddy Thoughts

By Delton:

Man, being a dad is a growing experience! I have always looked forward to being a dad, and I am enjoying it immensely! But I am certainly on a learning curve, as I'm sure we all are as parents.

One thing I'm coming to understand:

I have found as a father there are values and virtues I want to pass on to Ezra. At this point it is things like: He is not going to always get what he wants, and he needs to be OK with that; he can entertain himself and be content without mommy and daddy. Ezra is a great kid, don't get me wrong. I am simply aware that he has the same propensity as any child to become a brat, and I accept the responsibility as his father to make sure that does not happen.

So, when I am on daddy duty with Ezra in the evenings, I look for opportunities to impart these principles to my 7 month old son. The other evening I was making such efforts, and till the end of the evening I was not feeling top notch. He was fussy, I was depressed, and his mother had to intervene. Later, as Charity debriefed me, some dynamics came to light.

Essentially, in the three or so hours I have with my son each day I must be careful to not miss the heart of my child by dwelling on the principles I want to instill in him. I need to be connecting with his heart, learning to understand him and his needs. Out of that understanding I can effectively and wisely discipline and train him.

Maybe this is one source of resentment between fathers and children. We have a pure desire to see our children grow into mature, responsible adults. So, we come home in the evening, see our children display an undesirable behavior, and make and effort to curb such behavior. But, if we are not careful, we miss the heart of our child, and end up crushing him and generating resentment.

Just some thoughts from a daddy in training.