Disrobing

Big Poppa here. Well, we wrapped up a tough week, absorbing a couple of difficult losses, as Ash mentioned in our previous post. We take comfort in the warmth of family, and consider ourselves very lucky to have all we have. Someday we'll have to begin trying to explain this sort of thing to Ezra, which is terribly daunting. But, humbled, we soldier on.

Luckily, Ezra is such a source of joy, and caring for him is life-affirming. Not long ago we read somewhere that at this age they love to discover that they can do things we normally do for him. This article suggested letting him begin to undress himself before bath time. We gave it a shot, and as the video below indicates, we were not disappointed.

Also, a note from the Department of Delayed Gratification: since Ezra's birth, we have subjected him to somewhat regular dance parties. These were tolerated, for the most part. But in just the last few weeks, these have become major highlights of Ezra's day. He requests music at all hours of morning or evening -- often all too early in the morning, he'll start blurting out, "Myoogick! Myoogick!" When we oblige with the iPod and, I daresay, some sweet moves, he beams and chants, "Dancing! Dancing!" He's a big fan so far of The Pogues and Lucinda Williams. Also, in the car and at bedtime he has taken to requesting songs. There aren't many people who appreciate, let alone demand, our musical stylings, so we are especially gratified by this.

The weather here has been predictably grim, which adds up to a lot of cabin fever. We have been slow to discover many indoor activities outside the home around here. But Ash did shrewdly buy a membership to the Notebart Nature Museum, which readers may recall as the "butterfly place" from an earlier post. Ezra is a big fan, and can rattle off its attractions upon request: "Cockroaches! Bear! Turtle! Water!" You'd understand if you've been there. Anyway, that's been a welcome haven from our increasingly cluttered quarters.

In a few days we will greet Pop-Pop and Grandma as they make an encore appearance here in Chicago, and a week from today we'll mark Ezra's 18-month birthday. Ah, the sands of the hourglass ...

Much love,

Gabe, Ash and Ez