Memorial Day Weekend and 15 months

What an awesome weekend we had! My mom came to visit for the 3 day weekend and we had so much fun! We started the weekend with Zeke's showcase at the Little Gym, unfortunately my moms flight landed right after, but Waynette was able to come to see Zeke and take some pictures for us! We love the Little Gym, it's serious fun every Saturday morning. We always start with a warm up that consist of walking/running in a circle, jumping, frontward rolls etc. Then throughout the class the kids are allowed to "explore" and we learn different skills that can be worked on during the exploring time. Zeke loves to roll, front roll, back roll it doesn't matter he'll stand up and sign "more, more!" He has also conquered the balance beam, but only front wards we still have to work on the side step and going backwards, he needs a little more spotting on those skills. We've also learned how to reach, grab and swing from the bar and this past weekend was the first time Zeke has actually held on and swung. Usually he just grabs the bar and once his feet are off the mat he lets go, but this weekend he swung and it was super exciting! He also loves to climb the "mountain of confidence;" which in return has taught him to think he can climb on anything and everything. I'm thankful for the confidence it has built in him, but not the idea that climbing on every table or any other person/object is ok. It has been serious fun to watch him grow in his skills and personality each week! I'm excited for summer session and then he moves up to the next class/level in the fall! Here are some pictures from the showcase.

Warming up

Playing with the sticks, we make letters and beat to the music, while trying not to take anyone out.

Climbing the "mountain of confidence"

Working on our reach and swing

Zeke's face says it all! (ok maybe mine too) :)

Zeke's very first medal!

Apparently the medal is way cooler than taking a pic with mom and dad!

Zeke's teacher Ms. Aubra

Zeke's gym buddy Graham!

Memorial Day weekend is normally the beginning of summer and celebrated with BBQ's and sunshine, but our weekend was better than BBQ and sunshines as we got 5" in rain over the weekend. For those who aren't in West Texas we've been in a 4 year drought and the water was much needed and appreciated! Being a 3 day weekend my mom came up, Kyle and I had plans to do lots and lots outside and mom could contain, I mean play with Zeke, while we worked but instead we enjoyed the rain and the times it was sunny and pretty we all played outside together. It was a really good weekend and I was so thankful to have my mom around. We baked (maybe she did most of it lol), she helped with laundry, she took me shopping and she watched Zeke when I went and taught spin Sunday and then on Monday when I worked out. It's just nice to have your mom around. We had so much fun and I'm really looking forward to our 4th of July vacation at the beach/Houston! Here are some pictures and videos from the weekend. Zeke seriously loved running and playing in the water and there were 2 random ducks in our front yard so Zeke/Kyle fed them a piece of bread and now Zeke has done nothing but run around and say "quack, quack!" As much fun was had I want to say thank you to all the families that have lost someone to war. We thank you for the sacrifice that was made and our prayers are with you and the ones you lost!

Flying the kite!

Zeke turned 15 months yesterday, Memorial Day, and what fun it has been. I really love the stage he is in, well for the most part. :) He runs and plays chase and kicks balls and is starting to talk and it's a lot of fun. I really think we laugh more than anything. He is so mischievous, curious, outgoing, fearless and can entertain himself for hours, but it's fun to watch because sometimes it's as he is just talking to himself. Every once in awhile he'll get mad because we aren't paying attention to him, but for the most part he is happy playing with his toys. Our favorite game right now is chase. We chase him and he chases us and his laughter fills the house. I seriously can't get enough of his laugh! Most of our time at home is really spent outside, we take his slide and his puppy and balls and bubbles and he'll play outside for hours. I'm pretty sure if he could live outdoors he would, but this is where we get to the part of the stage we are not enjoying. I love where Zeke is now and what he can do, but I'm ready for him to get to a point where he understands better. For example, when we can't go outside because it's 100 degrees and he gets way too hot too quick or if it's storming and it's not safe to be outside he doesn't understand. All he knows and understands is that he wants to go outside and that mommy and daddy are being mean, not that it's too hot or not safe so he throws a fit and I mean a screaming fit, needless to say those aren't fun. He also likes to scream at you if you take something away or get on to him, again his world is crashing down around him and he throws a fit at us. We've been using sign language since he was 9 months old so he can "tell" us more and please and all done etc. He has also started to try and say what we say. He can say tigger, dog, string cheese (this one is super cute), mama, dada, bye bye, hey, quack, and other random things, so it's fun to try and get him to repeat after us. Sometimes words come out clear and other times we are like sure Zeke whatever you say. :) 

There is one phase of this stage he is in right now that is extremely frustrating and wearing on our patience, it is his not wanting to go to bed phase. We are so used to, ok maybe spoiled by, the fact that we would say lets take a nap or go to bed and he would go to bed. It was as easy as that. We have been doing the same nighttime routine since seriously like 3 months and he has been sleeping 11-13 hours each night and going to bed without any fuss or scene. However, this past weekend was a different story (I'm hoping it was maybe b/c my mom was here and he was just too excited). We did our routine; take a bath about 7:30, brush our teeth, get our lotion and pj's on, do the peroxide and ear drops to the ear, comb our hair and then Zeke and I rock in his rocker and Kyle reads a book, we then say our prayers and then Zeke goes to bed. Welllll not this weekend, we'd put him in bed and he would just scream and I mean scream bloody murder. Tears wailing down his face like we were killing him. Kyle and I have a 10 minute policy, if after 10 minutes he isn't calmed down we'll go in sing to him, pat him, rock him etc., but on the few days he would fuss he was normally asleep within the 10 minutes, except every night this weekend. So we had to go in and seriously rock/pat him to get him to calm down and go to sleep. Once asleep he was out for the night, we just had to help him fall asleep and we've never had to do that before. I was talking to the pedi today at his check-up and she said it could be his teething, molars are nearly all in, or it's just a phase and it's going to get harder before it gets better. :( She said routine is key, he is just becoming more aware and is realizing that the world is not shutting down when he is. So we're going to keep our routine and our bed time the same we just might have to actually rock him and/or pat him to get him to calm down and go to sleep. Now that mom is gone and he went to school all day we shall see how tonight goes… 

I have yet to take "15 month" pictures, but here is one from the doc today and here is a little update.

Zeke Douglas Pate

15 months

25 pounds, 30 1/2" tall

12 teeth

Loves:

being outside

waving hi and bye bye

blowing kisses

riding with dad on his scooter cooler

talking

making messes

playing in the dirt

tigger

playing chase

doing frontward rolls

to eat

milk

riding his 4 wheeler

bubbles

playing in water, from water hose, from rain etc. he loves all water

Hates:

to be told no

when we take something away

when he can't go outside

Zeke is so much fun and growing big and strong! He is all boy and we are very blessed to be this little boys parents.

Thankful!

Kyle + Mary + Zeke + Kato & Bear-Bear