Happy Monday...

This past weekend was a somewhat good one for the kids, although they both can get fussy at the drop of a hat. Makenna will have an occasional tantrum, but I think we've got her figured out. Her outbursts don't last as long as they used to, probably because we've stopped reacting to them. Once she sees that we've stopped paying attention, the fussiness usually stops and then she's back to normal. She's been a lot of fun now that she's become extremely mobile. Now when she wakes up from her naps, she likes to walk down the hallway rather than being carried! What a relief because she was starting to get really heavy!

Isaiah, on the other hand, still has us puzzled. He's still doing the thing where he'll be sound asleep and then he'll startle himself, which then escalates into a fit of crying. Lately he's been extra gassy, so that just tells us that most of his fussiness is obviously due to miscomfort. He did, however, sleep through the night for the first time this weekend-a full 7 hours! What a relief for us! Of course that's not to say he'll do it all the time, but at least we know he's headed that way. The interesting thing is that he pulled his all-nighter at the same time that Makenna did, which was at the end of their 7th week. Coincidental? I think not!

"no pictures please, we just woke up"

Kenna reads the letters on Zay's shirt

Daddy can't stop taking our pictures

Another Hump Day....

As of Easter, there haven't been any significant changes in the day to day routine of the Camero kids. Zay hit the seven week mark yesterday, and Kenna continues to be a great source of entertainment. Looking at our calendars, we realized that there won't be another holiday to look forward to until the end of May. We captured a couple of pics to show you how the kids reacted to the devestating news. Happy Wednesday!

Easter fun..

This Easter marked Makenna's second, and Isaiah's first. In fact, Makenna was just a little over a month old for her first Easter, much like Isaiah was yesterday. For little Zay, it may as well just have been another day, but for Kenna, it was her chance to show us all how much she's grown! The first part of the day was spent with Grandma & Aunt B who came over for brunch. Of course they both spoiled Kenna & Zay, but that's what family's supposed to do! Afterwards, it was off to Nonno & Nonna's house for some play time with the cousins.

We had a great time just watching the kids interact with one another. Little Isaiah was awake for a greater part of the day, although he didn't participate much in the festivities. Kenna was able to keep up with the boys for the most part, mainly because she's up on her feet now. This was her first Easter egg hunt, so naturally she didn't know what to do. She did end up snatching a couple of eggs, one for herself, and one for her brother-what a great big sister! Elliott & Wesley were pros, but were both generous enough to share the loot with their cousins! Can't wait until next year when Zay can get in on the fun. Kenna will definitely have her own little tag team partner, or she might just throw Zay under the bus--every man for himself!!!

The grandkids, the cousins, the next generation, the clique...

Makenna has two eggs, one for herself & one for Isaiah

Makenna's Easter bunny costume

showin' little brother some love on Easter

Hump Day...

Kenna is off and running now, literally. She has really made strides with her walking, and we constantly find her attempting new things as she tests her limits. While walking, she tries to look in a different direction than where she's walking, which usually ends up with her falling over. She makes attempts to play with toys while walking, and that doesn't seem to trip her up. She has mastered squatting down and picking things up while walking, so she is becoming a little more versatile. Check out the latest video clip of her "owning" the family room. She doesn't do any of her tricks, but you can see just how confident she's become with walking.

Last night, we took the kids out to run some errands, rather than leaving them at home with one of us. This was the first time we let Kenna out of the stroller to explore and boy did she have a blast! Whenever she saw an open area that allowed her to open up, she shrieked with delight, making everyone around her take notice. Her laugh is very contagious and it makes people smile, or so it did last night. We enjoyed letting her have her freedom for a bit because we knew it would tire her out. Once we got her home, it took her no time to crash out!

Zay is still eating like a madman, and at times we find it frustrating that we can't seem to satisfy his appetite. His bouts of gas & acid reflux have both let up considerably, and now it seems like his belly is a bottomless pit! At this rate, the supply is keeping up with the demand, so we're still good in that sense!

sound asleep since the belly has been satisfied...

Another week...

The weekends continue to pass quickly, and it feels like there's no time for much of anything but feeding the kids and then making sure they take their naps! And while we try to keep the both of them on the same schedule, it's a little harder with Isaiah, since he stays hungry for about 50% of the day! This "little" guy can really put that stuff away, and he's not getting any smaller. Over the past couple of weeks, we've noticed a change in him. Of course he's going through the same things that his sister did with the acid-reflux, which seems to be a bit more under control now that we've got him on meds. He's become a lot more solid and is really starting to fill out now that he's increased his intake. It's most noticeable in his face, and much like his daddy & sister, he's got the cheeks to prove it! Along with his growth, he continues to become more and more aware of what's around him. He's been enjoying a lot of tummy time, and prefers to sleep on his stomach during the day. It's almost as if he sleeps more soundly that way, and in doing so, it allows Enz to catch up on some much needed rest herself! He's starting to make some cooing sounds, and practices lifting his head up and keeping it up for long periods of time. He's got a doctor's appointment coming up, and we're curious to see how much his stats have changed since his last visit.

We brought the kids to church this past Sunday, and they both were on their best behavior. WHEW! Isaiah slept almost through the entire mass, and we pride ourselves with this guy since he's able to sleep through almost anything! And Makenna had her halo on this time, not acting out at all. She's never really had issues in church, but if she stays in one place too long, she gets a little "stir crazy," much like her mommy =) As the weekend wound down, we relaxed at home, eager for the new week to begin (hehehe)...

Little Zay's "grunge" look

One of Makenna's new hair clips (she's letting mommy mess with her hair now!)

Ahhhhhh, Mommy & Zay finally getting some refreshment!!!

So it seems that the kids have more in common than their obvious charm and sophistication =) Since little Isaiah has been on the fussy side lately, we inquired with the doctor what it could be. His first thought was that it was gas, remember he's a Camero, but even after giving Zay drops to aid in this, he still remained uncomfortable. His discomfort continued on through the week, seemingly getting worse as each day passed. When we called on the doctor again, he went ahead and prescribed the same medication he did for Kenna when she had her bouts of acid reflux. Wow, it's really like deja vu!
Nevertheless, we went ahead and started giving Zay his new meds, and we're hoping to see a change for the better within the next couple of days. Big sister Kenna is always around to make sure her little brother is ok, and only gets closer to him daily. I'm sure she's just waiting for the day he can keep up with her, as she manages to keep us on our toes! Happy Friday!

Hump Day...

After Makenna's first birthday bash, it's been nice to get things back in order at home. Everything leading up to the party was all about preparation, and now it's all about relaxation (well, to some degree that is). For me, work is work, and for Enz, life at home is work! The kids haven't been in the best of spirits lately, and I'm sure it's working Enza's nerves. Kenna had her first year doctor visit, and with that visit came a barrage of shots. YIKES! She was NOT a happy camper, and we think she's still letting us know that! Little Zay has had bouts of uncomfortable gas (he is a Camero) which leave him fussy & irritated. What a handful!

Of course that's just the downside and every now and then it's good to vent. Aside from all the fussiness, both kids are making waves. Zay is becoming more aware of his surroundings and loves to stare at specific things, mainly anything red, which is pretty much all of Kenna's Elmo memorabilia. We found out last night that he really loves to sleep on his tummy, and did a nice three hour stretch without much of a peep. He's able to lift his head & turn it to the other side while sleeping on his belly, so his neck strength is increasing.

the little brother...

Makenna loves to watch Isaiah sleep...

Kenna is really enjoying the whole walking thing, and even though she's still stumbling around, she's on her two feet more than she is on her hands and knees. She's been pretty vocal about letting us know that she wants to explore the house, and has sneakily found her way around one of our baby gates. When she does that, we usually hear her chubby little feet slapping the kitchen floor as she makes her way to the refrigerator. She also continues to test her vocal abilities as she chatters away! It's always nice to hear her "speaking" her mind while she's doing her own thing. Sometimes we'll hear what sounds like an actual word and we'll both look at each other with the "did you hear that" look. Can't wait to hear what her real voice sounds like... Happy Wednesday!

staying hydrated and ready to party...

Kenna's 1st Birthday Bash

This past weekend we celebrated Makenna's first birthday. Through all the stress of preparation and making sure every last detail was taken care of, we made it, and we had a blast doing it! We were fortunate that the weather was favorable for her party. Earlier in the week the forecast called for an overcast day with a chance of showers in the afternoon, but we lucked out and the weather was great! Thank God for that because if we had all those people inside, it would've been pure chaos. The kids enjoyed the jumper we had set up in the back yard, and we got through the entire party with just the right amount of food (although it did seem like a bit much when we laid it all out)!

We had a great time visiting with family, and seeing our friends, both old & new. A lot of them still hadn't met Isaiah yet, so this was an opportunity to get caught up with the growing Camero family. There were still a few people who weren't able to make it out, but don't worry, the kids will have plenty of birthday parties! Just think, we only have 11 more months until it's Isaiah's first, so we'll probably start planning it next week! Thanks to all of you who made it out and helped to make this a special day for our special baby girl. If Makenna could speak, she'd say she had a great time and she'd love to do it again soon!

Kenna's 1st birthday cupcakes

The birthday girl with mommy & daddy

cupcake face

Happy 1st Birthday Makenna!!

You say it's your birthday?

We can't believe a year has passed. This little girl keeps amazing us with her character and personality. And as much as we love her being a baby, we can't wait to see how she continues to grow. She's already proven that she can be pretty headstrong, and we already know she's going to be a great role model and mentor to her baby brother!

Here's to getting through that adventurous first year! It may have been rough at times, but it was a learning experience! Happy Birthday to our beautiful baby girl Makenna, and many more (birthdays that is, not kids, at least not yet)!!!

Happy 1 Month Isaiah!

Today is Zay's one month birthday! And where has the time gone? This guy keeps on growing and changing day by day, but one thing remains the same: this boy can eat!! We've been blessed thus far with healthy children with hearty appetites!

It's been in the works, but yesterday marked the first day that Makenna really and truly walked on her own! She's been taking steps here and there, and would do so only when she was pushed to do so. But somehow, something lit a fire under her little butt yesterday, almost as if she woke up in the morning determined to "make it on her own." Enz called me during the day to tell me that Kenna walked the entire length of the couch without holding on, and did so numerous times. When I got home, she was already walking across the room, without hesitation. When we took her to visit Nonno & Nonna, she kept on walking! Of course she'd stumble at times, but that's just a fact of life. She'll be running in no time!

Now it's just a matter of keeping her away from things we don't want her walking to!!!

Magic Number One

Things are changing in the home for us. Both kids are hitting some memorable milestones this week. For Makenna, she'll be turning 1 year old, while Isaiah hits the 1 month old mark. Where has the time gone? I took an entire month off to help out at home while we get adjusted to twice the kids, and that time off flew by! Of course the days blended together for the first couple of weeks due to lack of sleep, but when I finally got my bearings in order, it was time to get back to the daily grind!
Kenna has started to develop a little more confidence with her attempts at walking on her own. She knows she can do it, but we think fear is getting the best of her. She loves the safety net of knowing that if she loses her balance, all she needs to do is grab onto the couch or whatever's nearby. Her eyes bug out substantially when she steps out of her comfort zone. Of course we all get apprehensive about doing things for the first time