Thursday, July 31, 2008

The little big man is doing another change up again, this time we can't figure out why. He doesn't appear to have any other teeth coming in at the moment; the two bottom ones are about half way out, and they've changed his look a bit. Of course, whenever you try to pull his lip down to look at them, he just sticks his tongue out anyway, so if you're able to see them, you're lucky! He's been more on the needy side lately, and he lets us know, loudly, if there's something that he's not feeling (although it takes us a while to figure out what's buggin' him). We've tried and tried to get him to play in the jumper, the one Makenna loved to play in, but we can't even get him into it without him screaming bloody murder! UGH! He's a bit more sensitive than Kenna was at this age, so we're gonna have to find things for him to help toughen him up! Hahahaha....

Isaiah doing his best impersonation of The Rock and his "people's eyebrow"

Mommy & Zae chillin' in the back yard

Makenna has developed a strange and mischievous laugh, and we don't know where it came from. It kind of reminds me of the little boy "Gage" from the movie Pet Sematary of years ago, though not quite as eerie! It's a forced, fake laugh, but she knows exactly when and where to use it, and it always gets a reaction from the both of us. Maybe her laugh is just the beginning, a sign of things to come, if you will. Makenna may look like me, but she's got the attitude of a little Enza...

Makenna caught dancing on stage? Guitar heroes

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Our goofy kids

Isaiah looking more rotund than usual...

Makenna representin' HK





Monday, July 28, 2008

Weekend at home...

The weekend came and went all too quickly! Not much to do, nothing planned really, just some relaxing time at home with the family. It seems that we have our busy times where we have things planned and places to go every weekend for about a month straight. That's just downright exhausting! Now we're in a down period, where we don't have to be anywhere or do anything unless we feel like it, and these are the times when we have the most fun with the kids.

We started Isaiah on cereal this weekend, and his first attempt at it, he really wasn't feeling it. He was more interested in getting fed, so the bottle was his obvious choice of refreshment. On our second attempt, he was lukewarm to it, and was trying to make sense of the textures in his mouth. Once he figured out how to eat it, although on the messy side, he was all for it. It got to the point where we couldn't get it on the spoon fast enough before he was grabbing for it and shoving it in his mouth! Reminds us of when we started this phase with Makenna. It'll take some adjustment, but it looks like he's hooked!

Makenna's been a great big sister, and she's really fallen into her role as our little helper, especially when it comes to Isaiah. Her favorite thing to help out with is burping him, and many times we have to tell her not to hit so hard! It appears that she's getting really anxious for Isaiah to crawl and be able to move about more freely on his own. When we put him down for some floor time, she's all over him! I think she forgets that he's smaller than her, although not by much, and she loves to roughhouse with him. It's almost like she remembers how I used to wrestle with her and she's applying it to her little brother! Beware Kenna! It won't be long until Zae can hold his own with you, and by then, I'm sure he'll turn the tables on her =)

For now, Kenna's content at being Isaiah's little mentor. It's an experience to watch the two of them interact, almost like they can already understand one another...

Friday, July 25, 2008

Happy Friday!!!

It's Friday, another week is almost done! The kids are happy, so we're happy! Hope everyone has a great day, and an equally great weekend =)

happy for the coming weekend =) Modeling more Filipina couture...
(maganda = beautiful)

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Loving children...

As Isaiah continues to grow, he's been wanting to practice standing up, even though he hasn't quite mastered sitting up on his own just yet. I guess he doesn't quite understand the saying "you need to crawl before you can walk," but oh well, we've got another overachiever on our hands! Whenever we practice standing up with Isaiah, it brings delight to the face of his big sister. Whenever she sees his feet touch the ground, she's right on his tail giving him a hug =)

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Diggin' the Fat Tire...

Here's a late, but GREAT pic of the little big man from Elliott's birthday party this past weekend. I almost forgot that he did snap out of his teething funk, if only for a little while. I guess he got bored when I was chatting while holding him, because he helped himself to my drink! I wonder if the alcohol helped with his teething pains? Anyway, looks like little Zae man digs Fat Tire! Thanks you Auntie 'Chelle for capturing this moment for posterity!

priceless...

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Role reversal

Looks like the kids pulled a little switcharoo on us. Yesterday was a really good day for Isaiah, and it appeared that Grandma didn't have any problems with his fussiness. Great! According to her, he napped well and ate well, so perhaps his teething has subsided a bit. It's good that he gets a "day off" in there, to give him a little break from the pain. He was much happier yesterday, and was easy to deal with after a long day at work. Whew!

happy days are here again =)
Makenna, on the other hand, after having a delightful time at her cousin's birthday bash, was all twisted up yesterday. She woke up extremely clingy to Mommy, and was not a happy camper when she had to leave for work. Her stomach was very unsettled, as noticed by her diapers, but she tried her best to keep up her normally happy disposition. Grandma informed us that Kenna was tired, and put her down for her naps on the early side. When I got home she was a bit lethargic, but I saw that she was trying to make the best of her mood. As I fed her dinner, she stuck her fingers in the back of her mouth and rubbed her gums in the back. I figured that she too, must be teething, so I did my best to make sure she was comfortable. Wow, if it's not one kid, it's the other. I can only imagine how it'll be with a third, but I'm not allowed to talk about that....

got milk?

Monday, July 21, 2008

Happy Birthday Elliott!!

First and foremost, just wanted to wish a Happy 4th Birthday to our nephew Elliott! We wish him nothing but the best, now and for many many years to come! Yesterday was his birthday party, and everyone had a lot of fun! The day started off a bit on the chilly and gloomy side, but once the sun broke through, the weather made for a perfect Sunday!

Big El catching some air...Time to blow out the candles...

Little Zae man wasn't in the best of spirits, although he did try his best to be his normally smiley self. It seems that his acid reflux has come back in a big way, poor guy. That coupled with his teething, makes for a particularly fussy little man! Being at a birthday party with a ton of little kids made it hard for Isaiah to focus anyway, especially when it came to eating, so we just did our best to make him comfortable. The family was able to see him and pass him around, but after being away from mommy too long, he let everyone know that he needed comforting...
Isaiah before the party...
Makenna started off a bit on the shy side at the party, unusual for our normally outgoing social butterfly. But as time passed, she found her groove, and did her own thing. She especially found the little club house in the back yard to be a fun place to hang out. Her other favorite hangout, along with the rest of the kids, was the sandbox in the front. There's something about sand and water that seems to attract kids, maybe it's the thought of getting dirty? Nevertheless, when we weren't able to find Kenna, she was in one of these places. Looks like we'll be making a trip to the toy store soon...

Kenna's hideout

Marcos & Makenna gettin' dirty...
Happy pirates Evan & Kevan

Friday, July 18, 2008

TGIF!!

Thank God it's Friday!!! My first week back at work wasn't too bad, in fact, it came and went fairly quickly, so there's my reason to celebrate the weekend! Since Isaiah has had his first sign of teeth, he's been on the uneasy side, and it seems that there's no pleasing him (our traditional methods of calming him down don't seem to be working at this time, so hopefully that'll change once his gums settle a bit). Unlike Makenna when her first teeth broke through the surface, Isaiah is being pretty shy about showing off his little nubs...

Makenna has been fascinated with Marino lately, and has been following him everywhere. She'll wait for us to let him in the house, and when he's in, he's got a little shadow. Whenever he goes to his bed to lay down, Makenna is right behind him. I don't think she does anything, she just likes to stare at him, pet him, pull his tail - you know, the usual stuff kids do to pets. But even Marino gets annoyed sometimes, and we'll find him moving around the house trying to get comfortable, only to have Makenna following closely behind. It's like he wants to be alone, but she wants to play! Sometimes he thinks he's in the clear, but lo and behold, Hurricane Kenna is right around the corner, just waiting to get in his face =) It's good for the both of them though, and we're glad their relationship is like that rather than some of the tragedies we hear on the news. Happy Friday, and have a great weekend!


Thursday, July 17, 2008

New arrivals...

So the little big man did NOT have a good day yesterday, and go figure it was a day that Mommy was home! He wasn't too much into eating, nor was he into sleeping either. We attributed his extra fussiness with the thought that he was teething, that and the fact that he's constantly drooling and wants to put everything in his mouth and chew! By the time I got home, Enza was spent, and I don't blame her. Dealing with Isaiah on a good day is a lot of work, but on a bad day, it's like overtime with no lunch breaks! Needless to say, the little big man had all the reason in the world for his sudden change in disposition. Yesterday, his two bottom teeth broke through the gums, and he's got two little nubs sprouting their way upwards! Of course, this is just the beginning, but hopefully he'll be better off today than he was yesterday, we'll keep our fingers crossed!

Isaiah has two teeth, but you can't see them in this pic...
Makenna modeling her latest in Filipina fashion...
(and for those who don't know, Ate = big sister)

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Hump Day...

The kids continue to be themselves, and at times, it almost seems as if they're teaming up on us! Isaiah is still needy, for obvious reasons, and I think Makenna plays into that. She's been wanting to sit in one of the dining chairs at the table with us, like a big girl, so we've been watching her closely. Since then, we've started Isaiah in the high chair, Makenna's old high chair to be exact, and with that, she wanted to be in it as well. I brought back Makenna's other high chair from Grandma's house, and even though she looks as if she's too big for it, she still wants to sit in it (especially if Isaiah's in his chair).

Not only that, whenever Isaiah starts to fuss, Makenna will add to the chaos with her bit of fussiness. Of course she only gets that way if we let Isaiah get to us. If we're calm, then Makenna's tactics don't usually work. But if we're frazzled in any way, shape, or form by the baby, then Makenna knows to swoop in for the kill! The saying "there's strength in numbers" fits the bill nowadays, so mommy and I need to stay on our toes!

Our high chair twins

One of Isaiah's favorite toys...

It's like Christmas for Makenna with her new blocks...



Sunday, July 13, 2008

Back to the grind...

So it's back to work for me, and after being off for two weeks, it was kind of difficult to get back into "the routine" this morning. It almost felt like I was a kid again, on summer vacation without having to worry about getting to bed on time, or having things prepared for the next day; only now there's a wife, two kids and a home to think about! It's all good, the time off was much needed, and getting back to work should hopefully go smoothly, even for a Monday.

The kids have been full of life, and although they've had their share of "off days," the good far outweighed the bad. Isaiah continues to make strides in showing us just how much he's grown. I've mentioned before that he has found his voice, and with that discovery comes the test of his own decibel level. That boy can scream louder than Makenna! Of course, half the time it's not a scream for want of anything, just to scream. We can't disregard whenever we hear it, just in case it happens to be for a reason, but he can really get the eardrums ringing with the notes he hits. He's been trying his hardest to sit up and stay balanced when he does, but for the most part, he's still a bit top heavy. If we don't watch him, he'll definitely tip over, almost in slow motion! He's been doing most of his eating from the high chair, and actually enjoys the new view. He's getting too heavy to hold and feed, and many can attest to his weight!

Isaiah as he attempts to stay up and balanced
What can I say about Makenna? She's not really shy about anything, and loves to show everyone her favorite dance moves. Our neighbor is really into Hello Kitty, and somehow that's rubbed off on Kenna. Even though her collection is limited to a tee shirt and water bottle, Makenna loves to point out her new favorite cat! The other day at the store, she saw a lunch box with the HK design, and we thought that we'd have to fight her on letting it go. It's a good thing she saw something else, probably an Elmo toy, that distracted her long enough for us to get rid of the box! Of course, that trick won't last much longer, as Makenna's personality is developing such that if she really wants something, she'll let us know just how badly she wants it. She's starting to talk a lot more, only now, we'll here more words! She still babbles, but if you listen carefully, she'll throw in the words "ball, mama, dada, zebra, blue, Isaiah" and others. It'll definitely be interesting to hear her when she's able to put sentences together...

Makenna's favorite new kitty Makenna combing down Isaiah's faux-hawk

Friday, July 11, 2008

Happy Friday!

The kids and I have had a lot of fun this past week, even though the temperature was high, we did our best to make the most of it. Even though I'm around the kids all the time, it's a totally different experience being home with them all day, so hat's off to all the stay-at-home moms out there! It's back to the grind for me next week, and I think the kids know it too. Here are a couple of pictures of when I broke the news to them!

"What? You have to go where?"

"I don't want you to go back...."
After the initial shock wore off, it was back to business as usual for the kids. They don't really care, as long as someone's there to feed them when they're hungry, change them when they're dirty, and put on Barney or Elmo at the right times, they're set! Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Vacation's almost over...

Well, my time off is quickly coming to an end, and I will say that these past two weeks have been enjoyable. I'd be lying if I said the kids were angels 100% of the time, but then again, they're still babies and they're both entitled to having an "off-day" every once in a while.

Isaiah is starting to explore the range of his voice, and let me say, it's loud! Those of you who have had the pleasure of staying with him know exactly what I'm talking about! He's also been reaching out to things and people with his hands, and he'll always attempt to rub our faces when we're holding him. He's becoming more and more consistent with his schedule, and seems to like sleeping once again! This kid is always smiling, and when he's feeling down, it doesn't take long for a smile to reappear on his face =)

Makenna continues to amaze and entertain with the things she remembers. She's become our little performer, and I think she knows it too! On the tv show "So You Think You Can Dance," there's a specific couple (Katee & Joshua) she recognizes, and she'll even perform their routine along with them. Whenever we have anyone over, we show them how excited she gets when she hears their song, and then she'll do the routine with them! She really gets into it too, and you can see the determination in her face as she attempts to get the timing down with the couple!

All in all, it's been great spending time with my kids. It's too bad Enz wasn't home this week as well. We probably would've done more and seen more, but we've definitely got time to do that in the future! Hopefully Hawaii sometime soon?

Isaiah's starting to eat in the high chair...

Makenna's double biceps pose...

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Random pics for Hump Day

It's been an adventure keeping the kids comfortable during this latest heat wave. Much like us, it's harder for them to sleep when it's hot, and kids without adequate rest can prove to be a test of one's patience. I'm sure all parents out there can attest to that! While the heat doesn't affect them too much when they're awake, it's during nap time that they're most affected. Our best bet thus far has been to just strip them down to their diapers and let them sleep "naked" with the fans on. It seems to work so far, and since these heat waves only last about a week at a time, that'll be our temporary answer to help the kids rest up. Here are a few random pics of the kids from last week, Happy Wednesday!

Isaiah's all dressed up and ready to go...

Makenna sitting like a big girl...

Isaiah's mean muggin' football pic...

Makenna chased the pigeons away...

Monday, July 07, 2008

A fun long weekend...

First and foremost, we'd like to wish a special Congratulations to the newlyweds, Mario & Liz Sosa Castaneda! Enz & I had the opportunity to enjoy a night out "sans children" and attended their wedding this past weekend at the Hecker Pass Winery! Enz was able to get reacquainted with some of her friends from school, and let her hair down, so to speak! All in all, we had a great time seeing everyone and just hanging out.

Congratulations Mario & Lizzie

It's been a few days since the last post, and we've done a lot with the kids. Since we were both off last week, we were able to spend some quality time as a family and take the kids out on a couple of outings. We took a chance on the weather, and caught it just right at Pier 39 last week. Although it's alway a crowded scene on the pier, the kids had fun being around all the hustle and bustle of the city.

Isaiah was wide-eyed at all the people around him, and received the occassional smile from passers-by, obviously wanting to squeeze his cheeks! The thing with Isaiah, when there's a big group of people around, he easily gets distracted, and would rather observe everyone than eat, even when it's his scheduled feeding time. Such a short attention span, but I guess that's how kids are at that age!


Makenna, little Miss Independent, was excited to be in the city, and was anxious to get her first glimpse of the sea lions. We let her roam free on the side of the pier where the sea lions normally congregate. She loved the ability to run around on her own, away from the confines of the stroller. Of course when we got to the end of the pier, the sea lions were scarce, and rather than letting that bring her down, she focused her attention on her new favorite thing, the merry-go-round!

For the 4th, we took the kids to a barbecue, hosted by Auntie Donna. Since it was a "kid friendly" event, Makenna wasted no time in making herself comfortable, and immediately found toys to play with. She was especially attached to a 4th of July pinwheel, and was able to make it spin on her own. Isaiah enjoyed being around the other kids, only this time, he wasn't the baby of the bunch, even though he was almost the biggest! We didn't get to stay late for the fireworks, since that would've been well into the kid's bedtimes. Staying up late will come soon enough, but for now, the kids know that when evening time rolls around, it's light's out till the next fun-filled day...

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Happy kids...

It appears that the kids have enjoyed the both of us being home all week! We've been able to take them on a couple of family outings, with a couple more to come as the holiday weekend is upon us! Although it's back to the grind next week for mommy, I've still got a full week with the kids, so that should be a fun adventure in itself!

How Isaiah looks when he's in a good mood

Makenna giving Marino some love

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Almost forgot...

We were able to cram our big heads into the photo booth and capture this pic of us in Santa Cruz. Of course, my dome takes up the most real estate, but what can I do? Enjoy!