Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Tired and cranky

After a nice and relaxing Memorial Day weekend, it's back to the grind again. It's nice to have an extra day at home with the kids and start the week on a Tuesday! Too bad it's not like that every week...

The kids had a great weekend of play, as they spent Sunday afternoon with their cousins, and Monday afternoon with the neighbors. Isaiah took some time to mellow out with everyone around, even though he's used to seeing his aunts, uncles and cousins. Again, we attributed his fussiness to his teeth, and we're pretty sure that was the case this time around. Judging from his rash and the fact that he was literally "gnawing" on whatever he could get his hands on, I think our guess was spot on. Though it took him a while to calm down, he finally did and was able to somewhat enjoy everything that was going on. Makenna had no problems with her cousins or the neighbor, and was just so care-free as she enjoyed herself at play. Both evenings tired her out to the point of exhaustion, and it took her absolutely no time to fall asleep. After a good night's rest, she woke up this morning with a bit of a fever =( So that being said, I hope they're both not too much for Grandma today. She'll have her hands full with one who's teething, and one who's got a temperature. Let's just hope that neither one of them are too clingy, otherwise they'll both be fighting for Grandma's undivided attention...


Isaiah enjoys a fruit smoothie in his Dolphin cup...

Makenna, our little poser - what a ham!
The kids anxiously waiting for their cousins to arrive



Thursday, May 21, 2009

Growing kids

Thank goodness for the cool-down in temperature from this past weekend! The moderate temperatures make for a better mood in our house, though we are gearing up for what looks to be a hot summer. The kids have enjoyed the weather, and they love to be outdoors when it gets warm. I can see how being inside can drive anyone crazy, especially the kids because they can't go outside on their own just yet. So if either one of us doesn't feel like going out, then the kids are stuck inside with us too. But again, since the weather's been mild, it's been a lot easier to take the kids out for walks to get some fresh air. Too hot or too cold and we're all miserable. If the weather can stay at a mellow "in-between," then we'll all be good!

That being said, the kids are finding ways to channel their boundless energy. Isaiah just realized that he can climb things, and while the couch isn't the same height as Mt. Everest, we can still see how careful he is as he attempts to climb. He's also in a really cute stage of imitating his sister, and listening to him is like listening to Makenna all over again. Whatever she says and does, he tries to say and do. And to watch the two of them play together makes me so happy we had them so close together, though at the time, everyone thought we were a little crazy!

What can I say about Makenna other than that she's growing up SO fast, it's incredible. We never did much of the "baby talk" with her or Isaiah for that matter, so we talked to them in the same tone as we talked to anyone else (minus all the vulgar language, of course). With Makenna though, it's so fun to have a full-on conversation with her, knowing that she pretty much understands everything you say. It's like talking to another adult in the house! Her newest toy is one of my old laptops, and she loves to play on it like she's working, especially when she sees either one of us on the computer. It's almost like everyone is imitating everyone else in the Camero household! Too funny!

Isaiah testing his low-climbing abilities "Hello this is Makenna, how can I help you?"


Monday, May 18, 2009

Beating the heat

First and foremost: WELCOME ROMAN AYDEN UNTALASCO!!! This morning @ 9:53am North Carolina time, our friends Dennis & Rowena welcomed Roman Ayden to their family! According to Dennis, Roman weighed in at 8.13 pounds, and was 21 inches long at birth. Congratulations to the Untalasco Family!!!

So in an attempt to beat the heat this weekend, we took the kids to Boogie on the Bayou in Campbell. Of course we got there early enough to check things out, drink some beers, and hang out just before it really got hot. The kids had a great time people watching with us, and we were able to leave when the temperature started to rise, and the event began to get crowded. Perfect timing! The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing out of the sun. Aside from the heat wave, we had a terrific weekend!
Here's to a cooler week, Happy Monday!

Makenna enjoys ice cream on a hot day...

Isaiah's all wired up from the sugar in his ice cream!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Out of control?

This past weekend was Mother's Day, and the kids tried to be on their best behavior to make the weekend a pleasant one for mommy. What started off well, became extremely exhausting by Sunday evening. Not sure what it was, but both kids and their persistent little attitudes had the both of us floored. Aside from that, Enza had a wonderful Mother's Day, and why wouldn't she? She's got two of the greatest kids in the world =)

Kids and mood swings definitely go hand in hand, especially at our house! One day the kids will be in great moods, very agreeable and content, while other days they'll work each other's nerves, and definitely get the best of us in the process. When one is in a bad mood, it affects the other, making for a tense household. But luckily for us, days like that are off and on, so it's not like we muddle through weeks worth of uneasy tension. When one of the kids isn't acting like him/herself, that's usually only the case for a day or so (sometimes less than that). The next day, it's as if everything was forgotten and the kids are back to normal. Chalk it up to teething, this last time, but Isaiah was a little pill!

The little man is going through a bit of "stranger" anxiety. I doubt that's a real thing, but it sums up what he's experiencing. Whenever he hears or sees someone not in his daily circle of people, he tenses up and literally freaks out a bit. He gets scared, even if it's someone he knows. It usually only takes him a few minutes to get reacquainted enough to feel normal again, but c'mon now! There are a few select family members outside the house with whom he doesn't exhibit this behavior, so hopefully it's something he'll get over soon. On the flip side, he's our little mischief maker around the house, getting into things he's not supposed to. His latest thing is saying "huh" when he gets caught doing something.

"Isaiah, what are you doing?" [Isaiah]: "huh?" "Are you supposed to be playing with that?" [Isaiah]: "huh?"

And that can go on for days! Too funny, but then it gets old because he'll continue doing what he's not supposed to!

Looking for trouble behind that smile...

Makenna is doing some new stuff as well. Her latest? Rather than asking for specific books for us to read to her at bedtime, she started taking the initiative and began "reading" to us! Now that may sound a bit unbelievable, especially for our 2 year old, but its true! Last night, she grabbed one of her favorite bedtime stories "Grandpa's Little One," and started flipping through the pages, reading bits and pieces from each page! Of course a lot of it is memorization since we've read this to her on more than one occasion, but it seems like more than that. With each page turn, we can see her look over what's on the page (picture-wise) and think about what words go with that particular picture. It was a trip to hear her reciting exact sentences from the book! Her mind seems to be developing at such a fast rate, and we're SO SO glad that she's into reading so much more than tv. Leave the tv for daddy! Hehehe...

Makenna reads to anyone within earshot, even Marino gets his fill...



Thursday, May 07, 2009

Isaiah's 15 month appointment

Yesterday was Isaiah's 15 month doctor visit, and despite the fact he had to get a shot, it was a great visit for the little man. The doctor was pleased with his growth and development thus far, and even had the chance to have a bit of a "one on one" conversation with Isaiah. The funny thing about that was Isaiah actually sat and listened attentively when the doctor talked to him. When the doctor asked him a question, he even nodded as if he was answering and agreeing with the doctor! Great laughs yesterday!

So our little man's measurements puts him in the 50th percentile for everything. At 15 months, he currently weighs 24.8 pounds, he's 31 inches long/tall, and his head circumference is 47 cm. We've noticed that he's gone through a bit of growth spurt lately, mainly in his height since he's always been a solid eater! Nevertheless, he's slowly creeping up to his sister, so she better take advantage of the fact that she can only push him around for so long =)


The little big man...

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Happy Hump Day!

It's amazing to watch our two little babies develop on a daily basis. And while Makenna has 11 months up on her little brother, Isaiah's doing his best to keep up with her. With Makenna, we just sit back and eagerly watch what she does next. With Isaiah, we tend to compare what he does now to what Makenna did when she was his age, even though it was really not long ago at all! I guess that's what happens when you're the second child; it turns out being a comparison. But it's not like we do it purposely, it just comes out that way.

Right now, the little man is going through some serious separation anxiety, and finds 100% comfort in mommy. I, of course, am #1 in his eyes, but when Enz is around, he'd rather be with her! Lately he's been clingy to those who are always around him, and if he hasn't seen you in a while, chances are he'll be "afraid" of you. Luckily it only takes a few minutes for him to warm up, but we thought he'd be past this already (although this phase seems to come and go). Last night, a couple of his aunties came by, and since he hadn't seen them in a week or so, it was like he was meeting complete strangers for the first time. It's as if he becomes super shy, and needs the comfort and security of someone he knows. Of course, he was also hungry at the time they came by, so that might have had something to do with it because after he ate, he was back to his normally spunky self! Sometimes we just can't get an accurate read off him!

Makenna is the polar opposite, and when she encounters someone she hasn't seen in a while, you can see her trying to figure out who this person is. When she finally does, she goes into overdrive and acts as if she's just had a few tablespoons of sugar! For her, she gets into her own little world, and its really entertaining, if not tiring, to watch! The good thing about it is that Isaiah sees her having a good time and then joins her as she entertains everyone, forgetting that he was "scared" of everyone just a few minutes prior. While Isaiah is our shy and reserved one, Makenna is our outgoing and bold one! For now, we're enjoying the fact that they're opposite of one another, however long that'll last. Happy Wednesday!

Isaiah, all dressed up and nowhere to go, in search of a party...

Makenna is always willing to lend Mommy a hand in preparing breakfast

Monday, May 04, 2009

My time with the kids

Wow, what another busy week it has been, again, so much so that blog updates were virtually impossible! What made this past week so different was that Enz was in full "bridal shower planning mode," making her presence at home more of an absence! Had this been earlier in the game, I probably would've gone crazy with the kids. But since they're both at really fun stages, it made for a really interesting week and weekend. Enz was able to pop her head in at home every now and then, so the kids never really missed a beat.

Working from home on Fridays has become fairly routine, and I think the kids actually enjoy the change. It is hard to get a lot of work done, but I can say that I do get something accomplished, and something is better than nothing! Right now, Makenna is going through yet another inquisitive phase, asking "what are you doing" every few minutes. I think she finally got tired of hearing me say "I'm doing the same thing you asked me a few minutes ago" because she stopped asking. Of course with my luck, that only lasted about an hour! Her new thing is drawing with a pencil (with close supervision of course). While she still likes to color, she really enjoys drawing, though much of her "art" is still scribbling, with an occasional letter drawn in.


Isaiah is much into climbing things, and testing out his balancing abilities. I recently brought out the kid's play table and chairs, and he immediately figured out that he could climb up and stand on the chair. Not only that, he figured out that he could move the chair to other places in the house, places where he couldn't reach things before, like the kitchen! Yeah, now its really time to keep a watchful eye on our little daredevil. Equipped with his trusty chair, he could get into so much more trouble than before!

Isaiah making Mommy proud!

Makenna, our little studious one... Isaiah figured out how to use his chair to his advantage
A visit with Grandpa
THE SHOT FELT 'ROUND THE WORLD
Enough said!!!


<