The kids

As of late, our little angel has become much more alert of her surroundings. We recently made some changes with her and they all seem to be working. She seems more content now, and doesn't fuss as much when we don't give her 100% attention, 100% of the time. We've even noticed a change in Marino as well. Sure there are times when he gets excited and tries to lick her face, but then again what dog wouldn't want to get a piece of those cheeks! Now he just seems to mind his own business, but he never misses an opportunity to give her some love...

Weekend of firsts...

Mak had a lot of "firsts" this holiday weekend. Not only did she get her ears pierced, she also started taking her daily naps in her crib, which is, as you may have already guessed, is in her own room. She seems to find a sense of tranquility in her room, and it appears that she has no problems being in there alone.

We also experimented with her facing outward in her carrier, a move we feel she's going to enjoy in the weeks to come! She also got a taste of watching her Baby Einstein DVD's for the first time on the big screen. Yep, Daddy broke down on that one, but hey, its for educational purposes and I'm not one to hinder anyone's progress =)

And finally, we introduced her to her first time in the exersaucer. Now her feet can barely reach the bottom, but as she balances on her tip-toes, she can secretly develop her calves! What a bonus!

What a cute little boy you have?

Makenna had a very exciting holiday weekend. While we took her shopping, we debated on a good time to get Kenna's ears pierced. Her doctor suggested that we wait until she's at least 6 months, due to the high risk of infection. Now we thought about it, and thought about it, and after hearing one last comment on how cute our little "boy" was, we finally decided that she was ready. Besides, we figured that since it would be our responsibility to keep her ears clean, then it would be a direct reflection on us if her ears were to get infected.

Kenna was all smiles when we got to the jewelry stand. We almost had second thoughts since she was in such a great mood, but then we also didn't want to hear any more comments referring to Kenna as a little boy, especially with all the pink she wears! Once Enz got over the anxiety of putting Kenna through a bit of pain, and then picking out her miniature "bling," we finally had it done. The worst part of it wasn't when her ears were being pierced, but she really got cranky when Enz had to hold her head steady. Go figure!

Afterwards, Kenna was back to her chipper little self. She even drew a small crowd of curious onlookers, all anxious to see her reaction to the piercing, as well as the final product. So far, everyone who has seen her, loves her new look, and in retrospect, we have no regrets!

Not so mellow evening

Even though our little one is an angel, she does have her days. And while she's still way too young to understand the stresses of life, she's entitled to having an off-day every now and then. This evening was one of the bad ones, and we're trying to figure out what went wrong.

It was a fairly warm afternoon, and of course, Kenna failed to take her naps. The naps she did take were probably less than sufficient to keep her cranky side from appearing in the evening. She was visited by grandma & Aunt B, and was ok, not overly stimulated, or so we thought. Whatever it was, something set her off, and it took a good hour to calm her down. I guess its just a big learning experience for the whole family...

Bright future

To quote a song from the eighties, "The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades..."

Mellow weekend...

The little one had a fairly mellow weekend, and although we didn't have much planned, Kenna got to spend some time with her cousins Elliott & Wesley. She hasn't been quite as "chatty" as she was last week, or so we thought. We finally remembered to put up her Winnie the Pooh musical mobile over her pack 'n play, and once she saw these new toys spinning overhead, the talking returned! Not only was she chattering away, she was shouting! It was so funny to hear this "new" form of communication. We're not quite sure which of the four characters she reacts to the most, but we do know that she goes crazy when the mobile stops turning!

Happy Friday!

This marks yet another week that Makenna has been able to sleep through the night. At times I get the urge to check up on her, but I know that Enz is on top of it anyway, so I end up sleeping through the night as well!

Kenna is really starting to show us how much of a ham she is with all the smiles in her pictures. On a daily basis we see her personality developing more and more, and the little one is "talking" up a storm. It's almost as if she understands what we say and then responds accordingly. Amazing!

Daddy does my hair

So is this picture worth a thousand words?

First Mother's Day

This year, and for obvious reasons, Enz had the opportunity to celebrate her very first Mother's Day. Kenna made sure Mommy had a pleasant day in that she spent the majority of the day with Daddy! Enz was able to break away and spend time with her sisters and celebrate Mother's Day with their mom. Kenna was with me and even though she was an angel, she proved to be a handful! After being solely responsible for Kenna, it made me realize just how fortunate I am to have such a wonderful and giving wife. I couldn't have asked for a better Mommy for little Kenna! Happy Mother's Day Enz!

Trip to the beach

This past Saturday we took the little one on her first outing to the beach. While the weather here at home was decent, it wasn't too hot and there was a cool breeze moving through, we decided to dress Makenna accordingly, especially since she's still only a couple of months old. Once we got over the summit, we realized that we probably could've ditched a layer or two! It turned out to be a perfect day for her first trip to the beach!

We didn't get to take her on the sand or near the water, but she did take a little cruise through downtown Capitola, and had a chance to "oooh and aaahh" at the new surroundings. Who knows, maybe next time if its a little warmer, we'll actually get her on the sand and try to get her feet wet....

Two-month appointment

On Monday, Makenna had her two month checkup. She went through the routine checks, and handled those like a champ. Then came the hard stuff, she had three shots plus an "oral" shot. She was ok with the oral, even though it probably tasted bad, but she didn't like the three shots in the legs very much. Then again, who would? It was tough just watching the doctor stick the needles in her. Enz & I were both treated to a brand new cry this time out-something we've never heard before. When all was said and done, she was able to calm down and have somewhat of a normal evening.

At this point in time, Kenna is in the 90th percentile for her weight (she's not starving), and in the 50th percentile for her height/length (filipinos aren't usually very tall). They also mentioned that her head circumference is in the 80th percentile for her age. So does that mean a big brain?

Cinco de Mayo & the GFC

This past weekend, we had some of the boys from back in the day come by with their kids for a Cinco de Mayo/Fight Night barbecue. It was fun seeing them again and reminiscing over old times, while comparing new stories-mainly kid stories! Jokingly, we labeled ourselves the GFC, the Girls First Crew, because as you can see from this picture, the four of us all had girls first. Some call it payback, others a blessing; no matter what you call it, we all enjoy it!

Makenna was the "baby" of this group of kids, and she had the chance to meet and play with everyone. Although she was napping half the time, the other half was spent looking at all these new people! She was wiped out by the end of the night, and even gave us the chance to sleep in the next day!

Play date

Yesterday, Enza & Makenna were visited by the Vargas ladies, Nancy & Brianna. According to Enz, she & Nancy had a great time seeing each other and watching the little ones get acquainted. Here's the catch: Brianna was due on March 7th, but was born on March 4th. Likewise, Makenna was due on March 4th, but was born on March 7th. How eerie is that?

Nevertheless, judging by the pictures, it appears that the two were able to develop the beginnings of a long friendship!

Beating the heat

Makenna had an interesting weekend with the short little heat wave. While we were still in the mindset of "add 1 layer to the amount of layers you're wearing," Makenna let us know just how uncomfortable she got when the temperature went up. We decided to strip her down to her onesie before putting her down. After a long afternoon nap, just about the time the temp had peaked, Kenna woke up extremely fussy. Normally after a long nap she'd be hungry, so we figured we should feed her. Not only did she refuse the bottle, she cried up a storm! Poor baby!

Enz thought it would be a good idea to bring her outside so she could get some fresh air or a change of scenery-anything to get her to stop crying! Once I stepped outside, it was like instant relief, and Kenna was happy as ever. She immediately went into super happy baby mode and was "talking" up a storm with us. As I sat there and entertained the little one, Enz was able to capture some of her best expressions. Now that Kenna's just about 2 months old, we're noticing her personality coming out more, and we're loving it! We can't wait to see how much more she'll amaze us in the near future!

Making changes

It's been nearly a whole week, and Makenna has been getting in some long stretches of sleep. She's already slept through the night twice, and the last few nights she's gone at least five hours before waking up. These last couple of mornings, she's gotten up right before I leave for work, so I've had a pretty fun opportunity to see her so bright-eyed and bushy tailed as she wakes up. She's extremely active at 5am, and she's been starting my mornings off right!

As of late, Kenna has become more interactive with her surroundings. When she's on her activity mat, she focuses more on some of the toys, and has even learned to swat at the hanging bird and rattle. In her small swing, she's in the process of learning how to activate the lights & music. She did so the other day with Enz, so hopefully that wasn't just an accident. All in all, we think she's making great progress as she closes in on her second month. Wow, how time flies...

#1 Dol-fan

Here's the little one in her favorite towel. No Silver and Black on her-then again, we have a little in-house wager going. Makenna has both Dolphins & Raiders cheerleading outfits, courtesy of Aunt B. This season the teams play each other on September 30th in Miami. The team with the better win-loss percentage by that date will determine which outfit Makenna will sport on that day.

Judging by the logo on Makenna's towel, it's pretty obvious which colors she'll have on come September 30!

Great news!!

Last night marked the very first time that Makenna was able to sleep through the night! We're both pretty jazzed about it, even though we know that it probably won't happen all the time, at least for now it won't. We're just excited because we know that she's reaching that stage and going that route. WHEW!

On yet another exciting note, we just learned that our friends are expecting their second child. A very special CONGRATULATIONS to our good friends, The Cunanan Family! It's funny because they recently met little Mak, and we asked them THE question, "so when are you guys having another one?" Come to find out that they were pregnant at the time and just waiting to get into the "safe zone." We wish them a safe and healthy pregnancy! I'm sure Kevan can't wait to meet his little brother or sister! Not only that, Makenna will be happy to know that she'll have yet another playmate!

Reality check...

Last weekend we took the little one to visit Uncle Ricky, Autie M, and the boyz. This was Kenna's first outing to the cousin's house and we all had a great time!

Enz & I were just talking about how things have changed over the years. The both of us used to go over to Rick & Merr's house to hang out, and we would have a few drinks, play some games, or listen to music until the wee hours of the morning. Once they started having kids, that all changed, for obvious reasons! Then on our end, it turned into, "let's go to Rick & Merr's & play with the kids." That was fun too, just that there were probably fewer drinks, less games, the music was a little quieter, and we wouldn't hang out until really late. And just after this weekend, we realized that our little visits have evolved into the next phase! Now both families have kids, and it was fun just passing them around and sharing the attention with each and every one of them!!

I guess the biggest reality check for me was when the girls were in the room with Elliott, getting him ready for bed. Rick was playing with Wesley, and I had Makenna. Sure, we had the tv on, and we were chatting it up on whatever we talk about. The only difference was that we had kids in our laps. What a trip! Made me feel like such an adult! Hahaha...

Party hopping

Last weekend, we were invited to a series of family parties that we would normally attend. That's not to say that we decided not to go because of the baby, we just had to decide if we wanted to expose the baby to so much, so soon. We seem to forget that the little one is barely 6 weeks old! We're just so excited that she's here with us and we're used to being around other kids who are already out & about. Plus we often hear people guessing her age, and they usually ask if she's around 3 months old. Huh? We know she's got some size to her, but damn!

The three parties were all fun, and Mak was able to take the whole day in stride. From a housewarming, to a 7 year birthday party, and finally to a family party at grandma's, the little one got worn out! Grandma couldn't get enough of her little granddaughter's visit & proceeded to show off her little star! By the time we got home, Mak was exhausted and even let us catch a four hour nap! We're counting the days until she sleeps the whole night through!!

And the growth doesn't stop...

Yesterday, Makenna had a follow up appointment regarding her acid-reflux. Her doctor determined that it was causing her some discomfort, which in turn, was making her a bit fussy. As of late, she hadn't been eating as much as usual, and we thought she would've lost some weight. But of course, she proved that theory wrong, and weighed in at a healthy 11 pounds 4 ounces! What a heavyweight we've got on our hands!

Nevertheless, she's taking some meds to help her deal with her acid-reflux. Although it'll take some time for her to get over it, we immediately noticed some relief upon her first dose. After eating, she was able to fall asleep quickly, and remain that way for upwards of three hours. She was headed in that direction before, but once this issue came up, we would be lucky if she'd stay asleep for 30 minutes at a time! We'll keep our fingers crossed and see how things progress.