Wednesday, December 31, 2008

The end of the year...

First and foremost, allow me to apologize for this recent hiatus from updating the blog. With the holidays in full swing and coming to a close, it's been difficult to set time aside to get thoughts down here, even though I've had time off. Having kids is definitely a full time job, and I never doubted it for a second! Nevertheless, I've found a little bit of time to get everyone up to speed at the recent goings-on at the Camero home.

As the year comes to a close, Isaiah is nearing the 11-month mark. We can hardly believe that he's just a month shy of being a year old! Seriously, where has the time gone? Our second bundle of joy, whom we JUST brought home not too long ago, has really grown into a little heart-breaker! His personality is starting to surface more, and is most apparent on his "good" days. He still has days where he doesn't want any part of anyone but Mommy, but hopefully those will start to taper off.

He's very much into cruising around the house, and has made attempts to stand up on his own, and has even taken a step or two. He isn't quite as adventurous as Makenna was at this stage, although he did start this cruising phase before Makenna did. He also finally learned how to really crawl, but will still do his combat crawl every now and then since he's much faster at doing that! Isaiah has also become a lot more chatty as of late, and will sit in his crib and talk to himself before each of his naps. He's learned how to clap his hands, knows the sound a lion makes, and even has his own little dance he does in support of defense during a football game (Miami no less)!

Makenna has also made strides in her development as of late, and never ceases to amaze us, on a near-daily basis! We've done our best to help her along as she grows more into the toddler phase. We're just about ready to put her in a "big girl" bed, as she looks so cramped in her crib. She hasn't started to climb in or out of it, thank God, but when she's in it, she just looks like she's outgrown it.

Her latest milestone is that she started using her potty seat! She actually started using the toilet the day after Christmas, when we put her Elmo potty seat in the bathroom. Now when she has to go, she'll let either one of us know that she has "pee pee" and will immediately start taking off her clothes! Once she goes, she gets super excited, and while we praise her for her recent achievement, she asks us to do a dance for her, which we gladly do for her, especially if it'll keep her motivated to continue using the potty!

The other day, Kenna surprised us both when she started reciting the alphabet on her own, while playing with an alphabet puzzle she received for Christmas. We've heard her say the individual letters before, and she still doesn't know all of them, but what got us this time was the fact that she held a letter in her hand, and then told us what it was! I think she got up to the letter G, and then told us some other random letters! Talk about a jaw dropping moment!

For now, as this year comes to a close, we're both enjoying this time off with each other and with the kids. This has been a tough year with both kids requiring a lot of individual attention, although we didn't expect it to be a cake walk! As they both continue to develop, both Enz & I just sit back in amazement, and to this day, we still can't believe how blessed we are to have such wonderful children! We can't wait to see what the new year has in store for our family! Happy New Year to all! May the new year bring you peace, love & happiness!!!

One of Isaiah's new rides...

Makenna figured out the whole "gift opening" thing this year...

Happy Holidays from the Camero's =)

Friday, December 19, 2008

"Pre-Christmas" for the kids

Auntie Sarah came by yesterday with gifts for the kids, and since there was a chance that we wouldn't see her on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, we decided to have the kids open up their gifts from her. Isaiah didn't know what to do with himself, as he stood there and hit the boxes like drums. He's still making attempts to stand up and balance all by himself, so that seemed to be his focus, even with the gifts around him. Makenna, being the seasoned pro she is, knew exactly what to do, and how to do it as she tore the wrapping paper off the gifts. She didn't immediately jump into it like some kids do, and it was almost as if she thought she'd get in trouble for being hyperactive or something! But once she got started, she was all about opening gifts! It'll be fun to watch these two on Christmas Day!

Both kids came out like winners thanks to the thoughtful generosity of Auntie Sarah! They both got some cool and fashionable outfits as well as their very own personalized piggy banks! Makenna already knows the drill when it comes to putting money in her piggy bank, while Isaiah tried to put the piggy bank in his mouth! What a great way for these two to start the holiday season =) Thanks Auntie Sarah!!!



Isaiah has the "what am I supposed to do" look on his face..."Hmmm, I wonder if it tastes like pork?"
Makenna loves her new piggy bank......and she already knows the basics on how to save money!




Tuesday, December 16, 2008

5th Annual Camero Christmas Party

Ahhhhh, now that our party has come and gone, we can finally relax and enjoy the remainder of the holiday season! Our 5th Annual Christmas Party was a hit this year, and I'm pretty sure we reached capacity at our house. Getting everything ready this year wasn't as stressful as previous years, even with two young kids running around. Perhaps Enz & I have finally found a rhythm to get things going on time, but whatever it was, made the night a fun and memorable one!

This year, there were a lot more children, and it almost seemed like everyone who came through the door had at least one! It didn't take long for the kids to break away and do their own thing, as the adults did much of the same. Makenna had a blast and got to play with little girls her own age! She's used to being around her boy cousins, but this night, she got to be a "little girl!" Not much changed as she did her own thing anyway, go figure! Isaiah wasn't in the best of moods due mainly in part to his teething. Of all days it hit him bad, it HAD to be on the day where we needed him to be "social." Oh well, he was able to mellow out at times, but for the most part, he wanted the comfort of his Mommy. Enz took it in stride and put Isaiah in his carrier, so he was literally "hanging out" with Mommy!

This year, Santa was on a bit of Filipino time, but it worked out perfectly as it gave everyone time to get settled in with the kids. Santa looked as if he had spent some time on the islands with his "bain de soleil for the St. Tropez" tan. And who would've ever known that he was a Dolphins fan?!! Hahahaha! He did his best to accommodate all the children this year, at least the ones who were willing to sit on the jolly old fat man's lap. And while a great majority of the kids were scared of him, Isaiah & Wesley were really the only ones who cried! Makenna was a little confused with Santa because he kind of looked like Daddy, and kind of sounded like Daddy, but she took no chances and kept her distance. A lot of kids were able to get past Santa's intimidating appearance to let him know that they had been good this year. I'm pretty sure Santa will visit all these kids again next year, so hopefully I'll be around to meet him too!


Isaiah in a good mood prior to the festivities

Makenna can't wait for the kids to arrive...

Makenna tries to make sense of Miami Santa

Isaiah is NOT feeling Santa Claus!

Marisol tugs on Santa's beard

And twin sister Mariposa does the same!

Wesley wants off of Santa's lap!

Kaelyn appears to fear Santa too...

Amelie takes her visit with Santa like a big girl!

Kevan tells Santa that he's been a good boy!







Monday, December 08, 2008

Monday, Monday...

So this past weekend, we dedicated most of our time in to getting the house cleaned up and the outside decorated for the holidays. We already had the Christmas tree set up and decorated since Black Friday (that what we shop for the day after Thanksgiving, our tree), and the decorating the inside of the house was pretty much done throughout the week. We started to tackle the outside, but got caught up with things like boxing & football. Hehehehe....

Needless to say, the weekend went pretty well. We brought the kids to a Christmas party on Saturday, and both of them made themselves at home with the other kids; more so Makenna since she's little Miss Independent! She found her partner in crime, Brianna, and they took it upon themselves to show just how independent they both are. Isaiah stayed with us & the grown folks, but deep inside he looked as if he wanted to join his sister and the other kids. It won't be long before this little guy is up and running with the "big dogs!" If you've seen him, he's still working on his combat crawl, but he's got it down to a science. He moves so fast from point to point that we find ourselves asking where he is all the time! His cruising skills are coming up as well, as he becomes more and more daring by letting go of the couch every once in a while! We still think he's going to walk before Makenna did, but we really can't tell.

Makenna hit the 21 month mark yesterday, and she's been amazing us with the things she says & does. She has become more inquisitive as of late and will string words together to ask questions. Her favorite question to ask is "where did so and so go," and it's usually Mommy, Daddy, Shi-Shi, puppy, ama (grandma), nonno or nonna. She'll even go so far as to ask when whomever she's "wondering" about is sitting right beside her! I think she just likes to hear herself talk, and hear other people answer her! She's too funny!



Makenna & Mommy show Isaiah how to color

Makenna thinks that it's OK to color outside the lines... Isaiah would just rather play with the crayons than color
Makenna posing with her big dogs (Isaiah was still sleeping)





Friday, December 05, 2008

Happy 10 months Isaiah!

So another day at home with the kids & it's a cold one. Right before Enz left for work we realized that hey, Isaiah's 10 months today! What a trip that our little man will be a year old in just a couple more months! Not only that, Makenna will be 21 months on Sunday, and she'll be two years old in three months! Wow, we really can't believe how quickly time flies...

Isaiah is getting a lot more comfortable being up on his feet. Although he's not walking on his own just yet, he is taking more risks as he cruises around the room along the furniture. He has a walk-behind type walker, and he's gotten pretty ballsy with that on more than one occasion. It seems that making all these attempts to walk tire the little guy out, and by the time he gets to bed, he's spent! We're not pushing him, he's just taking off on his own, and at this rate, he may walk by the end of the year! If not, it's all good, there's no rush. We're pretty sure that Makenna can't wait for him to be able to run around with her causing chaos and havoc around the house! Happy Friday & have a great weekend =)

The spoon Isaiah uses to eat a light meal...

Makenna's fashion safety eyewear (she wanted to help Daddy & Nonno install the new slider)

Monday, December 01, 2008

Happy December!!

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and now we begin the short countdown to Christmas! It's really hard to believe that we're already at this point in the year, and once Christmas passes and the new year comes, it's full speed ahead for the Camero family. We've got our anniversary, then Isaiah's birthday, then Makenna's and my birthday, Enza's birthday, and last but not least, Marino's birthday. All of that takes place within the first 90 days of the year, so to think that things would slow down after ringing in the new year, would be an atrocity!!! It's all good, we'll just take it all in stride. Besides, things are easier now that the kids are getting bigger and Enza is remaining pregnancy free =) (for now)

Thanksgiving this year was another fun day. It started off with getting up bright and early to cook our turkey before heading off to church. Lunch was spent with mommy's side of the family and dinner followed with daddy's side of the family. We've gotten into a terrific rhythm getting the kids from party to party, family to family. It can get a little hectic and tiresome, but at least everyone gets to spend time with everyone! By the end of the night we were spent, to say the least, and the kids were off in la la land, only to wake up bright eyed & bushy tailed the next morning.

cheesin' it up for the camera on Thanksgiving 2008

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

A walk in the park...

This past weekend we took the kids to the park to celebrate Marcos' birthday. And while there was a lot to do, the kids found joy in the playground. They had a petting zoo, and a pony ride, and Makenna did her best to be patient with the animals. She followed the ducks and quacked behind them. She pet the baby goats and kept calling them "puppies." But once she got on the swings, that was all she wrote. She didn't want to have anything to do with anything else, as long as one of us was there to keep her swinging, she was in heaven! She didn't care about eating, she didn't want to go down the slide, it was all about the swings!

Isaiah enjoyed the swings as well, but wasn't obsessed like his big sister. When he got bored of it, he let us know. He did have a blast watching all the kids taking their turns at hitting the piñata! It's almost as if he found humor with the inability to break the paper maché boot! It kept him entertained for the moment until the piñata finally broke. By the time we packed up and headed home, both kids were exhausted, and so were we for keeping up with the two! All in all, it was a fun day, even with some other "bebe kids" putting sand in Makenna's hair!



Happy Birthday Marcos!

Isaiah having fun on the swing
Makenna pets the goat she calls "puppy"



Monday, November 17, 2008

Monday, Monday

This past weekend, we had a couple of events to bring the kids to, and you'd think that with all the activity, it would tire them out. But not our kids! We always call it a night when they start to show their telltale "signs." They'll both start to rub their eyes, Isaiah will become fussy and clingy, and Makenna will start to get into stuff and push buttons. These are all good indicators that we watch for to let us know that it's time to go.

What's funny about it, was that once we started heading home, the kids got their second wind, so by the time we got home, it took twice as long for them to wind down! At both events this weekend, it was much of the same. We saw the signs, said our goodbyes and headed out. Once we got on the road, both kids were screaming and laughing like they had just started their day! Sometimes it's hard to figure them out, but as everyone else with kids knows, it's a learning process; one that requires a lot of patience and understanding. That being said, we're doing our best to make sure we're going through this learning process in a cool, calm and collected manner. The four of us are all learning together, and since Enza and I have a slight advantage over the kids, I think it's fair that we shoulder more of the responsibility =) Sure, there will be times when we can't take it, but because the kids don't know any better, we've got to be the bigger people. I'm sure all of our attention to detail will pay off in the future. At least I hope it does ;)


Isaiah and Mommy

Makenna and Daddy



Friday, November 14, 2008

Happy Friday!

Makenna has always had nothing but love for her little brother. From the days of kissing Mommy's belly, to his first days in the hospital, an up until now, she's always wanted to give him kisses, touch him, and hug him. As he's grown, she's always been in his face, almost to the point of being obnoxious! Now that Isaiah's mobile, and working on being upright, Makenna is loving it! It seems as if they're slowly developing a close bond, one that only the two of them will understand. There are times where Enz & I just sit back and watch the two interact, and it's like a little mini movie. Makenna will give Isaiah a toy to play with until he gets bored. Then he'll crawl around looking for something to get into, all the while Makenna will follow him and move stuff out of his way so he can crawl freely. They'll stop and "chat" when they find something interesting, and then they'll laugh and scream at each other, all in good fun though! When they laugh hysterically, it's contagious. It's highly entertaining and just fun to watch!

We're hoping that these two continue to develop their bond as they grow up so close in age. Sure, there will be days where they get on each other's nerves, and there will be days when they do nothing but fight. But then, that's to be expected. The next step, is when Isaiah is up on his two feet all on his own. That's when Enz & I will really have our hands full. Until then, we'll enjoy the comic relief these two provide =) Happy Friday!


Makenna's got nothing but love for Isaiah!

Grumpy and Happy

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Growing children...

So it's been about a week since I've been able to post anything new on the kids, so it's kind of hard to remember what they've done or gone through. The little big man has developed quite an appetite as of late, but then again, that's really nothing new. He's starting to eat a lot more solid foods, as we've been giving him a taste of things to come. Isaiah really likes pasta with chicken broth, and can eat that until it comes out of his ears! It's almost as if he doesn't realize that he's full, and the only way we know to stop is when he's got that "glazed over, food coma" look. If we don't pay close attention to that, he'll just keep opening his mouth! He also enjoys potatoes, regular or sweet purple, lentils and rice, and breads of any kind. Looks like he's really into his carbs! It's all good, he needs it for all the activity he's been going through lately. This kid loves to be mobile, more so than Makenna at this age, although he has yet to master a real crawl. He's still stuck with the belly crawl, but he's damn fast!

Isaiah's new thing is that he's into standing up. We finally put away his activity center to allow him to gain more strength in his legs as he learns to stand on his own. After a long crawl across the room (or the house for that matter), he still finds the strength to pull himself up to the standing position to play with whatever he has available at that height. And Makenna's loving the fact that he's upright as well! At times she overwhelms him with her shrieks of delight and then he'll start crying because he gets startled. She just really wants to be able to play with him so badly!

Makenna is a trip, plain and simple. She continues to develop such a strong personality it's unreal. Talking to her is like talking to a little adult. We can see in her eyes that she can understand what we're telling her, and we're amazed at how quickly she's learning new things. Lately she's been trying to put words together in sentences, and although she's only doing a couple at a time, we really can't believe she's already at this phase. Gone are the days of seeing her smile when we come home. Now that's replaced with a delightful "Hi Daddy" or "Hi Mommy!" And after a long day at work, that's one of the sweetest things to hear!





Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Happy 9 months Isaiah!

How time flies, and that's the truth when we come to realize that Isaiah is 9 months old today - just 3 months shy of hitting the one year mark. WOW! The little big man hasn't been himself these last few days, as he came down with a bit of a virus. Makenna, too, was a bit under the weather, but seemed to pull out of it faster than Isaiah. Perhaps its the fact that he's younger and unable to express exactly what's bothering him? Who knows? But these last few days have been tough on the kids and us as well. When they don't sleep, we don't sleep, and when we don't sleep, tempers flare! Hopefully the little big man has seen the worst of it, and things pick up soon. Last night was actually a better night than the previous few, although he did wake once pretty early this morning. He was able to soothe himself back to sleep which meant we were able to get back to sleep too =) For now, we'll keep an eye on him, but it looks as though his spirits are lifting! Happy 9 months young man, and Happy Hump Day!

Flexing his 9 month old guns...

A bit lethargic, but still in good spirits... Makenna's feeling better, and has a smile to prove it!

Monday, November 03, 2008

Halloween weekend!

Although the day has come & gone, the memories of Isaiah's first Halloween will never be forgotten! For starters, our little monkey was, well, a little monkey! As with many kids his age, he didn't know what to make of his costume. I know he was hot in it because I was sweating just watching him try to move around in it! Makenna was our little butterfly this year, and without realizing it, we kept her in the same "theme" as her first Halloween (last year she was a bumblebee). Who knows what she'll be next year?

We didn't go trick or treating this year, but we did pay visits to the grandparents. Those trips netted a lot of candy anyway. Add that to what we had leftover from giving out treats at our house, and we've got enough candy to keep us fat and happy until next Halloween! Besides, the kids aren't eating much of that stuff at this time, so it's more for Enz & me =) Not many trick-or-treaters this year, although there were a handful more than last season. Even Marino had his share of kids, as he got out a couple of time to greet the numerous ghosts, ghouls & witches that showed up at our door. While Isaiah lay crashed out in his crib, Makenna stayed up to help hand out candy, and had a great time seeing all the different costumes and "talking" to all the kids! We're definitely looking forward to next year when Halloween will have more meaning to these little ones!

Isaiah the monkey and Makenna the butterfly

Our little monkey man was sweating in his costume...
Even with wings, Makenna couldn't fly
Mommy strikes a pose with her little ones
Isaiah's first pumpkin
Elmo paid Makenna an unexpected visit








Monday, October 27, 2008

Another party weekend!

It turned out to be yet another eventful weekend for the little ones, and judging by the amount of sleep both kids got each night, it's safe to say that neither one of them minded all the activity! Saturday we took the kids to a Halloween party and they both had a blast! Isaiah did really well among all the commotion, and didn't have a problem crying when Mommy wasn't around. He seems to do better when festivities take place outdoors, and with this great weather we've been having, we've been pretty fortunate that things have been outside. I guess all kids need a change every now and then, and being indoors all the time can make anyone feel a bit loco. Makenna, obviously, found her groove without any problems, as she went around following the bigger kids. Even when she wasn't with them, she just happily played by herself with her nonchalant attitude.

Sunday was Nonno's birthday and the kids got to spend more time with their cousins and aunts and uncles. It's funny how Isaiah can be so calm and relaxed around strangers one day, then be the polar opposite around family the next day. For the most part, he was ok, but when there's too much fuss around him, and he can't see his Mommy or me, he gets a little anxious. When Mommy's around, his world is complete and he's at ease with everyone else. Strange how that works... And of course, Kennaroo fell into the groove with her cousins, and everyone else for that matter! She did have a couple of instances where her "terrible-twos" attitude reared it's ugly head, but we just dealt with it until she calmed down. I can't imagine what the little big man will be like when he gets to that stage, especially since he's been so different than Kenna. Hopefully God give us the strength and patience to deal with his outbursts too!!!


Makenna shows Isaiah some new dance moves, while Mommy enjoys the show...

Isaiah in his comfort zone

Makenna plays in the little house

Makenna give Nonno a special birthday kiss










Friday, October 24, 2008

More pumpkin patch fun...


Last night we surprised the kids with a visit to our local pumpkin patch. Even though it wasn't as eventful as the one we brought them to last week, they still had a great time. While Makenna was big enough to play on the giant slide, she ended up playing in the jumper. Since no parents were allowed in the jumper, we opted to keep Isaiah on the sidelines. It didn't matter anyway, he was too distracted by all the pumpkins scattered everywhere. He probably wouldn't have enjoyed himself in the jumper anyway since he's not walking yet, so maybe next year will be a better experience. Nevertheless, the kids enjoyed themselves, and there's only 1 week until they get to bust out their costumes. Happy Friday =)

Makenna explains the finer points in pumpkin selection to Isaiah...

Isaiah wants this one!!!

Don't let the gas face fool you, she still had fun!