Congratulations Ninong Derick!

First and foremost, we'd like to congratulate our near and dear Ninong Derick for his recent graduation from the University of Phoenix this past weekend! It's such a great accomplishment, and a tremendous feeling to get that monkey off your back, and we're all very proud of you!

It was a bit of a rough weekend for the little big man. He's really started up on this phase of teething, and we'll find him sitting in a drool soaked onesie, or asleep in a pool of drool. Kinda nasty, but just a fact of growing up. He didn't sleep well, especially on Saturday, so we made the executive decision to leave him at home with mommy, while Makenna and I filled to represent the family.

Kenna had a blast playing hide and seek with everyone, and loved the attention she was getting from Godbrother Cole and Godsister Skye! By the looks of her enjoyment, we're pretty confident that she'll have a couple of more babysitters in her near future!

The rest of the weekend was rather mellow, with not much planned but more rest and relaxation. Like I mentioned before, getting the baptism done and over with was one of our major obstacles this summer, and since that's done, we can finally go out and enjoy other parties. It appears that the near future is filled with weddings, births, more pregnancies, as well as other get-togethers. Should be a fun summer, and beyond! Happy Monday!

Congratulations Derick!!!

Cole and Makenna

Skye and Makenna

Stuck at home because Mr. Cranky didn't feel like taking any naps...

TGIF

Even though the week went by quickly, Friday couldn't come fast enough. But now that it's here, we can't wait for the weekend to begin. It's supposed to be warm again, so it'll be fun to have the kids out of the house. We don't have much planned yet, so until we figure something out, it'll be all rest & relaxation for the next week. Ahhhhhh.... Happy Friday =)

Every day is like Friday for Isaiah...

Makenna hydrates prior to the warm weekend...

Silly kids...

The kids continue to be themselves, and next week, they get a full dose of both parents (or should I say that we get a full dose of the kids?). Either way, the four of us get to hang out together for more than just a weekend, so that'll be fun. We can't believe that Isaiah will be hitting the 5 month mark next week! He's already changing his habits, and finds it easier to soothe himself as he sleeps on his belly at night. He hasnt' quite made the transition as smoothly as we expected, but it's only his first few days, so I guess we should be a little more patient with him.

Makenna has been learning to push her boundaries, and understands what the words "yes & no" mean. She's getting into her no phase, and will let us know when she doesn't want something by turning her head and even saying something that sounds like no. But when she wants something, it's all kisses and being all cutesy, complete with the eyelash batting. UGH! Who teaches girls this stuff?! Happy Wednesday!

Isaiah flashing his pearly gums

Makenna loves chocolate

Non-stop entertainment...

Here's a short video of Isaiah as he shows us that he knows how to roll over. He's been practicing his patience with tummy time lately, and will turn over onto his belly all the time. He'll usually stay that way until he gets frustrated as he tries to get back over onto his back, and will then let out a loud, girly scream until he gets help. It's funny because Makenna was the same way until she figured it out for herself.

Last night, Isaiah slept on his belly for the first time. When Makenna started doing that, she slept very soundly through the night, so we're hoping that this is a sign of things to come for Zae-boy. He gets a good stretch of 8-9 hours, give or take the few minutes he wakes up in the night as he cries for his pacifier. We'll see how he does on his belly, and maybe it'll make for more quiet nights!

Makenna continues to keep us laughing on a daily basis. We've been told that she's a born performer, and by the way she keeps showing off her "dancing" skills, I wouldn't doubt it. She loves to be in the spotlight, and rarely gets bitten by the shy bug. It's great to watch her outgoing personality develop, and as I mentioned before, it's a terrific source of entertainment. What a ham!

Isaiah's baptism weekend

Saturday was the big day for our little big man. Much like his sister only 9 months ago, we baptized Isaiah, and welcomed him into the faith! All the "who's who" were there; mommy, daddy and big sis, aunts and uncles, grandparents, ninongs & ninangs, cousins and friends, all turned out to share in this special day for Isaiah. The weather was great, although a little on the warm side, but we managed to do our best to stick it out and enjoy ourselves. After all the planning, and trying to get things done on time, we're happy to say, it turned out great! Thank you to all of you who helped in making this day, a special one for our little big man!

The newly baptized sporting his finest baptism fashion

Proud parents, Isaiah & Father BenThe proud Godparents and Isaiah
Ninang Bernadette & Ninong Derick with Isaiah
Ninang Gina & Ninong Jeff with Isaiah

Grandma and Isaiah
Nonna & Nonno with Isaiah

Happy Friday!!

Here's a video of Isaiah when we took the kids to visit Grandpa on Father's Day. He's really starting to find his voice, and can make more sounds than his usual annoying cry! Like Makenna, it'll be interesting to hear what his voice sounds like as he continues to grow!


While waiting for Mommy to come home, the kids and I were messing around with the camera.
Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Lounging on Hump Day

Now that Isaiah has finally figured out how to roll over onto his belly, he does it all the time. Since he has yet to master rolling back over onto his back, he'll freak out and scream loudly once he's had enough of his self-inflicted tummy time! He enjoys showing off his new skill, especially around his sister, and when she sees him on the floor, it's tummy time for her as well! Makenna is enjoying her brother more and more, and whenever he's on his blanket, she always plops down near him, sometimes too close. Isaiah doesn't really mind, unless Kenna steps on his hands or falls on his head, then it's another story! Happy Wednesday!

Visiting Grandpa

Just a couple of pics of the kids visiting Grandpa on Father's Day.

Huh?

Makenna smelling Grandpa's flowers...

Eventful weekend...

Wow, what a full weekend we had! Not only did I get to celebrate Father's Day, the kids had party upon party to go to, and they both had a blast! Isaiah enjoyed the fresh faces and all the hustle and bustle as we went from birthday party to birthday party to graduation party, all on Saturday. Makenna was beside herself trying to keep up with all the new kids she ran into. At the first birthday party we went to, there was an inflatable water slide set up, which looked like a lot of fun. Makenna was still too young to play on it, but she admired it from afar. When Enz took her inside to change her diaper, she took Kenna's sandals off, so she could at least splash around and get her feet wet (she had a pretty little dress on). Bad idea! Kenna immediately found the tub filled with water guns and splash bombs (reusable water balloons), and then acted like it was time to take a bath! She had a blast playing with the water, so Enz just stripped her down to her diaper and let her get it out of her system. She was exhausted by the time we left, but woke up for the next party.

The second party was another birthday party, this one being right around Makenna's age group. Isaiah was bright eyed, and enjoyed himself as every parent commented on his cheeks and proceeded to give them a "test squeeze!" Makenna, being the social butterfly she is, made herself at home, and entertained everyone with her dancing skills!

The final party, was a high school graduation party, and it was the wind down for the kids. The family took turns holding and passing Isaiah around. He loved all the attention, much like his sister, and didn't put up much of a fuss at all. Kenna did her thing and entertained all her cousins, aunts, uncles, and everyone else. It's like she was born to perform or something. It's not like she was singing a power ballad, or dancing the paso doble; she was just being a kid, but however she does it, it makes her entire family laugh and smile =)

On Father's Day, we took a trip to the cemetery so the kids could visit Grandpa. It was Isaiah's first time there, and once we got there, he was chatting away, almost as if he was talking to someone. I'll post a video later on, but for now, it's like he finally found his voice! We can't believe we're already at that stage with this little guy! In the afternoon, we spent time with Nonno & Nonna, celebrating Father's Day on that side. Again, Makenna had a blast doing her best to keep up with the boys! Isaiah was already exhausted by that time, and for the most part, spent time resting in the crib. What an exciting weekend for the little ones! I'm sure they've got the bags under their eyes to show for it =)

Isaiah is all smiles

Kenna found the water guns Posing for Daddy
Hanging with the boys

Happy Friday!!!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Friday, and to all the dads out there, myself included, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

three reasons why being a dad is such a great thing...

Happy Father's Day from our family to yours!

Tale of the tape

The kids both had appointments to visit the doctor yesterday, Isaiah for his four month checkup, and Makenna for her 15 month checkup. And while the doctor was pleased with the rate of growth for both of the kids, he was equally as shocked to see how quickly Isaiah was catching up to his big sister! They both also had to get shots, so at the end of the appointment, it wasn't a pretty sight in the examination room =( Nevertheless, it only took them a couple of minutes to steady themselves afterwards and calm down. For Isaiah, he found comfort in his pacifier, while Makenna seemed to forget that she just got poked with a needle and went about her business of moving the furniture around in the lobby. When we got home, both kids were pretty mellow, none of the lasting effects from the shots that we're accustomed to seeing. Hopefully they're happy disposition carries over to the next couple of days while they're with Grandma! Here are their current stats:

Isaiah = 16.7 lbs (90th percentile), 24.5 inches (25th percentile), head circumference = 43 cm (75th percentile)

Makenna = 25 lbs (75th percentile), 30.5 inches (25th percentile), head circumference = 46.5 cm (50th percentile)

The funny thing about Isaiah, is that he weighed exactly the same at this appointment as Makenna did at her four month appointment. How trippy is that? Also, check out their dome sizes. His head is almost as big as hers!!

Must be the weather

It might just be an assumption, so we'll have to see how it pans out. But it seems like whenever the weather gets warmer, the kids start acting up. Isaiah doesn't like to stay asleep, although his sleep patterns aren't as regular as his sister's, and Makenna just acts a fool! Maybe it's because we're uncomfortable in the heat, making us a little more irritable and a little less patient? Who knows? That's not to say are kids aren't angels, don't get me wrong. But funny things happen when the weather changes. Kinda like a full moon...

The "I hate being on my tummy" look Our little fashionista modeling the latest in children's eyewear

Exciting weekend for the kids...

So this was a nice & relaxing weekend for the kids, the majority of it spent with Daddy. While that's not a big deal in itself, it was more for Mommy just getting out and having some much deserved time to herself. It's all good, the kids didn't know the difference, as long as they had one of us around, they just went about their merry business.

Friday was my day with the kids since Grandma wasn't able to watch them, and Enz was at work. It wasn't my first time home with them alone, but it was my first in a while. The kids were angels, as they always are! HA!

On Saturday we took the kids to a birthday party at the park. It turned out to be a fun day for the both of them, with Isaiah taking in all the sights and everyone touching his cheeks, and Makenna, our little socialite, little Miss Independent, doing her best to keep up with the big kids! She had a blast because they had a petting zoo and pony cart rides. She was the biggest "little" kid on the pony ride who didn't cry, go figure! It's fun to watch Kenna play with other kids because we get to see how friendly she is. Whenever she encounters other kids, especially ones her age, she always attempts to make eye contact first. Once she's established that, then she tries to give the other kids kisses! As cute as that looks, we're also trying to let her know that it's not necessary to kiss other kids, besides, maybe some of them aren't brought up that way. It's all about personal space, and just because she kisses everyone in her family, doesn't mean it translates that way into the playground! Especially around boys! I'm sure that'll come later, so I'm just preparing myself now =) Nevertheless, it just shows us how loving this little one has become!

our little socialite

a meeting with the pony

For Isaiah, he was just in awe of his surroundings, and seemed to have lost track of time. His nap schedule was thrown off with all the commotion, and it was hard for him to concentrate on eating with everything going on around him. With that, we expected an extremely fussy little boy. But for some reason, he maintained his cool, and just soaked everything in. I put him in the baby carrier and toted him around so he could enjoy the view from an upright position. He loved it, and didn't cry once (thank God)!

a new perspective hanging out with Daddy

Happy Hump Day!

This is a short video of Isaiah's new sound. You'll have to listen and watch carefully because he does it quickly, and then there's the Makenna factor (always trying to be up in the camera)! These kids don't seem to be camera shy at all, don't you think? Enjoy!

Makenna & Isaiah

Here's a short video of the kids. Isaiah has been pretty active in the activity center, and Makenna likes to show him how to play with stuff in it. I guess she doesn't realize that it wasn't long ago that she was in the "same boat" so to speak. Enjoy!

Back to the grind...

Both Mommy & Daddy are back to work today. It's probably more of a shock for Enz, especially since she's been off for the last four months, but for now, we'll do our best to not shoot for #3 so quickly =) Hehehe, just a little Monday humor...

Being at home last week was just like being at work, only with two goofy little smiling faces to get me through the day. There was a certain stress level being at home, mainly because we're still trying to get Isaiah through all this mess with his insides. We can't quite figure out what's going on in the little guy's belly, and he's got his good days as well as his bad days. For the most part, he's still a happy camper, and has recently found his hands. He's been able to grasp his pacifier, and pull it out of his mouth, although he's still working on putting it back in. He's also able to grab onto his rings and put those in his mouth (usually until Makenna comes by and takes them away). Finally, he's also able to activate this musical turtle he has in his crib. We thought it was by chance that he hit the button on it which turns on the music, but if he's awake, he's shooting for that button! We can see him through the baby monitor, trying and trying until he gets to it, and when he does, he enjoys it! The tunes will sometimes soothe him enough to put him to sleep, but it's usually hit or miss with this kid!


Makenna continues to develop into our little entertainer. She's been extremely chatty as of late, and has even surprised us with a word or two! Her little attitude has also started to show more, and she gets easily frustrated if she can't figure something out (like Mommy), ha ha ha! Makenna is quickly becoming the independent one, as she attempts to do things on her own. Of course when she finally figures out that she can't do something (after her mini-fit of rage), she'll look up to either one of us as if she's asking for help. Once we help her, she's all smiles again! She enjoys being outside, much like any other kid, and we'll usually bring her along when one of us needs to run a quick errand. As much as she loves her little brother, we'll catch her tormenting him every now and then. Her favorite thing to do to him is take away whatever he's playing with, which really doesn't bother Isaiah since he's so in awe of her. She can be mischievous like that, but at the end of the day, she's always got a kiss for him.