Most Recent News Update

So it's been awhile

2009-02-04T10:13:00.001-08:00

So I continue to upload lots of pictures but I’ve been lacking in keeping the blog up to date.

Lots of crazy stuff going on in our life. Ethan continues to smile like crazy and he seems to enjoy me singing Barry Manilow hits. I have no dobht this boy is going to be secure in his manhood. The most excitement we’ve seen is around everyone being sick. Me seem to have passed around the stomach flu to everyone we know and the kids seem to continually come down with every cold and cough known to man. I seem to have avoided the cold/cough combo but not the stomach flu.

Ethan goes into daycare next week as Jennifer goes back to work. Time seems to fly by. We’re in the process of buying a new house although the process has been a bit frustrating. We continue to have faith that if it’s going to work out, it will. Work has been super busy for me which is GOOD in an economy like today. We’re blessed to both have good jobs and a health family so no matter what happens I’m a lucky man.

That’s all for now. Make sure to check out all the new photos.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2008-12-19T04:28:00.001-08:00

SMILES! Things have certainly picked up in our household. Ethan turned 9 weeks yesterday. He continues to get stronger and he now babbles and smiles like crazy. We had our 2 month check up the other day and he weighed in at 10 1/2 lbs. Can someone say next line backer for the 49ers?

Emily is soooooo into Christmas lights this season. Everyday on the ride home she points out each and every house with lights. I put lights on the house on Thanksgiving and she still can't get enough of them. She continues to be a big help with baby brother.

All the family is due in on Saturday and with less than a week until Christmas it's about to get even more fun here!

New Pictures!

2008-12-09T09:08:00.001-08:00

I've added new pictures of Ethan and pics of Emily seeing the Christmas tree for the first time.

LINK

Roll Little Man... Roll

2008-12-07T17:44:00.001-08:00

He did it! Yesterday (12/6/2008) Ethan rolled over from his tummy to back. We are sooooo proud! He's also starting smiling which is absolutely adorable. Emily also started doing something really cute. She now welcomes us with a "hi mama" or "hi dada" when we come home or walk in the room. She's also starting to make short sentences. We're starting to learn "Emily Language" which has proven to be a bit challenging at times.

We got our Christmas tree today thanks to the good folks at Home Depot. We plan on bringing it inside after everyone goes to bed tonight. Time for dinner, that's all for now.

Hi Daddy

2008-12-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

Hello from 33,000 somewhere over Nevada. I am on my way to Joplin, MO to do some work at one of our radio stations. I happen to have the worse seat on the plane. I am in the last row, middle seat and there is a jet engine outside my window. The engine is quite literally blocking my view.

Enough about the flight, let's talk about Emily and Ethan. I've been away from them only a few hours and already I miss them. Just a few days ago Emily started saying "Hi Daddy" whenever I walk in the room and that just cracks my heart wide open. She has also learned a few new words like "ho ho ho" and "please" and a few others.

Ethan continues to grow like a weed. If I didn't know better I'd think he had some turkey at Thanksgiving, the kid is putting on some pounds. These kids are so amazing!!!! I am such a huge sap now. Such a sap that I setup a web camera on the kitchen table so I can see the family while in Joplin.

Ok so back to my flight because I am not ready to end this blog entry. So being in a middle seat and being broad shouldered don't mix. I sometimes remind myself that flying was MUCH worse when I was 90lbs heavier. I'm with good company though. The guy next to me is US Army on his way back to Iraq. He's been in the military for 23 years and fought in the first gulf war. Obviously the US Government spares no expense since he too got the shaft when it came to seat choice. That's all for now.

>> Sent from a mobile device

Giving Thanks

2008-11-27T05:17:00.001-08:00

I am a huge sap. What happened to me? I've been thinking A LOT about the kids the past 24 hours. If I were to rewind to the day we moved into this house (4 years ago last week) i would've never imagined I'd have 2 beautiful children as I do now. A few days ago Ethan started cracking smiles and although they're far and few, they're adorable. Emily continues to entertain. Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Kate came in town yesterday and Emily is having a blast! She has been really interested in "big girl words" and continues to try to communicate with us. We still have a long way to go but we're getting somewhere.

I put Christmas lights on the house yesterday. I've done icicle lights for the past 4 years, this year I did something different. I put up C9 "old school" lights. Instead of the normal multicolor design, I removed all the bulbs and installed red/white bulbs only. I don't like to brag but IT LOOKS AWESOME! I meant to take pictures but I forgot but I'll make sure to do it soon so you all can see how awesome it looks.

Thats all for now.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

2008-11-25T03:05:00.000-08:00

This week marks 6 in the life of Ethan, where does the time go? He continues to become more awake and alert and we're now starting to see some smiles creeping through. We did all of this 20 months ago with Emily but it's amazing how easy it is to forget these moments. I snapped a few pictures last night. Just a quick moment after a feeding. Click here to check them out.

Grandma and Grandpa will be here tomorrow. I think they'll be floored by how much the kids have grown. We are starting to get the house ready for Christmas. We've already hung the stockings and Advent calendar. Yeah, I know, a little early. I'm in love with the season so I kicked things off a week early. I can't help it, I just love this time of year and I have so much to be thankful for.

A New Level Of Tired

2008-11-23T01:38:00.001-08:00

Just when I thought we couldn't be more exhausted, we are. The past few nights have been on the crazy side. Emily is cutting teeth and between late night feedings and late night cuddle time with Emily, not a lot of sleep is happening in our home.

The one thing I will say is we're getting better at "managing" both kids. We've been out several times with both kids and we're getting the hang of things... until they change. Last night we had dinner with the group to celebrate Pedro's birthday. I got some fun pictures from the event, check them out by clicking here.

Ethan has been amazing. He is so beautiful. I know, I know, I sound like a sap and perhaps someone needs to take another notch out of my guy card but oh well. I caught some shots of him while swinging, check them out by clicking here.

I get to spend next week at home with the family. Grandma and Grandpa will be in town Tuesday so that will be fun. Maybe, just maybe we'll get a night off.

That's all for now.

The Blow Out ... A Poop Story

2008-11-18T02:45:00.001-08:00

So what would a blog entry be without a good poop story. Saturday marked another adventure out as we headed to Apple Hill with Matthew and the rest of the Martinezmoles clan. Mr. Ethan has been a bit on the gassy side. I had him latched into the Baby Bjorn when I heard and felt the rumble. A dark stink cloud followed and it wasn't long before I realized that he needed to be changed right away.

What I didn't see initially was it had blown out the FRONT of the diaper (one of the leg holes) and was inches from covering the shirt I was wearing. It's amazing what happens to you when you become a parent. Before my parenting days I would have been 100% repulsed. Instead I looked down and thought, "wow, impressive, I guess I should change him."

Check out the photos from our weekend outing. Both kids are doing WONDERFUL and I couldn't be more happy, even with poop on my shirt. Make sure to check out the newly uploaded video of Emily and I dancing like crazy people. -> LINK

I Love You

2008-11-17T20:23:00.001-08:00

I am at home right now while Jennifer makes a Target run. Emily is fast asleep in dream land while Ethan swings back and fourth while he catches a snooze. Perhaps the most beautiful thing happened today while sitting around the dinner table. Emily said I love you for the first time. I'm not sure she fully understands what it means yet but hearing those words come out of her mouth split my heart in two pieces.

So I've been uploading a bunch of good stuff some make sure to check out the Silly Time With Emily photos and the You Make Me Feel Like Dancing video on the main page of our website http://www.jenandmike.com

4 Weeks

2008-11-13T03:00:00.001-08:00

As I finish giving Ethan his 2AM bottle, I'm reminded that today marks a milestone... 4 weeks. Jennifer corrected me that he isn't officially 1 month until the 16th but whatever the case may be, he's 4 weeks. "Little Eman" is doing well. He continues to be a eating and pooping machine. He has another "well baby" appointment later today where we'll find out how much he's grown. Two weeks ago he came up short on weight so we're excited to see how many pounds he's packed on.

We all seem to be getting into some kind of routine... ok so whom I kidding, we're working on it. Some nights are good, some are not so good. The real adjustment is with Emily since we've messed around with her sleep schedule a little in order to get her off to daycare and me off to work in the mornings. Regardless, we're figuring it out so check back for an update. :)

I don't have any new pictures to share. We're concentrating on the birth announcements and attempting to get those done so if you want one speak now and place your order. :)

Better than an atomic clock...

2008-11-10T20:49:00.001-08:00

Hello to the one or two people reading my blog. Some of you will think I am exaggerating but you could honestly set your watch by Ethan's feeding schedule. He has no problem waking up day or night (every 3 hours to be exact) for some liquid goodness. When he's not sucking he's sleeping and when he's not sleeping he's... well... you know. Speaking of that, a few moments ago I changed a diaper that looked like a jar of mustard left in the fridge for 2 years, then dropped on the floor. Maybe I can't remember or maybe I didn't change enough of Emily's diapers, I just don't remember it smelling so bad.

Day 1 back at work went well. I got up at around 5:30, showered and then Jennifer helped wake Emily at around 6:15. By 6:45 we were getting Emily dressed and we were out the door by about 6:55. After a quick stop at Starbucks (ugh) I was at work before 7:15 = SUCCESS! I am sure every morning wont be like that but I can only hope for the best.

A Trip to Apple Hill

2008-11-08T22:22:00.001-08:00

Me, Jennifer, Ethan and Emily braved the crowds and headed to Apple Hill today. If you're from the Sacramento area and looking for a good time to go to Apple Hill, now is the time. The crowds were VERY light being that we're in the "in between" season. We got a fairly earlier start, ariving at around 10AM. Ethan was cuddled to my chest in the Baby Bjorn most of the day while Emily cruised around in the stroller. We had lunch, walked around the different craft fares and I had a warm slice of apple pie (YUM). The weather was a bit chilly but GREAT for taking pictures. Take a look, heres the link. :)

I also uploaded a bunch of pictures of Emily giving love to her baby brother. Here's the link, ENJOY!

Updated: November 8, 2008 @ 10:22PM

It's amazing...

2008-11-08T02:40:00.001-08:00

...that I haven't been pee'd on yet! Seriously though, I've been changing diapers for almost 2 years but haven't had to worry about getting pee'd on. I'm the first to admit that I am too relaxed when changing Ethan's diapers and it's going to come back to bite me one of these days.

Last night we had a lot of fun with the kids. We all played around on the floor and we got some really neat pictures that I just uploaded to the site. Check out the photos here.

I think we're going to try to take the kids up to Apple Hill later today (since it's only 2:45AM right now) so you can expect some more fun pictures later today. :)

Updated: November 8, 2008 @ 2:40AM

Sleepy Time With Ethan

2008-11-05T21:36:00.001-08:00

I just uploaded a bunch of pictures from the other night. Ethan was sleeping on Jennifer's chest and he was such a cuddle bug.

Here's the link, ENJOY!

A Moment of Panic

2008-11-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

I was talking with Jennifer today about Emily and Ethan and I asked if I would always be worried about them. Not a moment goes by that I don't wonder what they're doing, if they're breathing, if they're sleeping, etc, etc, etc... Serious, I think I need to take a chill pill already!! What is going to happen when these kids are old enough to drive and date? I only wish my mom was alive today so I could apologize for all the times I missed my curfew.

My Feelings on the Time Change

2008-11-03T10:13:00.001-08:00

"Falling back" does NOT give you an extra hour of sleep when you have kids. It ends up throwing off Emily's sleep pattern which in turn means less sleep for mom and dad.

Today marks the last day before the 2008 presidential elections and I don't know about the rest of you but I CAN'T WAIT for tomorrow to be over! If I hear another news story about the polls or see another political satire, I am going to go crazy. Let's vote and get it over.

Onto more important things, Ethan is doing wonderful. He's eating like crazy and doing a great job of keeping mom and dad up at night. He's so amazing!!! He had his first full bath on Saturday. I've been VERY good at keeping the website up to date so make sure to check out all the new photos. Grandma left on Saturday so it's taken some adjustment to get used to life with just the four of us. Emily misses her Grandma but I keep telling her that she'll see her again in a few weeks for Thanksgiving.

That's all for now, have a great day.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T10:22:00.001-07:00

Today marks the first day of November. Last night we had a blast with Emily in her Halloween costume. She had a lot of fun and although she couldn't say "trick or treat", she learned fast how to take candy from people. Ethan had a wonderful night as although he spent most of the time sleeping so he could be wide awake for mom and dad last night.

Josh, Tracy and Gavin came over last night. Check out the photos of the two as they enjoyed trick or treating for the first time.

Halloween Fast Approaches

2008-10-30T08:56:00.001-07:00

This Friday marks Emily's second Halloween. Last Christmas, Jim Frizzell gave her an authentic Stanford cheerleader outfit so we've decided to turn it into a Halloween costume this year. Emily will be dressing up as a cheerleader why I'll be a big and tough football player. I can't wait to take her trick or treating even though she's probably a bit young to fully understand what's going on. Regardless, when she figures out people will hand her sugary treats I'm beating she'll love the holiday.

Today marks Ethan's two week birthday and check up. He's eating well so we're thinking he's definitely gained some weight. Grandma remains in town and she's been a huge help in keeping our household right side up. I know I am bias but he's honestly the cutest looking boy I have ever seen. Big sister remains a huge help and I remained so blessed to have two healthy children.

I need sleep!

2008-10-29T10:20:00.001-07:00

No one could have prepared me for what it would be like to have two wonderful children. I waited a lifetime for these kids so I’m not complaining just reflecting on the last few weeks. Ethan is doing WONDERFUL. He’s totally healthy and one hell of an eater. Emily is still adjusting to baby brother but she’s a tremendous help and adjusting nicely.

Mom and dad are also adjusting and getting into “a groove”… luckily we still have help from Grandma!

I’ve added some photos recently so make sure to take a look at our photo page.

The Second Child -- The Birth Story

2008-10-21T20:22:00.001-07:00

I've decided to blog my thoughts and memories from the last few days...

I arrived home from work on the afternoon of October 15th at about 3:40pm. When I opened the door Jennifer instantly told me she thought she was leaking something. Come to find out, her water broke right as I walked in the door. A few days prior, Jennifer's OB confirmed that she was 2cm dilated. We were also having some mild contracts the 3 days prior so it was only a matter of time before this little boy decided to make his arrival so we were waiting impatiently. So after Jennifer's water broke, we started getting things together and made our trip to the hospital. We got checked in around 4:30ish (3cm dilated) and in our room by 5PM. At that time, Jennifer was having some mild contractions.

As things progressed we went through a period of nervousness as the doctor talked to us about the option of C-section. Unfortunately, Jennifers blood pressure started dropping after she received pain medication. Luckily, our guardian angel (Lein - LeAnne) came to our rescue at around 11PM. Lein is an L&D night nurse at Kaiser Hospital. She calmed us down and started repositioning Jennifer to take the stress off Ethan. Shortly there after Jennifer's blood pressure and Ethan's heart rate stabilized. Jennifer was also able to get some rest so that was good.

By 12:30AM Jennifer was 8cm and we thought it was only a matter of time before we started pushing. We were even making jokes about how Ethan would make his arrival by 2AM. Well he decided to take his sweet time. He slowly made his trip down the birth canal and by about 6AM, Jennifer was ready to push. We pushed in the labor room for about an hour. At around 7:10 Jennifer was wheeled into the delivery room and at 7:23AM I met my beautiful baby boy. As a daddy, a couple thoughts rushed through my mind earlier that morning. I wondered if Ethan's birth would be as impactful to me. When Emily was born my lifetime dream of being a parent was fufilled and I cried like a baby. I wondered what the birth of Ethan would be like. As we rolled down to the delivery room I looked into Jennifer's eyes and I saw love. As Ethan's head crowned and I watched Jennifer's last push, I fell into pieces. As to how impactful the experience was... I cried like a baby.

Both mom and baby are doing wonderful and I remain the most blessed man in this world.

A big hello for Ethan!

2008-10-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

So I'm well aware I have been TERRIBLE at blogging lately. I have no excuse other than pure lack of time. So much has changed since my last entry. Emily continues to grow like a weed. Last Thursday, October 16 @ 7:23AM we welcomed our second child, Ethan Michael to our loving family. Ethan weighs 6lbs. 9.5ozs and measures 20 inches long. Mom and baby are healthy and doing WONDERFUL. Ethan has brown hair and (we think) brown eyes and he's adorable. I finally uploaded some new pictures so make sure to check out the photo gallery.

Barrel of Monkeys

2008-06-30T15:53:00.001-07:00

What an amazing few weeks! Emily is walking like crazy. She can't pull herself up yet without help but she's getting the hang of it so it won't be long now. She has learned the art of trying to keep daddy from going to work. She actually walks to the door and stands in front of it with her arms blocking it.

Baby boy still doesn't have a name but is kicking like crazy. I have yet to feel a kick but Jennifer says they're hard enough that you can feel them if you touch her belly long enough. We've started plans to do a little redesign of the nursery. Since they're sharing a room, we'll need to change the color. We're also adding some "monkey attire" to spice it up.

June was a crazy month for picture taking... I got a new Canon 40D and I've shot almost 2000 photos in 2 weeks. At this rate, I'm gonna need a new hard drive to store all of these. I've uploaded a whole bunch of them so take a look at the photos page for more.

That's all for now.

Grandma and Grandpa's Visit

2008-06-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

And so ends a fun week with Grandma and Grandpa. Emily had a WONDERFUL time! All in all it was a pretty crazy week. We had our formal ultrasound for Baby #2 and confirmed he's a boy, Jo and Pedro had Baby Mo (aka. Matthew) and Emily has been walking like crazy. I took a boat load of pictures so you can check them out on our photo page.

Among the excitement, Grandpa and I replaced the kitchen faucet and he took me to the driving range to teach me how to tee off. To sum it up in a few words, I need some help and maybe even a prayer. I had a really good time though. I plan to practice a lot more and hopefully someday be able to play with the big boys.

Sex In The City...

2008-06-04T21:23:00.001-07:00

Yes, I need to turn in my "guy card", I saw Sex In The City with Jennifer tonight. Grandma gave us a date night by watching Emily so we went to see a chick flick. Yes, I enjoyed it.