I just found this really cool website for desiging slideshows, postcards, scrapbooks and eCards with your photos. It's www.Smilebox.com. I just finished my first slideshow: a summary of March 2008 in the Martinez family. Make sure you click on the very last video of my beautiful boy, Isaac, singing a song. He got all of his musical talent from his mother!!

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

LOOK AT ME, I'M 3!!!!!!!!!

Gabriella turned 3 months old on March 26th. She is growing so big and TALL!!! She is too long for her 0-3 month clothes but too skinny for her 3-6 months! Never thought one of my children would have that problem!! She is a very sweet and sensitive girl. She smiles all the time..when she is awake! I'm happy to report that she hasn't had one reflux spell since switching to the Enfamil A.R. I am so thrilled for her!!

Isaac just loves his baby sister!

EASTER

We have had an exciting week in the Martinez house. Gabriella celebrated her first St. Patrick's day! I dressed the kids up in all of their green for church. Isaac had on a nice green shirt and pants and Gabi had on a very cute shamrock dress her Gram bought her. Unfortunately, they were both grouchy after church so it was torture to get a good picture. Isaac clonked Gabi's head on the arm of the futon so that ended that photo session! I did manage to get a couple of photos. The next day (St. Patrick's Day) we ate at Pizza Hut with Gram and Grampan and this time we all wore green, even me!



We finally were able to return to "Jumper" - the Jump Zone I posted about, where they have all of the inflatables. Isaac was so excited! He could hardly sleep the night before because he was so excited to go. He got mad when we had to leave, as usual. He just doesn't understand that they close that place!

On Tuesday, while at Jumper, Gram noticed a white thing on Gabi's gum after she saw her drooling and suggested maybe it's a tooth! I felt around in her mouth later that night and I think it really is a tooth!!! She isn't even 3 months old yet! (She was 2 months and 22 days on the day I discovered it!) I got my first tooth around 3 months so I guess it's possible. My mom didn't believe my sister, Patti, when she told my mom that I bit her because I was too young to have a tooth. Mom checked my mouth, and sure enough, there was a tooth there!



Tonight Gabi finally laughed for the first time!! It was the most exciting thing and made my night! She was in her bassinet at Gram's house and we were spinning her mobile around. She just started to giggle! Luckily I had my camera handy and got it on video. Check it out...Gabi's laughing debut!!

Also, I may have my first interview for a music teaching job soon. I am applying like crazy. I got one response back already. I took my last Praxis test on Saturday. It was hard and I ran out of time so I'm nervous to get my scores back. Say some prayers for me!!

Gabriella had her 2 month checkup and shots today, even though she is really a 2.5 months old! I have a very tall girl! She was 20.5" at birth and today she measured 25". She is the 97% for height and 50% for weight. She weighed 11 lb 13 oz on Feb 8th and was the same weight today (but it was a different scale this time and last time she had clothes on).
I told Dr about her terrible reflux attacks and that I want to see a pediatric GI. He suggested switching her formula again first to see if it will help. She's on the Alimentum right now and he wants to try her on Enfamil A.R. He said if the spitting up (and reflux) spells stop, and the rash stays away, the problem is reflux, not a milk allergy. If she starts puking more and gets a worse rash then it's a milk allergy and he will change her reflux meds or have me see a ped. G.I. I just opened a can of Alimentum so I'm going to use it first. I hate to waste a $27 can of formula. We'll see what happens.

The shots were bad but not as terrible as I anticipated. She got over it quickly and has been fine since.

Here she is with me before the Dr. came in...

Here she is with the nurse practitioner..

Gabi and Gram:

Isaac was so worried about her getting shots. He had to inspect her boo-boos. He liked her band aids she had on. You'd never know her legs had been all shot up, as smiley as she was! _______________________

We had a rare snow this past weekend. I don't remember it ever snowing in March in AR. Isaac was super excited to play in the snow. We walked all over our apt. complex. Lemuel stayed in with Gabi most of the time, but we traded for a bit so he could go out in the snow, too.

Yes, I know I have been MIA for a while now. First, I have been selling things on eBay since the week before Christmas and it has become a full time job. I had about 50 orders to fill this week. I am now down to about 30. It is keeping me very busy. If you are curious, here is a link to the things I am selling: Ebay Stuff.

Lemuel's mom, niece Mellisa and her husband, Jacinto drove up from Houston this past weekend to attend Gabriella's blessing, which took place on March 2nd. She was a very good girl and didn't cry. She looked gorgeous in her dress - the same dress I wore on my blessing day, almost 32 years ago. She also wore the booties that her Abuelita made her.

Gabriella with her Abuelita, Antonia Martinez

The day before her blessing we took our visitors to see the Arkansas River and to walk over it on the new bridge they built about a year ago. It was a work out! We walked half way up and it was getting dark so we headed back down. Lemuel told Isaac he wanted to have a running competition going back down. My gut instinct said to tell them no, because Isaac would fall. However, not wanting to be the overprotective mother that I am I said nothing. They took off and Melissa, Jacinto, Gabi and I made our way back down. When we got to the bottom Isaac was bawling and had fallen flat on his face. His face was all messed up, as well as his knee, the poor boy. He also lost his brand new Star Wars guy that I had just given him that morning. (Lemuel later found it on some kid who had picked it up and tried to keep it).

Melissa and Jacinto are newlyweds - 6 months.

My poor boy. This is a couple of days after his fall.

I have begun my teaching job search and have made a couple of applications already. I am really excited to start a new teaching job. I really miss my internship. I went to Crystal Hill to visit and saw my former students and Christy, my mentor. It felt like home.

I discovered a new fun place to take Isaac. It is called the Jump Zone and it is basically a big room full of inflatable things you jump on. They call it an inflatable play center. There are about 7 different ones but they are quite elaborate. It costs $7 for a kid but the parents get to go in free. I even got in some of the inflatables and jumped/slid down the slide with Isaac. It was such a blast! They have a family night, too, where parents and kids can go and jump. Here are some photos from that....

Gabriella turned 2 months old on the 26th of February. She is looking so grown up lately. She is cooing and talking. She tries to imitate me when I stick out my tongue. She smiles a lot - whenever she is awake, which isn't a lot! When she is awake, she is very alert and looks at things for a long time. She loves to look at the picture of the Houston temple we have hanging in the living room. Here she is on her 2 month birthday...