Brain Power!

It’s amazing how one day you look at your kid and say, “where the heck did you learn that?  You weren’t able to do it yesterday!”  They learn sooo much and so fast!  Remy has been saying a few words for a little while now – mamma, dada, juice, bye-bye, yes, etc.  Lately it seems like he’s getting more clear and he’s picking up on more words.  Time to really start watching my mouth around him!  And I suppose I should stop telling the dogs to “shut up”!  I wouldn't want him telling me to shut up...  

He’s also trying to mimic animal sounds.  The first one he learned was the monkey – he’s been doing that for a while.  This weekend I got him to moo and he tries his darnedest to say oink, oink, oink.  His version is pretty darn cute.   

He has also picked up a little bit of sign language.  His auntie/daycare lady was doing it with her little one so he was learning it there and we started it at home as well.  He knows how to say please and does it constantly (every time he wants something) – he’s not very good on thank you yet but I can squeeze it out of him sometimes.  We’re still working on “more” and “all done” – doesn’t seem like he’s picking up on those.  Wonder what else I should teach him….  All this learning is so fun to watch. :)

Can't end a post without a picture!

 

Christmas Time!

My poor Remy was sick over Christmas – puking all over the place.  But did that slow him down?  Nope.  He was still going a million miles per hour.  Well, maybe he slowed down a little… but not much.  He was still a happy camper despite the ugly bug he had.  Last year he obviously didn’t participate in opening presents, he was only 12 weeks old.  But this year he loved opening the presents!!  It was so cute.  It didn’t take him long to realize that ripping wrapping paper off something meant there was something fun inside.  Remy got lots of fun things this year from “Santa”, momma and daddy, his grandmas, aunties & uncles, etc.  His favorite seems to be his new batman mobile and his elephant that blows balls out of his trunk.  He is one lucky kid to have so much love surrounding him!  I of course neglected to take many photos.  I always regret that… Here's a few that I took.

Where's your belly button?

Well, the first body part Remy has learned is a belly button!  He's all about lifting up everyone's shirts and pointing at your belly button.  Mine isn't as attractive as it used to be (thanks to Remy) so he finds it funny to poke and squish.  I ask him where his belly button is and he pulls up his shirt and pokes it.  So darn cute!

Tis the Season

My very good friend and awesome photographer (Jess Arco Photography) took Remy's pictures for Christmas cards that I'm going to send out this year.  He was quite the stinker as usual.  He can be all smiles and then the camera comes out and ------blank stare------crabby------.  

Oh well, we still got a few cute pics!

We also had all the little ones from our Monday crew together at the same time so we took a photo of all of them.  How cute!  Gosh I love these little ones!!!

Clogged Eye Duct

Remy had a procedure done yesterday to have his dacryostenosis fixed (clogged eye duct).  The whole experience was very nerve-wracking.  I didn’t know what to expect and my nerves got the best of me.  No mother wants to see her baby be put to sleep and have his eye probed.  All the worries and what-ifs were racing through my mind.  Since Remy had to be put to sleep they didn’t want him eating anything that morning and having nothing to drink after 6:15 a.m.  I knew Remy would be a bear if he had nothing to drink.  He wasn’t allowed his milk but they said he could have apple juice.  Luckily he was stirring and starting to wake up a little after 6 so I went and got him and he chugged his entire juice.  So, one less thing to worry about – he got something to drink.  We left at 7:30 which is about when we leave to go to daycare anyways so he probably thought this was any normal day.  We got to the surgery center a little after 8 (which is when he eats breakfast) but I think since it was a new place and strange people all over he forgot about being hungry.  Thank god because I was worried about him being super crabby about not eating.  The nurses and doctors were all very, very nice.  The anesthesiologist and the doctor doing the surgery both came and talked to us about everything beforehand to explain everything and answer all of our questions.  They said one of us could carry him back and be with him until he was put to sleep.  Of course I jumped on that – I’m his mommy.  :)  So I put on the suit that made me feel like the Michelin man – it was enormous on me – and we walked to the surgery room.  I did my best not to cry – it was scary.  We got to the room and the anesthesiologist wasn’t ready yet so we just hung out in the room with the rest of the doctors and nurses.  Remy flirted with the ladies and they all loved him.  Then it was time.  He hated it when they put the mask on his face and cried.  That was the hardest part for me.  Once he was asleep they brought me back to the room to wait with Phil.  It really didn’t take long – maybe 20 minutes or so and we got to see him again.  It was a very simple and quick procedure.  The doctor said he had two pretty bad clogs and he unclogged both with success.  He also said he has a pretty weird anatomy and got pretty excited about it.  Haha.  He said it looks like Remy tried to make up for his clogged eye duct by trying to make another one.  Obviously it doesn’t work but he has two.  Anyways, nothing wrong with that.  He said it all went well and brought us back to see him.  My poor little buddy was crying and very out of it.  He was doing the “I’m hurt and scared momma” cry.  Breaks my heart.  After calming him down and sitting with him for a little bit he finally drank some juice and even started eating.  Once he started eating he was pretty much back to the normal Remy we know and love.  Since he was eating and drinking fine they said he was good to go.  On our way home he fell asleep in the car and was so out of it that taking him out the carseat, taking off his jacket and having the dogs bark didn’t even rattle him.  He’s NEVER slept that hard before.  After he took a little snoozer we had some lunch and he was basically back to normal.  He doesn’t seem to be in pain and he’s happy.  He seemed to have some sort of reaction to something but we’re not sure to what… his thighs had some sort of rash that looked like poison ivy but that went away after a few hours.  Now we just need to give him eye drops a few times a day for the next 5 days and he should be good to go!  So far it looks like the procedure worked.  No leaking and he didn’t wake up to his eye glued shut from gunk.  I’m sure he’ll be very happy that we won’t be picking the gunk out of his eyes all the time now!  

Right before surgery (I couldn't get him to sit still for a good picture).  The gown they had for him was WAY too big and there was no way the pants would have stayed on.  Haha, so he just wore the shirt, which looked more like a dress and the funny socks that went up to his knees. 

Pooped out from the rough morning (I think we all were a little exhausted):

We know he's pretty much back to normal when I can't get a normal picture of him because he won't stop moving.  This is Remy running to me laughing.  Hehe.  Gosh I just love him.

First Home Haircut

Remy had his first “home” haircut on Sunday.  It actually went better than I thought it would.  BUT I’m not saying it was easy.  No toddler’s hair is easy to cut, especially when your toddler doesn’t ever slow down.  But I think it turned out pretty good for us unprofessional hair stylists – aka momma and daddy.

Showing off the new hair do: