1st Birthday Party

Remy’s 1^st birthday party was on Saturday!  He doesn’t turn 1 until Oct 2^nd but that’s on a Wednesday so we had his party a few days early.  It took me all day Friday and Saturday to get ready for it but it was a success.  I was expecting 40 people but some of our family is flakey so some didn’t show (which I already knew would happen).  But I was happy with the outcome.  We had plenty of food to go around.  I sure appreciate everyone who came and who helped out with chairs, tables, crock pots, food, etc.  I sure have some awesome family and friends!  ;)  Remy sure scored on the gifts!  He’s one lucky little boy!  He even got to meet his great grandpa on my mom’s side who he’s never met before.  I didn’t take many pics, I’m forgetful like that and always regret it.  But here are a few…

The kids loved the balloons.  Remy kept trying to bite them.  I'm very surprised he didn't end up with one popping in his face.

 

He did seem to enjoy opening his own presents.  :)

Not a very good family pic but the only one we got!

He was more interested in rubbing the frosting all over his tummy and boobs than eating it.

But after a slow start he realized it was yummy.  :)

And I think we have a new favorite toy!

Phil and I will celebrate his real birthday on Wednesday and give him our present then.  Can’t wait!  I know he’s too little to understand it but its still fun.  :)

One Year Sneak Peak

I'm a busy gal these days and haven't had a chance to blog but just wanted to give you a sneak peek of Remy's 1 year photo opp.  Isn't he darling!  Jess Arco Photography rocks!  :)

11 Months Old!

My little man is 11 months old!!!!!!!!  One more month and he won’t be a “baby” anymore.  So sad.  :(  I love the little guy he is turning into but I’m sad that he’s growing up so fast.  Remy is getting quite the personality.  I love making him laugh and seeing what he thinks is funny and what pisses him off.  He’s at the stage where I can finally start annoying him and having more fun with him.  Haha.  Currently one of his favorite things is to crawl away from me and he wants me to come run after him screaming “I’m gonna get you” (the louder the better and the more I make him jump the better) and when I get him I have to tickle him to death.  He laughs sooo hard!  I can tell when he wants to play this game because he’ll start to crawl away and then look back at me as if to say, aren’t you going to come get me momma?  So freaking adorable.

Remy has also gotten very good at walking with a walking toy.  Just over the long weekend he seemed to get really good at it.  A few days ago he didn’t have much control over it but today he’s a pro!  His only problem is when he gets stuck against a chair or the wall – then he gets frustrated.  He’s also practicing standing all by himself without holding on to anything.  He did this the other day for like 5 seconds!  He was also doing it over and over again last night but he would only last a few seconds before he fell over.  He was so proud of himself.

Remy is still a very good eater!  He eats most anything but definitely has his favorites.  He loves loves loves mandarin oranges, pineapples and spaghetti.  However, he’s picked up a really bad habit of throwing his food once he starts to get full/bored or when he doesn’t particularly like something.  We’re hoping this phase ends soon.  Telling him “no” just seems to make him do it more – he likes the reaction he gets.  So for now we’re just ignoring it and giving him smaller portions – he gets more when he eats it all.  That way there’s not a ton on his plate flying throughout the room.  This is one good thing about having dogs.

We took Remy to his first fair over the weekend – MN State Fair.  He does so good out and about.  He usually hates being tied down all day in a stroller or on someone’s lap but he did awesome.  All the distraction definitely helps.  He was the life of the party on the bus ride back.  He was making the whole front of the bus laugh.  He was chit-chatting and playing with everyone.  I love that he’s not shy like his momma!

Remy almost has a mouthful of teeth already!  He’s had the 8 teeth for quite some time now (4 top, 4 bottom) but the others are popping in and out left and right.  One day one will have shown its ugly head and then go back down.  He doesn’t let me get a good enough look usually so I can only look when he’s screaming or something.  Yesterday I saw one of the back molars and OUCH is all I can say.  That thing is huge.  Poor little buddy.  I’m guessing at this point he has about 11-12 teeth.  

Remy is getting to be such a chatter-bug.  His vocabulary is getting larger and larger.  He seems to understand what we're saying lots of the time but obviously can't tell us what he wants yet.

We had to establish a bedtime routine because Remy was wanting to stay up late every night and “party”.  We usually start “quite time” around 7-7:30.  We have to turn off the lights, read a few books and then get gets his bottle and goes to bed.  This routine is definitely making things easier for him to calm down and realize he’s super tired and need to sleep.  We really need some more book though because I'm getting so tired of reading the same ones over and over and over again!  Good thing his birthday is coming up.

Remy still loves to watch Sesame Street.  I usually put it on in the morning while I’m finishing getting ready, etc.  His favorite part is Elmo’s World and he hears the theme song for that and drops what he’s playing with and watches.  He just seems too young to be doing that!  I never give kids enough credit for what they can learn and do.  But, I guess Netflix is getting rid of Sesame Street this month so we’ll have to find a new show to watch on instant.  :(

Remy is finally too big for the bumbo.  He can now get out of it quite easily.  I’ve barely used it these last few months but when I need to sit him somewhere for 2 minutes and not let him run around it was nice.  Not anymore!

10 Month Pics

Like I said, Remy's 9 month pics turned into 10 month pics.  We attempted his pics twice and on both days he was a crab butt about it.  He was in a weird stage where he didn't like to be outside and didn't like to be in grass.  Every time I'd stick him in the grass and walked away he'd start to whine.  It's funny, I think my favorite pic is the one with the grump face!  So cute!!  Hopefully his 1 year pics will go smoother.  I'm sure they will since he likes to be outside now and no longer hates the grass.  Either way, Jess Arco (check out her facebook page here) still got some adorable pics despite his horrible mood!  :)

New Ride

Well I think it's finally time for us to start putting away the "baby" toys and start pulling out the "big boy" toys.  Sad....  I'm pretty sure I should have done this a while ago but I'm just not ready for him to not be a baby anymore.  He's turning more and more into a toddler everyday.  He's not big on cuddles and sitting in one spot anymore.  He loves to go, go, go.  So last night Phil and I were thinking we needed to pull out one of his big boy toys and see if he's ready for it.  He LOVED it.  Maybe it was because it was something new to play with, maybe he was ready for it for a little while now... either way, he loved it.  He's not to the stage where he can peddle himself around yet but it has a foot rest where he can put his feet up and he loves to be pushed around.  We were pushing him around the yard and I forgot my phone in the house so I couldn't take a video of it.  Phil took one but his phone sucks really bad.  But Remy was squealing with delight as we drove around!  Ugh, can't believe he's almost a year old.......

It's Official!

Remy is officially "normal" crawling!  He's been army crawling for about 2 months now and every day I felt like he was going to crawl but he just never did.  He has been getting on his knees a lot lately but never moved forward.  Last night he finally did it!  I was so proud!  I went and told Phil right away and he was like, "what's the big deal, he's been walking along furniture for a week or two now".  So Phil doesn't think it's that special since he's been army crawling and walking along furniture but I think it's a big deal.  I'm hoping he gets better and better at it and stops the belly scootin all together.  I'm sick of seeing how dirty my floors are.  :) 

10 Months Old!

Remy is 10 months old!!!  Only 2 more months and then he’s a year old!  My little buddy is growing up wayyyyy to fast.  It's time to start planning his first birthday party.  

 In the last month I feel like he’s learned so many new things.  Still no real crawling but he’s very quick at belly scootin around.  I can’t wait until he picks his belly up off the ground so I don’t have to see how dirty my floors are anymore!!  He can also go from his belly to sitting all on his own now and likes to do this over and over and over again.  This is a huge milestone that I was very happy to see.  No more whining for me to pick him off the floor and put him in the sitting position – he can do it himself!  :)  It's super cute to go upstairs to get him in the morning and see him sitting in his crib chit-chattin away.   

Remy is  also pulling himself up on everything.  The windowsill, the couch, the coffee table, his train table, whatever is nearby.  He doesn’t need help in that department anymore either!  He’s also attempting to walk along furniture but isn’t very sturdy at it yet.  But he can definitely get from point A to point B if there is furniture to walk alongside!  We are also practicing our walking and standing by himself but I think it will be a while yet before he’s doing that on his own.  We’re also working on our crawling but if he wants to get somewhere fast he gets right on his belly and scoots.  He will stay on his knees for a little bit but has not moved forward or backward while on his knees.  

Remy doing his current favorite thing - standing:

 
 Remy also thinks I'm a jungle gym:

 
 We’re also doing very very good in the food department!  My picky eater isn’t so picky anymore.  Most everything we put in front of him he eats.  In fact, he eats so much food!!!  I don't know where it all goes.  Dinner time is when he seems to eat the most.  Right now he loves green beans, brats, mac-n-cheese, fish sticks, grapes, rice sides, toast with jelly and chicken on the grill.  We've also started putting a little cow's milk in his bottles.  Soon I'll be done pumping!  YAY!

Remy loves to chit chat and most of the time he's saying babababa or mamamama.  He still doesn’t say dada and I don’t think he knows I’m “mama” quite yet (though Phil thinks he does).  I think he just likes to say it.  He also tries to copy me when I say “vroom” while we’re playing with his cars but can’t seem to say it right.  So cute!   

On the weekends Remy loves to start his day watching Sesame Street.  He's entranced with Elmo:

 Remy is one happy baby.  He loves all of his new found abilities and practices them over and over again.  He laughs at himself all the time and loves watching the dogs.  If the dogs are playing with a ball in the living room he likes to scoot after them and try to get the ball too.  Or he likes to just sit and watch them bark and growl at each other.  Apparently that's hilarious.   

We also had our first haircut this month, which I already blogged about.  Ahh, he looks so much older now, more like a toddler!  We are a little behind on his 9 month pics.  We were at the cabin when he turned 9 months and then he got sick when we were going to do them when we got home.  Then we attempted them last weekend and he was super crabby (unlike him) so that didn’t go over well.  So our final attempt was last weekend.  They will be 10 month pics instead.  :)  He wasn't exactly crabby but wasn't his normal happy self.  He just doesn't like sitting in the grass and of course we want to take his pics outside!  Hopefully we got a few good ones.  
  
I just love this boy to bits and pieces!!!  I love watching him learn and grow and I can't wait to see what he does next.  :)