Remi's first tooth!

Remi's first tooth has come in and I can see why she was very grumpy for a few days.  That thing is sharp!  She doesn't like to show it, so this is the best picture I could get.  Hopefully you can see the little nubbin. 

She also has learned to drink from a sippy cup, which she loves.  I think it feels good on her gums.

I just don't think she could be any cuter!

Merry Christmas!

Remi is the best Christmas present we could ever receive.  We are so blessed.

Merry Christmas!

7 months old!

Remi is 7 months old! As you can see in these pictures, there are no smiles, although she always has plenty of smiles for Daddy.  Her teeth (gums) have really been bothering her the past few days.  She won't let me look to see if there is a tooth popping through yet, but I think I felt something tonight when I rubbed my finger over her gum!  She also has been trying new foods and has decided that she isn't too sure about peas, but she really loves carrots!

Likes:
*Playing in her exersaucer
*Carrots and pears
*Cell phones and remotes
*Chewing on her fingers, or anything else she can get in her mouth
*Hearing her own voice (screeching and squealing!)
*Having people sing to her, especially "Jesus Loves Me"

Doesn't like:
*Taking naps
*Having her face washed or her nose wiped

Adventures in the water

Remi and I met Shelby, Grace, and Cooper at the Y last week for her first real dip in the pool.  I thought she would really enjoy it because she LOVES bathtime.  She wasn't so sure though.  She liked watching Grace and Cooper, and she liked the pool toys, but she didn't splash around like I thought she would.  I think she warmed up to the idea right before we left, so I have high hopes for pond and pool time this summer!

Sitting up

Remi is trying very hard to learn how to sit up by herself.  In fact, she pretty much wants to sit up all of the time, so we've been practicing.  She's so close!  Here's how it usually goes...

Sit her up,

and let go.

Steady...

Steady...

And then leans to the side with a crash into her toys if we don't catch her!

(Sorry, there's no picture of that. :) )

Lemonade out of lemons

We had quite a crazy week last week.  Not only was Remi sick, but we lost power for about 48 hours.  Not having heat, running water, or electricity for a short time is inconvenient, but not having those things for that long with a 6-month old is impossible!  Lucky for us, we had family willing to take us in.  Michael, Remi, and I spent Tuesday night at David and Stephanie's and Remi enjoyed having Dalayna read stories to her.  They live very close so it was easy to get there and thankfully they had power most of the evening, and a generator when they didn't.  We were there most of Wednesday and then Remi and I decided to head to Manchester to hang out for a while and spend the night if we needed to.  We ended up staying at Eric and Ashley's house Wednesday and Thursday night while Michael decided to stay at Dave and Steph's to be closer to work.  Uncle Eric even taught Remi how to do a high five and she spent lots of time watching Isaac!  The power finally came on at 11:00 Thursday night and we were able to come back a warm house Friday afternoon.  We had no idea how long we would be without power, so it was complete craziness trying to pack everything Remi needed, plus what I also needed for who knew how long!  We made the best of a frustrating situation and had lots of fun at Remi's first sleepovers!

Here's Isaac showing Remi how easy it is to sit up all by yourself.  And even though it looks like it, I promise he's not naked. :)

6 month check-up

Remi had her 6 month well-baby check-up last week, although she wasn't feeling her best.  She had a cold with an ear infection.  The ear infection has cleared up, but she is still congested with a runny nose, all of it being compounded by the fact that she is teething.  This is the first time she has been sick, and I feel so helpless because I can't make it all better.

Besides her cold, she is doing great and is very healthy.  She now weighs 16 lbs. 12 oz. and is 26 in. long.  She is in the 59% for her weight and 42% for height.  She does like to eat!  Pears are her new favorite solid food.  She gobbles them right up!  And she sticks her tongue out ALL the time, I think because she likes the way it feels on her sore gums.  She also got more shots at this visit, which I knew were coming, but that doesn't make it any easier.  But I was so proud of Remi; she only cried when the nurse first gave her the shots, and was fine as soon as I picked her up!  Such a big girl!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have a lot to be thankful for this year.  Happy Thanksgiving!

6 months old!

I cannot believe Remi is 6 months old already!

She indulges my bow obsession as long as I don't make her wear them for very long.

And she is full of smiles!

One of the most precious things she is doing right now is when we hold her so she can stand up and look at us, she puts her little hands on our faces.  I love it...even when her hands are slimy from her slobber, it's the best thing ever!

She is also getting so big I can't carry her in her car seat very far.  The last time I weighed her she weighed around 17 pounds, but that's just using the bathroom scale.  We'll go to the doctor in a couple weeks and see how much she weighs for sure.

Likes:

*Oatmeal cereal and sweet potatoes/being in her high chair

*Playing with her feet and chewing on her toes

*Kicking the sides of her crib

*Bathtime

*Sitting/standing up
*Spitting/blowing bubbles/sticking her tongue out

Doesn't like:

*Changing clothes

*Being rocked to sleep

*Her pacifier

*Strangers/people in her face

Forever Family

11-10-11 is the day Michael, Remi, and I became a forever family.  Remi's adoption was finalized with our family, including Rachael (Remi's birthmom), surrounding us.  It wasn't exactly how I imagined it would happen, but it couldn't have been more perfect.  It was just our family in a little room with the judge, the court reporter, and our lawyer...who is awesome, by the way.  Michael and I had to answer a few questions, the hardest one being how to spell Remi's full name out loud.  Remi is easy, Virginia not so much! :)  At the end the judge found us worthy of being Remi's parents.  Praise the Lord!  I was pretty disappointed when I found out we couldn't have cameras in the courthouse, but the court reporter was nice enough to take 2 pictures for us.  They aren't the best quality, but they are precious to me, a precious reminder of such a wonderful time!  Before we left, we got to spend some time with Rachael, which is always a blessing.  To top it all off, as we walked out of the building, it was snowing!  It was a beautiful ending to a beautiful day.  I wish I had better words to describe this whole event, but Michael and I are just so very thankful to know that Remi is now officially ours on paper, not just in our hearts.

Rachael, Remi, Mandi, Michael

Dan and Susie (Mandi's parents), Mandi, Rachael, Remi, Michael, Judy and Roy (Michael's mom and her husband), and Shelby (Mandi's best friend)

The 3 Rigneys

Oh happy day!

Just so darn cute!

Remi doesn't usually like the hats Mommy makes her wear, but this one doesn't bother her at all!  It has little ears on it at the top and I think she likes to chew on the flaps when she can get them in her mouth. 

She has learned a new trick and thinks it's pretty funny to stick out her tongue!

Go Hoosiers!

Look at that belly!  Can you tell she REALLY likes her oatmeal cereal?!

A little bit of creativity

Remi and I go to 113 Moms group every other Tuesday.  The title comes from Psalms 113:9 which talks about being "a happy mother of children."  I get to spend time with other moms, and Remi gets to mingle with other babies.  She also gets to see Grandma Judy because we meet at the church where she works, and I love that Mrs. Sheets and Mrs. Knight play with her while I'm busy!  A couple weeks ago our activity was painting pottery.  So fun!  I'm not very creative, so Shelby helped me find some ideas to "borrow" from the Internet.  Here's what I ended up making...

...it's me walking, Remi being a cute baby in pink, and Michael mowing!

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween from our little pumpkin!

The land of solid foods...sort of

We started Remi on solid foods last week, although I'm not sure why it's called "solid."  It's really just thicker formula, but it's still exciting!  It makes me a little sad too because she is growing up so fast.  She didn't seem too interested in the rice cereal, but she didn't gag and spit it out either...so I guess we'll call it a success! 

Doin' the worm

Remi is developing her skills.  She can do the worm...

...and give Mommy the hairy eyeball at the same time!

She can also reach her toes into her mouth, and she is VERY excited to have finally accomplished this goal!

While her hair in the front hasn't grown a whole lot, the hair on the crown of her head is coming in nicely.  I kind of think she looks like a Kewpie doll the way it sticks up!

Silly face.

I think this hat is adorable, but it's a little big and falls down over her eyes.  She does not like it one bit!

 

5 months old!

Remi is 5 months old and full of smiles!

She may have been slightly annoyed by the end of the photo shoot!

Likes:

*Sitting up

*Playing in her exersaucer

*Being on the move

*Standing up

*Looking outside (She likes being outside, but now it's too cold for any length of time.)

Doesn't like:

*Being away from Mommy (While it's an awesome feeling for a new mom, I am sad for others who want to love on her!  I know she'll get over this soon.)

More 5 month pics

These were just too cute not to post!

She's having a conference with her friends!