12 months old-In Red Chair

ONE YEAR OLD!!! What's happened this month, you may ask...lots. Rémy has mastered walking and is now trying to run. She has started learning to stack objects and wants to do more things independently. We have successfully made the switch from formula to whole milk, saving us money and filling out Rémy a little more. Rémy has lots of battle wounds from making her way through life and seems to have a new bruise or scratch every day. If you look close enough in this picture you can see the remnants of a black eye that's almost disappeared. She is becoming familiar with the potty and how to flush, but has yet to do anything on the toilet besides look at Elmo on the seat. She started pointing at objects and babbling as if telling us about them. She has a baby doll that is about half her size that she drags around the house, giving it a pacifier, or bottle or trying to change it's diaper. When she's being sweet she pats it and gives it hugs. We're working on blowing kisses and giving kisses on the cheek, but she doesn' t have it down quite yet.

A short story about her new found independence; the three of us were grocery shopping the other night, but Rémy would not sit in the cart. She wanted to walk around the entire grocery store, following behind the cart. She also didn't want anything to do with holding hands and walking. For this reason, for her birthday one of the things we got 'her' (but really us) is a little monkey backpack friend that has a long tail for us to hold on to. I've seen other parents have these on their kids and thought...oh I'd never do that. But when it comes down to it, as independent as she seems to be, I would much rather subject her to a monkey backpack than have her missing from my sight.

As parents we feel like her lifespan has been a few long months instead of the whole year that it really has been. We are grateful for every little hug, squeeze, kiss and smile she gives!