Newsletter: Month Five

Dear Remington,

Today you turn five months old.

You are changing each and every day. We have worked ourselves into a nice little rhythm this month. You have been sleeping through the night and now you take two naps during the day. The first one is long, the second short. It is working out quite nicely for everyone.
Your fussing has cut back dramatically since we introduced rice cereal into your diet. You take it mixed with water and you eat from a spoon like you've been doing it forever. Last week I tried making homemade baby food. Started by boiling, mashing and straining sweet potatoes, peas, or carrots then freezing portions in an ice cube tray. You absolutely love sweet taters! You 'Mmm' the whole time. Giving you solids has certainly changed what Daddy refers to as 'events.' That, and you have the most vile smelling farts on the planet. I guess we can handle it, given the fact you are so darn tootin' cute. People have really been commenting on how stunning your blue eyes. This surprised me because I thought most babies eyes were blue. But the compliments you get have encouraged me to dress you in blue as much as possible.
Daddy has started to wonder aloud how you became so adorable. Maybe it is because of the frequency in which you smile at him. Actually, you can barely function if he is in the same room because all you want to do is stare at him and gain his attention. We were worried that you wouldn't know him as well as you know me, simply because he has been away for a good chunk of your short little life. His absence seems to have the opposite affect. You coo and kick and squeal with delight when he holds you, and you laugh at him for absolutely no reason. He walked past you in the grocery store the other day, and you began to giggle just to get his attention. It is such a musical sound and it melts our hearts every time we hear it. Your little cheeks turn pink when you smile and they look like little tomatoes. That toothless grin has become more and more frequent the older you get, as are your laughs.

Your dislikes are becoming far more obvious to us these days. You still loathe riding in other people's cars and I swear you have a serious aversion to one-year-olds in general. We have discovered that you become easily offended when people scream, in delight or otherwise. Your feelings got especially hurt when we were watching TV with my cousins, Alex and Alicia, and they were screeching over a montage of people falling off trampolines. The same thing happened when Daddy was dangling you over my face while I was laying on the couch, pretending to scream as the two of you bent over me. Your bottom lip juts out, followed by the saddest cry on the planet. Funny thing is, we have taken you to several movies and the noise doesn't seem to bother you, so it must be the actual screaming.
This past month I took you to a mommy's group where all the kids were around your age. We sat on the floor and you sprawled out on your tummy. All the babies took turns grabbing each others faces and limbs. You really liked the kids your age. I wonder why you hate 1 year-olds so much...
A few other tidbits:

New nicknames: Remi Bemi, Remington Baby Son #1, Son of sons,
You kick me with your left foot when I'm trying to get you to sleep. I have the bruises to prove it.
Putting you down for bedtime takes forever. You always open your eyes just when I think you are asleep and smile one of your big, toothless grins.
You are the happiest first thing in the morning, and you love to talk and play.
You have abandoned your binkis. You simply have no desire for them.
You are playing with toys, FINALLY! I was worried there might be something wrong.
You roll if prodded.
You like to be involved in what we are doing. From eating dinner to watching TV, you like to be in the thick of it.
You like to bite my finger and lick my face.
You grab your toes whenever you are on your back.

We are looking forward to the next month. You are so much fun that at night I want to wake you up so I can play with you! You are turning into quite the little man. Daddy thinks you are such a good kid, and I couldn't agree more!

I love you, baby!

Love,
Mama