Big boy!

I will have some additional pictures and videos available within the next few days but I wanted to make sure everyone knew what strides our little one had made over the past for weeks!

First-Gabriel managed to chip a tooth (no, we don't know when/how) BUT went to a pediatric dentist and had his tooth filed (rotary file and everything) with no more than a wink! He was perfect-we spent more time playing in the waiting room. He didn't cry or anything-what a trooper!

Secondly-We have finally made the transition from two shoddy naps to one solid nap (although it varies from one and a half hours long to two or more if we're really lucky)! It was a bit tenuous at first but we made it through. Considering Gabriel had just gotten over his first real illness (flu?) the previous week, he was a real champ!

Finally-NO MORE BOTTLES! At almost 15 months (on March 11), we've successfully gotten rid of all of our bottles! It was tough initially, but here's our trick (if you wonder). We started with the nighttime bottle, even though few people recommend it, by decreasing the amount over a week an ounce or so at a time and continually offering him milk throughout dinner and during book time before bed. Eventually, no more bottle. We did the same with his 3pm bottle by replacing it with a snack and milk-this also being a previous nap time. We'd sit in front of the TV or do something quiet together while munching so he'd still relax bit but because he constantly would fight this nap tooth and nail, it just seemed easiest to let it go...eventually we replaced his 10am bottle as well with a snack (which is before his nap now) and pushed it back to 11am/1130am. As he began sleeping from 7pm to 7am regularly, now we just pop him outta bed and change him and head to the kitchen to make him breakfast, giving him milk then rather than assuming he might go back to bed.

All this has led to a wonderful schedule in hopes that the routine will help with our little girl's arrival. I am so proud of my little Gubby-he's become such a big boy over the past few months.

P.S. In case you haven't heard, we've FINALLY decided on our little girl's name, Emily Elizabeth Prost. It's a cute story-Mike put two sticky notes inside my birthday card with the top 6 names we'd agreed on (we had a running list on the fridge) and a space for a write-in. He then suggested we rank them (on our own) and compare lists and the lowest score would win (i.e. 1 is the best). If there was a tie, we'd cross that bridge later, but we both agreed on Emily (a forerunner to begin with) and had already picked Elizabeth in memory of Aunt Virginia's daughter, Mary Elizabeth. So-there you go! Her initials will be E.E.P. and I plan to call her that-Eep. Sounds like monster names, huh-Gubby and Eep!