It All Started with a Little Skittle...

So, I try to follow the doctor's orders because I know that there is a lot of research for the recommendations they give me.  However, I felt like taking the bottle from Gabby at 12 months just wasn't right for her. I still don't think she was ready to get rid of her bottle, but I promised she would be off of it by 15 months. So we have gradually taken a bottle away one every other day.  Aunt Lacey fed Gabby her last ever bottle Friday night.  The next two days she refused to drink from the sippy cups we got her (which look exactly like a bottle but with a sippy cup nipple), but I am proud to say that today she has given up her hunger strike and has drunk two cups of milk! She has been such a trooper and never even fussed about the loss of her bottle. I guess in her case out of sight, out of mind was true. During one of her naps I boxed up all of her bottles so that there would not be a tantrum for the forbidden bottle....I am dreading being around a baby with a bott...

Today Gabby officially learned how to put pieces in a puzzle!! We play with puzzles a lot and Gabby thinks it's fun to take all of the pieces out.  For months she has tried to put a piece in but she never discriminated between the pictures, she would try to put the pieces in any hole, but not today!! Today she put an octagon in the correct place, so then it was on! She would choose a piece (and I would make sure the piece was correctly positioned) and then I would point to where it belongs and Gabby put it in.  Her Dad and Grandma really like doing puzzles and it looks like she will follow in their footsteps.

So as requested by Gabby's Nanny, Aunt Lacey, here are some of the milestones she has mastered: Fine motor skills: She uses a pen to scribble artwork She uses large crayons to make lines She uses chalk to mark on concrete She picks up poker chips and moves them from one slot to another Gross motor skills: She climbs onto furniture She "drives" her little scotter car She throws a ball She kicks balloons into the air She runs everywhere She can crawl up stairs with ease She is learning to go down stairs She usually listens when told no Speech & Language: She has over 20 words (up, mom, dad are favorites) she just started saying PopPop for papa When you ask her how old she is she holds up 1 fingers, says, "dis" and then claps for herself Gabby uses her singing voice when she likes a song She claps for herself and requires everyone in the room to reciprocate When she wants to be held or wants out of her high chair she says "up" a...