Milestones

The kids have had a number of important milestones over the past few months. They might seem small to others, but to us it is pretty exciting! Just a few more signs that this family is growing up!

#1: Evie stopped nursing at the end of January.

It's something I kept talking about doing for a long time, but just never did. It finally came down to the fact that if I wanted to go to Monterey with Ez in March, I'd have to stop nursing Evie.

She's so attached to mom that I thought it would be hard on her. I got lucky, because it was actually relatively simple. She didn't have any sort of meltdown--unless I sat on the couch with her when she was tired. No, Evie handled it just fine. Turns out it was mom that was probably more attached than she realized! I think it was harder for me emotionally than for her. But she's my baby, so it's hard to let it go, I suppose.

#2: Joe officially goes to sleep in his own bed, every night (and stays there, too!)

When it was time to give Joe's crib to Evelyn, Joe moved to the bottom bunk in the boy's room. Suddenly Joe had the freedom to not stay in bed if he didn't want to! Since Ez worked nights and I had to get all the kids down to bed, I found the easiest (and I know, laziest) way for me to deal with having to take care of Joe and Evie--I would let Joe lay on mom and dad's bed to watch TV and fall asleep.

Well, it continued far too long and into a bad habit. It has finally ended, however, and Joe has officially been going to bed each night on his own, in his own bed for nearly 2 weeks now! Hooray!

#3: Lily lost her first tooth!

Lily has been wanting to lose a tooth for a really long time. Alexis and David have been in the tooth business for quite a while now, and she is really jealous that she hasn't been able to join in. Then there are the other kids in kindergarten who have lost teeth.

Well, Lily finally got her first loose tooth a few weeks ago. She has had so much fun wiggling it and trying to make it looser. On Thursday evening, Lily came to the table all freaked out--her tooth was suddenly extremely wiggly. She wouldn't let anyone look at it or touch it, but I knew it would come out with just the tiniest nudge. After much convincing, Lily ate some bread. Since she was eating later than everyone else because of all the drama with her tooth, the rest of the family was busy cleaning up while she was eating her bread. A few moments later she came to me and told me she was scared. I looked in her mouth and her tooth was all bloody and a good 1/8 inch above the others. I took it right out and then she started laughing at how easy it had actually been.

Lily is proudly showing everyone and anyone her new hole in her face.