To Nap or Not to Nap

I think we are approaching a huge hurdle in child raising.  I think my little kiddo is growing out of naps.  I was afraid this day would come.  She is one of the last few in her class that actually still take naps.

Lately though she has been only sleeping for an hour or even less.  If she takes her old 2 hour nap she tends to struggle more at bedtime, just takes a long time to fall asleep.

There is part of me that is kind of relieved to be past naps.  It would mean that we don't have to plan our weekend adventures around a nap.  Not that it interrupts us too much but it can be inconvenient.  Then there is the other part of me that is very sad to say goodbye to naps (when it finally happens).  I love how it  allows her to be rested and refreshed midday.  I like that it gives me a couple hours to get stuff done around the house, check email, take a nap myself or work out.

I am still trying to decipher Gabbi's cues if she really is ready to stop naps.  According to her she will always chose to skip her naps.  According to her dad he wants her to take naps for another couple years.  How do you know if they have out grown naps?  What if I am wrong and am rushing this?  What if I miss the cues that she needs to go back to taking naps?  All of a sudden I think I skipped a chapter in "What to Expect - the Toddler Years".

I am confident that I will figure it out, but it will take some time and I am sure some rough afternoons/evenings.  I feel like I need to prepare some sort of ritual to say farewell to naps.  Perhaps a farewell party, with no chance for a reunion tour.