Bye Bye Bottle: Day 7

Well, this is going to be a lot harder than I thought…..As you can see by the complete look of disdain on Audrey’s face, she’s not exactly thrilled with me.  Here’s what I’ve learned in the past week since Bye Bye Bottle: Day 1 –

1. Trying to do both the morning and the afternoon bottle at once was a huge mistake.  We are now just working on the mid-afternoon feeding.
2. Babies are a lot smarter than we think.  Audrey has been drinking out of a straw since the age of 6.5 months when she joyfully slurped the water out of a young coconut on vacation.  When I gave her milk in a straw cup last week, somehow all straw-drinking skills were forgotten.  Her new skill: take a sip and let it all fall out of your mouth. This happened for days.  Repeatedly.  I initially thought it was just the shock of something new in her cup, but she started doing it with her water as well.  I soon realized she was trying to tell me something.   She wanted nothing to do with the decision I had made for her.
3. She is not easily fooled.  Audrey was exclusively breastfed until 9.5 months when we made the switch to formula.  Easy breezy; it went over without a hitch.  Wanting to now make the switch to cow’s milk, I figured this would be a lot harder and that 2 changes at once would be too much for her.   After her outright refusal of the straw cup on days 2, 3, and 4, it was time to get clever.  I put cold cow’s milk in her morning and night bottle and the warm formula in her straw cup.   Clearly the straw cup would be the more desirable choice, right?  Silly me.  Apparently Audrey really likes cold cow’s milk.
4. The more expensive cup does not equal the better the cup.  The lollacup, the think cup, etc, etc…I spent too much on fancier cups and the one she’s taking to the best is the nuby cup I bought for half the price.
5. Patience is a virtue.

Where are we now: After 7 days, Audrey has fully transitioned to cow’s milk.  She is taking a bottle in the morning and night.  Her mid-afternoon milk is in the straw cup and knock on wood, the past 3 days have been successful.  She has stopped letting the milk fall out of her mouth and she has stopped pushing the cup away.  She actually seems to be enjoying her “big girl” cup…for now.  I’ll let this sink in for a few days and then we’ll start all over again with the morning bottle next week.  Until then, fingers crossed.