Bottles Begone

It's been a week of milestones for our Tory Girl - the biggest change being the end of the baby bottle.

Rocking her Oakley sunglasses (a present from Andi's friend) and her beloved bottle

Anyone who knows Tory, knows just how much this girl looooves her bottle. She's never been one to attach to anything - doesn't suck her thumb, never latched onto a blanket or stuffed animal, hated the pacifier no matter how many times I tried to force it on her. There was no quick fix to comfort her in the early months of life and many times I'd have to drop everything and bolt from stores during a meltdown because I couldn't calm her down. We introduced the bottle around seven months when I stopped nursing and she's been hooked every since. Finally we had something to comfort her in the car so she'd stop screaming during every minute of a car ride or a "pacifier" of sorts to help her settle down before naps and bedtime. Tory would've carried a baby bottle of water around all day if I would've let her.  

I've heard of some pediatrician recommendations to remove the bottle at 12 months, but ours seemed neutral on the topic. Still, I've been stressing about the removal of the bottle for months because I seriously didn't know how we'd pry it out of Tory's pudgy little hands. My mom assured me no kindergartner ever started school with a bottle in his/her mouth, and it'd all work out eventually, but I wasn't so sure. I mean, Tory really loved the bottle. 

About a month ago, Tory started biting the tips of the bottle nipples. I threw the ones with holes in them away and told her to stop biting them because I wasn't buying anymore. I started to use this as my plan of attack - when there were no more nipples left, I'd have to face the inevitable and take away her beloved bottle. Truthfully, I was dreading this transition more than Tory probably was. Taking away the bottle meant I'd have to endure a few weeks of the dreadful Cry It Out. Admittedly, when she'd wake up at 2:00am, I'd just warm up some milk for her and she'd be off to dreamland in no time. 

Cut to last week when Tory was being a bit challenging ....

I'm not sure what's the matter with her the last 10 days (growth spurt? canines pushing through farther?) but she's been quite the grumpfish with near constant whining, throw-herself-on-the-ground tantrums, multiple nightly wake-ups, etc. My patience have been on thin ice. One particular afternoon, I gave her a warm bottle of milk before nap time and she forcefully threw the bottle back in my face. THAT'S IT KIDDO! Nearing the 90 minute mark of nap-fighting, I decided she was cut off. Really, if she was fighting sleep and being super fussy, wouldn't this be the perfect time to endure the unpleasantness of vice removal anyway?

I offered Tory a bottle of milk later that evening at bedtime and she threw it on the ground. Alright, then. The bottle is officially no longer at our house. We're still in the midst of nap and bedtime struggles, but I assume those issues will smooth out once this phase of whining and temper tantrums passes (or at least lessens). Tory doesn't seem to miss the bottle at all. She hasn't asked for it once. Yesterday, I washed and sterilized them all and packed them away with the baby stuff. Out of sight, out  of mind. 

My only concern now is Tory has always refused / continues to refuse cow's milk out of a sippy cup. I've tried it warm, cold, with chocolate / strawberry syrup ... and she spits it the minute it touches her mouth. Strange because she used to drink warm milk out of a bottle just fine. I'm not too worried as our pediatrician recommends Tory get 18 oz. of dairy a day and she eats her fair share of cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese. I'm hoping she'll eventually take to milk in a sippy cup after she realizes milk in a bottle is no longer. I guess I'll keep offering it and see what happens.

It is nice to have my counter space back after having a bottle drying rack occupying it for the last 19 months, and it's awfully nice not to wash bottles constantly. I will never miss that aspect of parenting. Another childhood milestone achieved - this one I'm not so sad to see go.