A week ago tonight we took Jacob off of his last bottle. We had a great routine going. We'd get him ready for bed, sit down in the rocker in his room, he'd drink what he wanted, pushed the bottle away and dived into his bed. If a babysitter followed our routine, he'd usually go to bed for them without any problem either.
Last Tuesday night, when we didn't have a bottle and we didn't have a new routine he sobbed when we put him in bed, looking at us like, what did I do to deserve this? Where is my bottle? Jason and I felt so badly. The next night was also difficult. Finally on the third night we brought in his sippy cup with water and a few books. He was willing to sit and whimper, tightly holding the sippy cup and reading books with me. By this weekend we would read a couple of books, he'd get tired of them, we put him in bed, and he cried only a little.
During the last year, as I've weaned him off each bottle feeding I was a little sad that I had to give up that automatic cuddle time. Yes, you can cuddle with your little one during different times of the day, but that time was so easy and I (and Jason) just loved to hold him while he relaxed and kicked back in our arms.
Jason said, I don't know if this is harder on him or us. :) Things are getting better and the routine of reading books does work, but it is not as easy as the good old bottle. He is growing up!
7 comments:
You are right about that built-in cuddling. But now you will start having new opportunities for bonding as he gets older.
Thank you for updating!
I still have Neal on a few bottles a day. I need to get him off of them, but I am not as strong about it this time around; the cuddling, and the ease of it, but as I read your entry I realize that time is coming. Good job with the reading mommy and daddy..love hearing that, not that I think you'd do anything less, but I still love to know that you are reading to Jacob. That has always helped me get my kids settled down for bed.
It is SO hard to watch each stage end as they grow up! It nearly breaks my heart. And yet...it keeps on happening.
And growing up so fast...
I know it's hard but it'll be good for him in the long run. You'll end up loving and missing each stage as they grow. However, my youngest still cuddles with me and he's eight, so you've still got some time in the cuddling department...
That is so hard. Just be glad he would take a bottle. Ryan and Sammie both refused to ever take a bottle. So weaning from the breast to a cup was pretty difficult. Children are amazingly adaptive though and he'll be fine. But it does break your heart especially when it cuts into nighttime cuddle time.
Good tip on the Poppyseed dressing!
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