Moving From Bottle To Sippy

While we have spent everyday this past year together, our days are never the same. Mila has been one to keep me on my toes. She used to love sweet potatoes, just a few weeks ago she gave them up. I roasted three of them and pureed them just the way I thought she liked them ... she spit them all out and coughed with every spoonful until I gave up. Though both my children have red hair, they are quite different. Mila is proving to be more reserved/shy than her brother, yet she can be extremely dramatic. At barely a year her stubborn side flares up something fierce. Oh, how I love my little firecracker!

I have to admit, aside from her ever changing tastebuds and a few sleepless nights battling teeth, her and I have had it pretty simple. Though I am feeling a little frustrated lately with the fact that my little lady is finding it hard to use a sippy cup. We've been practicing since she turned six months old. She hasn't yet fully grasped the idea. She has the motion down but she just bites the spout rather than sips from it. I've tried so many different cups! Recently Dr. Brown's reached out to us I jumped at the chance to work with them. I was thrilled because they had a sippy we hadn't tested yet. I've used Dr. Brown's bottles with both Ryan and Mila, it has been a household name for the last six years. Mila does have other brand bottles, but my husband always reaches for the Dr. Brown's bottles because he says "she likes it better". Who am I to argue with her father ;) Seriously though, we adore Dr. Brown's and I am so excited to share with you all our favorite products as we are now one of their ambassadors!

One thing Mila does love is her bottle. I switched from nursing to bottle feeding and formula when Mila was four months old. It was great! I do love nursing, but I LOVE bottle feeding. I wrote about our nursing to bottle fed switch here. I have to tell you, there are so many motherly opinions on the matter! Choosing to bottle fed instead of nursing required a bit of tough mama skin! Anyways, since the switch Mila has gotten pretty attached to her bottles through out the day. Now, there are so many rules or options rather on when to wean little ones off the bottle. I know our pediatrician is pretty adamant about weaning off the bottle come twelve months of age. With Ryan I took the bottle away cold turkey style shortly after his first birthday. But Ryan knew how to use the sippy cup pretty well and having him drink his milk from a cup went smoothly. I don't think I can do that with Mila just yet. She loves her bottle too much and she hasn't mastered the cup. Do any of you have bottle lovers? Should I not worry too much about how long Mila drinks from a bottle rather than a cup? It is always so hard to not worry about these kinds of things because so many of us do it differently. It is insane to compare our little ones and their milestones. I know we all go through similar tribulations ... yet I feel so alone on the subject. I'm waiting for a mama to raise her hand and tell me their child took a while to learn how to use a cup.

We recently started using Dr. Brown's Soft-Spout Transition Cup last week and it seems to be going great. Mila has taken to the soft spout pretty well, though she still bites it after taking a sip or two. She may be biting it because her teething saga continues though. But over the course of one day she seems to only take in an ounce in a half. Shouldn't she be able to drink more? Why do I feel so lost on the matter? I do like how sturdy this cup is and even when she does bite the spout it doesn't leak. Which we've had a major problem with when using other cups. We are practicing every day, she'll master it sooner rather than later I know. I am thankful we have finally landed on a cup though that seems to work the best thus far. For us the magic is all in the spout. The lid is pretty cool too and keeps Mila interested as she likes to close and open it.

For now we will continue the bottle too. I am at a total loss for weaning tips until she masters the cup. Currently our favorite bottle to use are the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Glass Bottles. Though Mila is a bottle pro and will pretty much drink from anything with a nipple attached (minus a boob) I really like using this bottle. The internal vent system this bottle has keeps Mila from spitting up her milk. She is able to drink at her own pace and not take down too much air. Both my children are prone to spit up after a feeding and anything that can help is appreciated. Even though I love smelling like baby barf ... I like to have my days with out it too. Have I mentioned my diva doesn't hold her own bottle yet either? She actually can hold her own bottle but chooses not too. Its ok though, I don't want to rush away these lasting 'baby' moments with her.

I am really grateful that I have partnered with such a beloved baby brand. Dr. Brown's has helped me during such vital moments with my little ones. It really isn't easy talking 'mom' sometimes. Honestly, I am afraid of judgment after coming out with what I find worrisome. But I need to get over that fear because more often than not mamas exude sincere helpfulness. With that said, any tips you may have are greatly appreciated. I love all you mamas!

Photos By Dulcet Creative