Weaning & Whining

With daughters that are only 14 months apart sometimes I feel like I have twins. And because they are so close we felt bad taking something away from one and not the other. When Sophia turned 2 I decided that I'd had ENOUGH of soothers in my house, so both Sophia and Ava ( who wasn't yet 1 ) reluctantly turned in their soothers and I felt like I'd won a small battle with little diffuculty... boy if I'd known what was in store! Smart parents would have taken soothers AND bottles at the same time, but we decided to let them keep the bottles a while longer. What could it hurt. The girls were on the bottle since hour 1, having major surgery at 19 prevented me from being able to breastfeed my children so they are both formulas fed babies. ( and perfectly healthy kids ) The older the girls got, the more panicked I got thinking I might NEVER get them to give up the bottle. I tried everything, the "big girls" talk, water in the bottle, milk in the cup. Every tip or trick that I got from family and friends going through the same process. All I got in my house was alot of whining, crying and screaming for their bottles which I finally realized were their "comfort objects" It had turned into a battle of wills and I WILLING gave in by the end of the day when they hadn't drank a drop and were pleading for a drink. And when you have two its like they're teaming up on you because they know it'll finally break you down. Finally I had enough, enough of being told by family that "they really should be on cups by NOW" ... I KNOW THAT PEOPLE and enough of being bossed around by two ( adorably cute ) little girls who can somethimes act like little monsters. So I resorted to guerrilla tactics. I took their bottles, caps, nipples and all other bottle paraphernalia put in in a bag gave it to their dad who promptly took it out back and threw it into the dumpster. It was a long week, with pleading .... from my husband who asked if they could please just have a bottle for an hour or two and he'd gladly go pick two up. But today at the ages of 2 and 3 I can proudly say that my daughters have kicked the habit and are permenatly on the cup. HURRAY a victory I can be proud of!! Now maybe we can concentrate on getting them 100% potty trained... ugh thats saved for another pot of coffee and an other blog. Hope all you mommies and mommies to be are enjoying the spring. Can't wait to blog with you again!