Two Weeks

My friend, Michelle, and I came up with an easy answer for almost 95% of all motherhood questions and queries.  We call it "two weeks" because WITHIN  two weeks of a challenge or decision, you will either:  solve it, get over it, or give up.  Usually, the first one happens and all is well in the mommy universe until the next big question or situation comes up.  And when it does, simply try it and give it your best for two weeks.  You will usually have your clear answer by then. Here is our latest victory, which took exactly one week, we got him off of the bottle.

Salvatore would drink his milk and water from all different kinds of cups throughout the day, but he only wanted a bottle of milk in the morning and at night.  We knew that part of this battle would be to get him away from drinking anything in his bed.  So, last Monday, I took his bottles away cold turkey. That is how I have learned to get over anything in my life-cold turkey-so I wanted him to learn the same.  Here was our week:

Monday morning: 

When he asked for morning bottle, I brought him milk in his regular cup. He freaked out and cried for maybe 20 minutes.  We ignored him.  He did not drink any milk that day.  At night, he cried himself to sleep asking for a bottle. I again brought him milk in a cup that he swatted away.

Tuesday:

He asked for morning bottle and I brought him milk in regular cup.  He freaked again and David said he did not drink any milk for him either.  My dad said the same.  He then asked for a bottle while riding in the car and did not get it.  He was grumpy and cranky all day and night.  I started to doubt myself. 

Wednesday:

Same morning as previously stated. Did not drink any milk at all for David or Dad.  At night, I secretly threw away all nipples and showed him his empty bottles.    I poured his milk into the bottle with no nipple or top and he gulped almost 16 ounces straight from the bottle as if it was a cup.  Still cranky at night when he asked for a bottle and I brought him the bottle with no top or nipple.  He acted like he had never seen this before and freaked out.  Did not sleep well either.

Thursday:

Did not ask David or Dad for bottle, but would not drink any milk from any cup.  He also refused to drink it for me from the bottle as a cup.  I cried from frustration and almost gave up.  Luz gave me good advice: she said to put something gross or yucky in the bottle that he can see so he won't want to drink it from the bottle anymore.  I tried it when I got home, put a dead bee that I found outside in his milk in the bottle and he freaked out.  It did not work for Sal because it did not turn him off from the bottle, it turned him off from milk.  I started freaking out at the loss of calories, fat and calcium he was getting from all of his milk drinking before.  

Friday:

Did not ask for milk or bottle.  Only drank water and had to have a diaper change only twice instead of the usual 4-6 times daily.  No poop.

Saturday:

He drank milk for me from MY cup, which I had to hold for him because it was a glass.  I cried again, thinking, "this is SO NOT THE POINT"!!!  And then, I remembered, TWO WEEKS.  He was less cranky finally and was well behaved for his cousins when they took him out to MotorCross.  He drank milk from his cup at the table and slept very well.

Sunday:

He drank milk from his cup at the table with his breakfast.  Did not ask for bottle at all.  He drank milk at the restaurant.  He drank milk for dinner.  No whining or crying.  He was well-behaved.  He slept well.  He is also using less diapers now and is staying MUCH DRIER at night than before, since his last liquid is at least 2 hours before he sleeps.  

Today, Monday:

Same as yesterday, drank milk for breakfast from his cup.  Drank milk and water from his different cups.  Happy, happy kiddo!  I cried in the shower for joy!  My son is resilient and smart.  He can do things "cold turkey" like his momma.  He only needed my faith and support for about TWO WEEKS.  

I will remember this when we potty train him in the future.  I hope the teen years are this flexible and easy!