Violet has never been bottle fed. In fact, she refused to use a bottle when I briefly returned to work. She wants milk in the original packaging or not at all! Recently we have been trying out sippy cups. She eats solid food now and she likes to drink water. We have always encouraged self-feeding, so a sippy cup was a natural alternative to whole cups of water being dumped on everything. On a recent trip to Target I picked up a few cheap cups. Violet grapped hold of one and made the purchase inevitable by totally destroying the packaging and leaving teeth marks on the spout. She refused to let go of the cup. I walked around the store while she clutched the handle in her tiny fist. It was love at first sight. This struck me as odd because we already had a cup and she wasn't terrible interested in it. So, I bought three cups (.99 each). I quickly discovered that her attraction had nothing to do with water. These cups are physically impossible to drink from with the valve in place. It was like trying to suck liquid out of a rock. Still, her obsession was evident. We took a walk and she held the cup like a treasured lovey. Even asleep in the stroller, her hand never let go of this stupid piece of plastic. Yesterday, we bought a Nuby cup. It doesn't have a valve, but manages to be spill proof with a silicone spout. It sort of works like a beach ball valve. You have to bite it to open the hole. Now, there was a cup and it easily released water. Violet just about lost her mind. Suddenly, my totally breastfed baby was hugging this sippy cup as if it were her milk bottle. It was as if she had always used a bottle! I felt cheated on. It was like she was rejecting my nipple for a newer, more pliable one. It was a nipple she could chew on without anyone complaining! When I realized that Violet would rather sit and caress her new sippy cup than practice standing, I knew it was time to intervene. The sippy cup only makes appearances at mealtimes now. I am not ready to be replaced yet.
3 weeks ago
