advice needed

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Sometimes I feel like I'm ill-equipped (yes, I love Juno, get over it) to be a mother. I love my son and I've done a (pretty) good job with him (I think and so I've been told - thank you dear Mrs. Spiderlegs and my dearest hubby). However, I'm always at a loss to what the next step is.

My dilemma now is: weaning from the bottle.
Moose does NOT understand the sippy cup. I've even tried different kinds. I don't want to use a sippy anyway (at least not most of the time), but I would like him to know how to use one. But he understands the cup, but is NOT good at it. I'm so afraid that he won't get all of the milk he'll need once we take his bottle away. Plus, he's really attached to the bottle! Our 8 oz bottles are on the fritz (I don't know) and so I've switched to giving him 4 oz in his 6 oz bottles (after I dug them out of the basement). He doesn't even like me to take away the empty one for the full one!

Also, when do I stop giving him bottles between meals? He eats breakfast, then sometimes another bottle before lunch (depending on when/how long he naps), then lunch, then 1-2 bottles (also depending on naps) before supper, then supper. Do I just give him milk between those times or a snack?

I just don't understand how other mothers just know when to do whatever the next step is. Do your mothers tell you or is it instinct? I'm missing some part of this. Augh! I didn't know when to give him more formula, when he started eating solids, when to introduce stuff (speaking of which, what about red food dye, when can he have that? or cherries?). I look online but I trust real-life experience more.

Thanks for all the advice so far. I will check out babyzone and will have a list of questions (as I always do!) when we go to the doctor here in a few weeks.

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Also, new contest on SITS. Would be a really sweet 1st birthday present for Moose! I guess we'll just have to wait and see...or he'll get wooden alphabet blocks instead. ha!

Comments

Sunshine said…
It's called Google, my dear. With my first baby, I lived on Babycenter.com. That place is full of helpful advice for the Momma. Right now, I'd just encourage introducing the sippy. Still give him the bottle, but have that sippy around too. He *will* get used to it. Don't stress. It'll happen. Just keep encouraging.

And I just want to say that when I had my first, I was shocked...SHOCKED I wasn't more prepared to be the Momma. I totally thought I'd be better at it. Which takes me back to Google and Babycenter. Ha ha...

Seriously...don't fret. I've been stuck on your blog for 15 minutes now (I cannot seem to leave) and I can see you are an *awesome* Momma.

P.S. Do not be alarmed...I tend to blog on people's "comment" thingies all the time. (sorry)
June 21, 2008 at 9:49 AM
Tiffany said…
Sunshine, you are so funny, leaving her a post... It is all true though, google is a mommy's best kept secret.

Mrs. S, you need to head on over to my blog and read my open letter to new mothers.. it'll give you a laugh.

Don't stress about the sippy cup. Sunshine is totally right, have it around and he will get used to it. And one day he will use the potty, and read and drive and function. They just do it when their ready.

You are entered!

Oh, look, apparently posting in the comments is contagious...
June 21, 2008 at 12:17 PM
Lori said…
I think a lot of it depends on your child and knowing them. I will tell you that my son only likes 1 type of sippy cup for milk (he likes gerber nuk sippys), but will drink water out of straw cups and other sippy cups.

if you have questions about feeding the best person to ask is your dr. but there are lots of great websites too

when I was pregnant with my 1st I was big into using babyzone.com you could always go on sites like that and connect up with other mommies who have little ones the same age as yours
June 21, 2008 at 7:09 PM
Anonymous said…
For what it's worth I think you're doing the right thing. My babies were bottle fed formula and when I started them on milk at around 9mts I gave them milk in a cup that they could take or leave and they still had their bottles afterwards.

I credit having a cup in the bath for teaching them how to drink with a cup but keep in mind that it will be messy! And that's ok. It took my oldest forever to realize that she needed to pull the cup away when down drinking not just close her mouth (resulting in a waterfull or rather milkfall down the front of her shirt!) Keep in mind that all babies go at their own pace and yours too will eventually get there!

Good luck and sorry for the posting on comment lol...
June 22, 2008 at 8:10 AM
Tausha said…
Thanks for the comments! I love a new friend!
I am so jealous that you won the necklace! Not fair!! i want to win something something-anything. Maybe i will win the cool jumpy thing!!
As for the ears-that is probably a teeth thing-more common that not. All kids do different things with teeth. No two are the same. I would give hime some tylenol and see if that helps with the ears. Just a guess. The sippy-keep introding it-consistency is the key. Don't stress yourself out-one step at a time. Don't stree about the next one-you will know or like sunchine saif-google it baby!! Good luck!!
June 22, 2008 at 12:54 PM
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