Transition...Again

Remember how I talked about transition awhile back? ...and the fact that we have several transitions to go through with our 2 monkeys? Yeah, we've gotten NOWHERE. I'm not sure I can handle some of this right now and I remind myself frequently that they won't be going to college with a bottle...or with a pacifier...or wearing diapers...or sleeping in a crib...or waking up multiple times in the night. For a few minutes, those thoughts give me comfort...then I'm haunted again by the fact that I can't ignore these transitions forever...as much as I would like to. I have to admit, sometimes I feel like I need to work on these things not because I'M really bothered by them, but because it's what I'm SUPPOSED to do. It's what I see all of my friends doing...it's what I read about in 'the books'...but do I really care that Lili has a NUK at 2.5? No. Do I really care if Will still has a bedtime bottle and the occasional bottle in the middle of the night or at a particularly fussy time? No. I feel like I need to make the transitions because it's what I 'have' to do...

This past weekend I thought I would start with eliminating bottles for Will during the day 100%. I would give him his bedtime bottle and if he woke up in the night, I would give him a bottle then. I would do this for the next 2-4 weeks and there would be absolutely no exceptions. Saturday I did great and so did Will. He has a 'fussy' period between 4 & 6pm every day, without fail, but we even survived that! Sunday.......well, I caved. By 4:30pm he had been hanging on my leg, fussing and crying for over an hour and I couldn't take it anymore. I gave him a bottle. He was happy as a clam the rest of the night. It is so frustrating when you know EXACTLY what they want...and EXACTLY what will make them happy...and yet you don't want to be the parent that gives in. It's not 'acceptable' by any other parent's standard to 'cave'. I have the most PERSISTENT children too! I could understand being fussy as they are going through a change like that...but seriously, NOTHING made that boy happy. I danced, we played, I sang silly songs...he didn't want any of it...he just wanted that damn bottle.

So, my attempt at working on transition # 1 for Will bombed after 36 hours...what a great start! It actually sort of reminds me of my New Year's resolution to become a healthier me. I eat great for awhile...then I cave and find myself eating a DQ Blizzard. Gotta love it... I wonder where I can purchase a backbone, a huge dose of motivation and some self control?