The Final Bottle aka You are a BIG girl now aka Mommy is SAD.

Well, something I had been dreading has come and gone with really little to be told about it... thank the LORD!

I had been so nervous about taking Emmy off the bottle. She looooved her bottle. She never once would even hold the bottle herself. It was always me holding her and her bottle for her. She'd lay back and relax and rub on her bib, or on me while she drank. It was such a sweet, special time where we could relax together and be still. As much as Emmy loved her bottle, I also loved that time with her and mourned the loss of it quite a bit.

We had Emmy's one year appointment the day after her birthday and the doctor didn't really give me too much advice about weaning the bottle. I told her my thoughts on it and she agreed with me. I decided to also consult my favorite pediatric nurses, Laura and Jennifer, from Moms on Call. Little did I know that they reccommend going cold turkey on the bottle. Oh lawsy me, that's not what I had planned! I had gradually (every 3 days) dropped a bottle and replaced it with a sippy until she was just on a morning and nighttime bottle. Dropping the morning bottle was NOT fun, but she was okay with it. Then one night, she chugged her bottle so hard since she hadn't had one all day that she projectile spit up all over me, her, the floor. It was so gross. I decided that MOC's advice of going cold turkey was probably what I should do. I decided that the next day we would give her her very last nighttime bottle and then we'd pack them away and be done.

I seriously almost cried that night. We made a big deal about it. Rob took pictures to document the momentous occasion. Little did Emmy know that it was her last "baba". The next few days were a little hard, especially in the morning, but then, she just "got it". It really was so helpful just dropping the bottles cold turkey because she had no other choice but to become a sippy cup pro. I really just can't believe she is growing up so much. I am loving every stage!

(Please excuse my disgusting-ness in these pics.) 

Emmy enjoying her nighttime baba. 

 We are ALL DONE! Such a big girl. 

 Here is Emmy's reaction when I told her that was her LAST bottle. (WHAT?!)

 Rob's artistic masterpiece of the empty bottle. {tears}