milk update

We are getting into a new routine of big boy foods (I've already made my last batch of purees and they are almost gone... the rest will be used to add to sauces for pasta, etc) and big boy milk. Aiden wasn't immediately sold on this whole milk idea... In the first two days, he probably consumed about 16 ounces total (which is the amount he's supposed to drink per day!) This past weekend it was hard for me to hear Aiden call for "Mama, Maaaama" when daddy tried to give him the milk, but I knew that my main goal is to just get off the pumped milk, then baby steps to weaning him off the evening and morning feedings. So, pretty much he would refuse his milk on Sunday and I ended up nursing him. Then Monday rolled around and I had hope that the teachers wouldn't have much trouble getting him to drink it. They're experts after all, right? He loves his big boy sippy cups for water, so we went straight over to those for the whole milk. He would make a funny face with every sip, but he did manage to take about 4 oz total that day. Right when we got home, he wanted to nurse like crazy with me and I was glad to relieve things a bit because I'd gone down to just one pumping session that day. Then we headed out for dinner to celebrate his birthday and that seemed to help distract him from wanting to nurse, but he was still not interested in the milk. We thought it was because of all the fun distractions like his new coloring placemats and the sizzling fajitas. J tried again when we got home and still a no go.

We ended up turning down an election day party invitation on Tuesday because this "whole milk transition" was on the whole not that sucessful...yet... so we wanted to keep up with our routine and trying to keep up with the "successful weaning strategies" we needed our bedtime consistency. We promise we are not as high strung as all of this sounds ;) I just didn't think my milk spitting baby and my pump were invited to the party. Tuesday the teachers managed to get him to gulp another 3 oz or so from an open cup. He was determined to be a big boy and wanted to hold the cup himself, which meant the majority of the milk was soaked up by his sweatshirt. But this was the day that the digestive "issues" (I will spare you the gory details, but if you're a mom/dad/pet owner/etc just use your imagination) became more obviously related to the milk. We thought it could've just been a little tummy bug (they are going around here), but when we explained all the details to the doctor (rumbly, tumbly, change in texture and frequency), she thought that it is a sensitivity to the lactose.

So at the one year checkup yesterday she recommended soy milk (pumped up with vitamins good for kids), which we just tried last night and it seems he likes it a bit better, but he's still not gulping it right down. Altough I just called school and he took about a half hour, but he eventually drank all 5 oz of his morning soy milk from his sippy cup or the open cup...and he ate all of his chicken - yeah! (we'll see how he does this afternoon with the broccoli pancake he seemed to like last night) He's determined to be a big boy lately. He won't let us feed him or even tip up his sippy cup if he seems distracted...He will only eat if he holds the spoon and things he can pick up himself. This is like a whole different ball game compared to our little running back that would eat nearly everything and is now refusing to play the eating game!

I'm a little relieved and a little stressed at the same time. I am happy to report that yesterday was the first day that I didn't pump at all and it was such a relief! My pump and I have a love hate relationship right now, but I think over the next few days we'll end up as "just friends"...and we all know how well that usually ends up. It's a breakup that was a long time coming. It's simple things like not having to carry that darn thing around. I still feel like a baby nursing machine, however, because Aiden clearly only wants to eat with me if I'm around. We joked with the doctor that cold turkey may be the only way to go because if he gets hungry enough he'll drink/eat the other stuff. But I think that is only a solution if I can go on a vacation! I was even up with him at night and he wanted to eat and we don't even want to go there with a reversed schedule at one year old! oh the saga continues... But one thing I know for sure, this too will pass...