Bye Bye Bottle and Pacifier (maybe)

Since Samantha turned 1, we have only been giving her one bottle of milk before bed and during the day she drinks milk out of a sippy cup. Now that she is nearing 16 months old, I think it is time to break the bottle habit.

Tonight I gave her a sippy cup of milk instead of the bottle before bed and she could care less. I think the bottle was more of my habit than hers. I was worried that she wouldn't get enough milk each day if I didn't end the night with that 8 oz bottle. Looks like I was wrong.

The next hurdle is the pacifier. She only takes one when she goes to sleep and occasionally in the car and that is mostly because I can't stand to drive when she is screaming so I usually am scrambling to find a pacifier in my purse and I throw it back to her.

Each day Samantha surprises me with all sorts of new words and this past week she began to call the pacifier "Mimi". I think we may have a problem taking this one away.......

I tried tonight to put her to bed without it but the cries for "Mimi" were too much. I think trying to take away both the bottle and the pacifier in one day may be a little agressive.

I am going to give "Mimi" a few more days, or weeks.....who knows?! If she only needs it to sleep and "Mimi" remains in her crib - I guess I don't see the harm. I suppose she will give up "Mimi" when she is ready to and I assume that will be before college.