How Bottles and Heaven are like Peas and Carrots

I picked up Bea from daycare last Friday and heard the most amazing story about her bottles. It truly was something that I NEVER would have thought up myself. So, when we got home, I proceeded to call Josh on speakerphone with Bea in the room and we had the following conversation:

"Oh my gosh, you will not believe what happened at Francie's today!"

"What?"

"So, DORA called MISS FRANCIE."

"She did?"

(Note: We have a whole lot of enthusiasm in our voices.)

"Yes! She called and told Bea she was a big girl and that she didn't need her bottles anymore!"

"Really?"

"Yes! DORA told her that her bottles went to heaven! What was once in her bottle, is now in her big girl cup. But the bottles, they are in heaven."

"No way! Bea's bottles are in heaven? Wow, that is SO great!"

So, through Friday night I kept reiterating this story to her in hopes of reminding her what had happened that day. The biggest challenge was getting her to bed at night without it, even though she really was only having one in the morning and at night or when she really needed some comfort. Putting her to bed without one the first night was not as bad as I had imagined it being. She whined for a little bit and didn't want the cup. Then she had some from the cup, but not much. She whined a bit more and was out.

I really thought she would wake up every hour begging for it, but instead, she got up once and called from her bed that she wanted it. She said "Buh-buh" about thirty times, each time with more intensity than the last. Then, it was quiet. She went back to sleep without it. She got up the next morning fine as can be.

The following days have been fairly easy, but the roughest part is at bedtime. It takes her much longer to go to sleep, especially without a fight. With the bottles, it kind of knocked her out quickly. She seems to have gotten over it now for the most part, and she isn't even bothered that her sister still has them. I've only told her that Olivia's bottles have not gone to heaven yet. Now Bea has started telling the story herself, saying to people that her bottles went to heaven. If I had known it was going to be this easy, I really would've taken the plunge much earlier. After 2 1/2 years of her on a bottle, I am so relieved to have her off of them. Only one more child to go!

So, no more of these for Bea:


We've moved on to every drink being in these now:


Please give us a gold star. She has not had a bottle since Friday morning and we are still going strong. Potty training, here we come!