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Bottle bonding with Elisa – September 27, 2015
Hello, everyone!
Todd the Toddler (AKA #minivegan) is almost 16 months old, and he recently finished his LAST serving of his LAST can of Earth’s Best Organic Soy Infant Formula…on December 11, 2015. As you know (if you’re a regular reader of this blog), Todd has been formula-fed (i.e. My Bottle Baby) since he was just a few weeks old.
I kept track of the number of cans consumed, and the final tally was 74 cans! At roughly $25-28 per can that means that up to ~$2000 was spent on formula feeding for Todd. I’m thankful that my mom helped out with the majority of the cost. I have a wonderful family!
The last can!
At Todd’s 12 month doctor visit, I was told that Todd didn’t need to keep drinking formula, so I started mixing his formula with a combination of organic fortified soy milk, hemp milk and my homemade cashew oat milk. At the time, I had 5 cans of formula left, to use up.
Now that his formula days are over, I wanted to write this “official” post because I want to say THANK YOU to formula! For me (and especially for Todd), formula was a wonderful thing!
It doesn’t take a “rocket scientist” to figure out that formula is widely considered sub-standard when it comes to infant feeding. Anyone who reads the most basic list of “benefits of breastfeeding” will naturally worry about all of the opposites…the “risks of formula feeding.” It’s easy to walk away thinking that formula is akin to poison. 😦
Now– I’m 100% pro-breastfeeding. I’m not going to deny that human breast milk is 100% designed for human babies. I wanted 100% to breastfeed!! But…some of us aren’t successful with breast feeding NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY. It’s the truth! Sadly, I know that some people can’t believe that breastfeeding just does not work for everyone.
Some women deliver all sorts of easy advice, packaged in an unmistakable attitude of “failure is not an option.” These women seem to believe that breastfeeding should be pursued “all costs.” I do realize that most of those advice-givers are probably very well-intentioned, but I still find such an attitude extremely harmful to those of us who did faithfully follow all of the advice yet still struggled.
Personally, I complied with all the recommendations that I received from the lactation specialists that I saw, and yet I still had a hungry baby at my breasts. The more I followed advice that just didn’t work, the more exhausted, heartbroken and defeated I felt.
The solution for my hungry baby was FORMULA! (The answer wasn’t that I needed to “try harder.”) The solution for me was accepting that formula was helpful, effective, and a GOOD thing for Todd. It wasn’t poison. He loved it. How I can anyone argue with a thriving baby?
1 month old – September 26, 2014
5 months old – January 23, 2015
7 months old – March 23, 2015
~10 months old – June 18, 2015
13.5 months old – October 4, 2015
So before I say my final goodbye to Todd’s formula, I shall compile a list of every good thing I can think of about our very positive experience with formula feeding using Earth’s Best Soy Formula (in no particular order):
- Todd gained weight on formula…after losing weight with attempts at breastfeeding
- Todd took very well to bottle feeding…after demonstrating an inability to effectively suck from the breast (and he increasingly pushed away at my breasts)
- Todd loved his formula
- Todd’s always had regular, easy elimination…no digestive problems whatsoever
- it’s just as easy to bond with a bottle baby than a breast feeding baby
- many people who love Todd got to bond with him while feeding him
- I was sooo glad to get rid of the pump
- my stress level went way down once I made the decision to stop trying to breastfeed
- it was nice to “reclaim” my body as my OWN…after going through a rough childbirth, followed by a rough breastfeeding experience
- I was eager to get my periods back and to get back into good hormonal balance
- I’m glad I didn’t have to figure out how to breastfeed in public (it’s not for me!)
- drinking coffee (and alcohol) without thinking about how it would end up in my milk
- feeding Todd during long car rides was very convenient
I’m probably forgetting some things but those are definitely the highlights!
As of now, we still call Todd’s non-dairy milk blend his “Formula Milk.” He joyfully responds to that phrase! Currently, his “FM” contains 2 parts organic EdenSoy Extra (fortified) Original soy milk, 1 part Tempt Unsweetened Hemp Milk and 1 part homemade cashew oat milk. The transition has been seamless.
The times every day that I spend “bottle feeding” Todd (now it’s technically a sippy cup) are among my most cherished moments with him. I love rocking him in my glider chair first thing in the morning as he drinks his first bottle and I read him books, and I love my time with him at night, when he sips water, we read books and he falls asleep in my arms.
We are blessed.
Here are just a few photos of Todd’s bottle bonding moments!
Bottle bonding with Eric – October 5, 2014
Bottle bonding with Ashley – October 14, 2014
Bottle bonding with Eli – October 16, 2014
Bottle bonding with Grandma – October 5, 2015
THANK YOU, FORMULA…AND GOODBYE!
Bottle bonding with Elisa – August 30, 2015
14.5 months old – November 5, 2015
FIFTEENTH MONTH
OCTOBER 21 – NOVEMBER 21 (2015)
HAPPY & AFFECTIONATE
- “grooving” to music during dinner
- waves arms wildly
- he’s always happy but 10/23 was an especially happy morning
- his big kisses are the best and some days I got lots of them 🙂 (10/30, 11/1)
- he hugged a kid at Kindermusik (11/3)
- big hugs with his new, big stuffed bear “Chopper the pillow bear” (purchased 11/3)
- he sits and leans on his pillow bear, hugs and kisses him
- he hugged and started to kiss a kid who came up to him at the school playground (11/5)
- he kisses cats in books
- we do family “group hugs”
Pillow bear – Love at first sight! – November 3, 2015
SO HELPFUL
- he tried to put Eric’s glasses on (10/21)
- he tried to put sock on my foot (10/22)
- he got out a disposable diaper, unfolded it, and sat on it
November 1, 2015
LEARNING!
- one day (10/22) he ran over a sloped section at the school playground and tripped, then the next day (10/23) when we returned, he slowed down/stopped, being careful with his steps
- he was clearly very nervous about how he was going to get down from Eric’s dresser (when I wouldn’t jump in to help him) after he climbed up there (10/30)
- he helps line up the yellow shapes to push them into the Tupperware Shape O Ball
At the school playground – October 23, 2015
INDOOR PLAY
- he zooms his cars on the Hot Wheels track
- he likes to climb up on Eric’s bed, then dresser, and tries to pull pictures off the walls
- Eric helps him with Pack ‘n Play “gymnastics” (i.e. swing from rail and flipping over it) (10/27)
- he likes to stick and unstick fridge magnets (11/11)
- Eric helps him do somersaults
- hot tub “swim” (11/15)
- excitedly spinning and running in place in circles (11/15)
- jumping on couch cushions (11/19)
- he runs…fast! And his right foot/leg noticeably “toes-in” when he walks/runs
Zooming cars – October 26, 2015
HE’S GOT MOVES!
- check this out!
OUTINGS
- weekly Kindermusik
- we regularly went on stroller walks (to the park/school playgrounds and library), until the weather got cold
- while out shopping, he increasingly wants toys that he sees (especially stuffed animals)
- our neighbor gave Todd a pair of knitted slippers that she made for him (11/9)
Knitted slippers from our nice neighbor – November 8, 2015
NEW WORDS & SOUNDS
- “girl” (said at Wal-Mart and then again at home) (10/25)
- “gah” refers to lots of things (including strawberries, flowers and more)
- puts tongue to roof of mouth, then does “clock clock” with it (10/26)
- makes a sort of duck sound (10/26)
- cute “moo” with lips pushed out (10/27) but his usual “moo” sound is a soft hum
- when he sees airplanes in the sky, he looks up, raises his right arm and says “geh”
- dramatically practicing the “t” sound and making his face turn red in the process (10/30)
- “moppen moppen” (11/8)
- he said “I love you” to Eric twice, when he got home
- he does his “sheep” sound (“putt putt putt” with puffed-out lips) for pigs, too
- “go go” (11/17)
October 23, 2015
SIGNS & OTHER COMMUNICATION
- responds to “Where’s your bear?” without me providing any gestures, looks for bear (in crib) (10/23)
- arm sign for “airplane” (10/28)
- he raises his right arm up and makes a sound when he wants something
- hand sign for “fish” (11/8)
- he stuck out his tongue after seeing a dog in a book with tongue sticking out (11/11)
- hand sign for “bird” (11/12)
November 6, 2015
DENTAL VISIT
- Dentist appointment (10/28)
- Todd’s dentist said his teeth are coming in out of order so permanent teeth should do the same
- she recommended offering water in sippy cup before bed to rinse his mouth out just before falling asleep
- she showed how to hold his arms/legs so he’s not able to resist having teeth brushed
- he loved the big bear there
The bear at the dentist office – October 28, 2015
3 NEW TEETH!
- tooth #5 = right upper lateral incisor (11/9)
- tooth #6 = right bottom 1st molar (11/14)
- tooth #7 = left upper lateral incisor (11/19)
TODD’S SECOND HALLOWEEN
- no costume this year but he wore his baseball player outfit at Kindermusik that week
- he loved going to the door to see the kids trick-or-treating and sometimes got upset when we shut the door
Kindermusik class (photo by Shelley)- October 27, 2015
BABYSITTING
- his cousin Kylie babysat for 2.5 hours (11/13)
- 1st times having a babysitter all day (Kylie, 11/18 and 11/20)
- he responded very well to having a babysitter, no anxiety!
Cousins! Kylie & Todd – October 24, 2015
FAMILY
- I worked 3 Sundays this month, so Todd got to spend those days with “dada”
- out to eat at Jimmy’s with Grammie, Granddad (Eric’s parents) & cousin Kylie (10/24)
- visit from Grammie, Granddad and Uncle Jeff (Eric’s brother) while Kylie babysat (11/18)
FOOD NOTES
- doesn’t necessarily eat everything at lunch/dinner anymore but still eats plenty
- he puts his face to the snack (i.e. dry cereal) instead of picking up with fingers
- wanted more and more chickpeas (10/21)
- raspberries are always a favorite
- new (vegan) foods: Field Roast deli slice, pomegranate arils
- throwing food toward end of the month
#minivegan – November 9, 2015
FORMULA WEANING
- we opened the last can of formula (#74 on 11/18), which means he went through about 1.25 cans this month
- he continues to drink equal parts organic soy formula, soy milk, hemp milk and homemade cashew oat milk in his sippy cups
Drinking “Formula Milk” with Pillow Bear – November 5, 2015
NAPS
- last swing nap (10/27)
- started crib naps (10/28)
- (easy!) Transition From Swing Naps to Crib Naps (10/28 – 11/2)
- after 11/4 Todd didn’t cry at all when I put him in his crib for naps
- shortest crib nap = 1 hour
- longest crib nap = 3.5 hours
- he likes to sleep with his pillow blanket over his face, hugging his water
Bedtime – November 13, 2015
NIGHTTIME SLEEP
- despite getting 4 new teeth, this was his best sleep month to date = ZERO nighttime wake ups!
- Average night-time sleep = 9.95 hours
- he fell asleep on me on the couch (before bedtime) two days in a row (10/29 & 10/30)
A rare evening catnap – October 29, 2015
POTTY TALK
- 40 poops were done in the toilet
- 21 poops were “misses” (5 of those times, he did more poop in the toilet as soon as we got him there)
- possible communication by pushing on my legs (then he went in the toilet) (10/23)
- I noticed a tiny freckle on his butt after I realized it wasn’t a speck of poop that wouldn’t come off…haha!
- I led him (walking) to the toilet when I knew he had to go poop, he followed me and went (11/6)
- using more disposable diapers but still using underwear, too
- he thinks it’s funny when he pees on the carpet (he waits for me to make eye contact, then grins and laughs)
- increasingly fights being put on the toilet for pees
He doesn’t always let you put him on the toilet like this! – October 25, 2015
All for now!
Freeheel Vegan 