Now that Siler has turned one, we’re saying bye-bye to bottles. It’s been a rocky transition so far. I’ve witnessed some major meltdowns this week. Siler’s dramatic displays have included crying, shrieking, turning red in the face and falling on the floor in protest. I may have a stubborn little boy on my hands!

It’s difficult retraining my little guy when we had a good thing going. I’ve grown accustomed to handing a bottle to Siler and having him feed himself without any crying or tantrums.

I’ve often thought that it would be nice if children were born with a reprogramming manual for all these tough transitions. Surely God could stuff this in the womb, too. It would be a nice consolation prize for the rigors of childbirth.

Sometimes I’m tempted to give in and let Siler have his bottle, and at times this week, I have. We made a huge scene at Target when Siler began screaming at the top of his lungs. Yes, I can’t believe I’ve become that crazy mom with a crying baby in a store. It’s terribly embarrassing when all eyes zero in on you in your desperate attempts to calm your child.

Our newly renovated Target has a Starbucks inside, and I wheeled the stroller in for an emergency feeding. I quickly realized the sippy cup wasn’t going to cut it, and I was relieved that I had the forethought to bring a bottle with me for back up. As Siler saw me pull the bottle out of the diaper bag, he began wailing even louder. I popped the top off the bottle only to make the shocking discovery that I hadn’t put a nipple on the bottle. Obviously my guardian angel had taken a smoke break when I really needed some help.

I could tell the Starbucks barista felt sorry for me. A mom herself, she understood my predicament and tried to help by giving me a cup with a straw. She graciously poured some milk in the cup at no charge. Unfortunately, Siler refused to take it. In a last ditch effort, the barista gave me a free slice of lemon pound cake to give to Siler. Maybe moms with crying babies are fueling Starbucks’ financial woes and not the economy. I guess she thought a sugary snack would take the edge off Siler’s hunger. It didn’t, but it later took the edge off my emotional stress.

I had to face the facts. I would have to make the walk of shame to the parking lot with a shrieking child. To make matters worse, I’d be getting into a minivan. Talk about humiliation!

At least the Target trip wasn’t a total wash. I did buy a new sippy cup for Siler, and he seems to be drinking out of it much better.

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