30 April 2012

Of Submission

Our oldest two children were both sucking down bottled milk by the age of three weeks.  Of course, I nursed them as often as possible, but a Momma likes the freedom to go on a date, or a night with the girls, or an out-of-town retreat.  Or even just Sunday School.  Yes, sometimes a little time without my tiniest sidekick is treasured.

Which is why you might be able to understand my frustration with our youngest who had decided he was too cool to be seen with a bottle hanging out of his mouth.  Yes, it was mostly our fault.  While he took his formula bottles like a champ when he was only a week old because Mommy's Benadryl had kept him from getting his milk the natural way, as soon as that 24-hour window was closed, I rushed to get him back to Momma and stayed away from bottles for several weeks.

Thus, you can understand how he might be averse to the idea of sucking his milk through some rubber topper rather than the way he has grown accustomed to eating during the first two months of his life.  And since we didn't force the issue, it got to the point where he would simply rather not eat than take a bottle.

And now we have a problem.

Because Mommy still likes the freedom of not having to be attached to the little man at all times.  Mommy likes the freedom of expressed milk stored up in the freezer on the off-chance she can sucker a free baby-sitter into giving her and Daddy a night out of the house.  But when Baby refuses said milk, those frozen containers of liquid gold turn to stress - a stressful reminder that it's being stored for nothing, because this kid won't take it.

So, Philip and I came up with a plan - Joseph would be given a bottle at every meal until he learned to accept it as the same milk Mommy has, just in a different form of delivery.

Joey didn't like our plan.

So, after a heated discussion (because, let's face it, when your child has just spent a half hour denying his lunch and is now screaming his head off, no discussion is going to be pretty), I finally realized I was pushing to do things my way and ignoring my husband's ideas for how this process should be approached.  And when I realized how sad it was that I was not only not listening to my husband, but I was forcing him into something he didn't think was right, I relented.  I submitted, rather.

Though we were trying things Philip's way, I still knew Joey might not be too happy about the situation.  So, with much trepidation we approached his next meal.  I roused him from his nap so he could eat in time for evening church.  I placed the bottle in his mouth.

And he took it.

No questions asked (if he could, that is).  No crying.  No shaking of his head.

Just the blissful sound of a little baby boy sucking on his bottle.  Like it ain't no thang.

And then, just to prove it wasn't a fluke, he did it again for his next meal after that.

It would seem someone in this house simply needed a lesson in wifely submission.


Such a big boy - so proud!


1,000 Gifts:
426. Doing things God's way.
427. Eating shrimp in my own kitchen.
428. Free pizza.
429. An empty bottle.
430. Movie night.
431. Turning off the computers.
432. New friends.
433. Strawberries - lots and lots of strawberries.
434. Free plants.
435. Money back in my wallet.
436. Hard work for beautiful results.



2 comments:

  1. Wow! So glad he's taking it for you :)

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  2. P never did like taking it from a bottle. I would go to work and she would hold out as long as possible. Even then she would drink 2-3 ounces and stop. Once she figured out that I would eventually come home, she would starve herself until I arrived. I still have frozen milk stashed in the freezer.

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