An end of an era

I spoiled Eleanor by going to sleep next to her until she fell asleep and letting her drink from a bottle when she's falling asleep, nap and at night time. I just couldn't cut her cold turkey from breastfeeding and at that point giving her a bottle was the best option. So at two and a half years old, she was still drinking from a bottle at night but if she didn't fall asleep after finishing one bottle, she would ask for more and more. Plus when she woke up in the middle of the night, she would ask for another bottle of milk. Some nights she would go through 3-4 bottles of milk. Before Abby was born, I wouldn't give her another bottle and let her have her tantrum until she fell asleep but now with Abby around, I can't or won't let her scream so she can wake up the baby. So we gave in. A-man has been taking turns lately putting her to sleep and after a couple of weeks, she is finally letting him. She used to scream at him to get out of her room and just want me. It wasn't pretty, I was heartbroken for him.

Well, last night was insane!! She's fighting off an ear infection so these past few nights were horrible, plus she has really, really dry skin so she wants us to scratch her back or belly or arms or legs, EVERYWHERE, until she falls asleep and it wouldn't stop. So she's been extra crabby and demanding milk left and right and we just had enough. I woke up this morning determined to put an end to it and risk living through hell to break her love affair of the milk bottle. She's never used a pacifier past the first few months of life, she's never sucked a finger, or depended on a lovey or doll or anything, just her nightly bottle. So when nap time rolled around, I held my breath and told her that "bottles are for babies and Eleanor is a big girl now" and repeat and repeat, and repeat. She totally understood and didn't ask more than a couple of times. She usually wouldn't stop asking until she got a bottle!!
It did take her awhile to fall asleep for her nap but she did and she napped for just over 3 hours. We had a play date with 5 other kids today so I thought she was just too tired to argue.

Then came night.

I was really holding my breath for this one. I warned A-man and told him to stand firm and after she asked me a few times, he came into her room and she asked him a couple of times and we both told her, "bottles are for babies and Eleanor is a big girl now" and she just wanted her back scratched and fell asleep. HALLELUJAH!!!!
It used to take about an hour at least to put her to sleep but she fell asleep in about 30 minutes and I tell you, it's a damn miracle.

I won't call victory until a full week or until she doesn't ask for milk period but this is a great start.

It's a little sad that she's so grown up that we can actually reason with her and she understands fully cuz it means that she's that much older.

I won't press my luck but I'm hoping this will be the beginning of being completely diaper free since she only wears diapers at nights.