Milky

Josh is always ahead of the curve when it's time for Cole to make a developmental leap. It's been like this since Cole was a baby--Josh suggests it's time for a transition (a sippy cup instead of a bottle, the switch to a big-boy bed) and I hem and haw, throwing out excuses and fretting about how sensitive Cole is and that maybe he just needs a little more time and THEN we can take away the bottle...

Thing is, Josh is right every time. Cole never asked for his bottle once we took it away, and eagerly climbed into that bed. He's always ready for the next step exactly when Josh sees it coming, and I'm left wondering how I didn't see it. Trying to keep my baby a baby, I suppose.

Anyway, to illustrate, Cole loves milk. Um, love is perhaps not a strong enough verb. He adores it. Rhapsodizes about it, sometimes out of the blue. The other day, he said to me, "Mom, I love milk. I really really love it." And when I queried him about what it tastes like, why it's so wonderful, he gave me that "boy, you're stupid, mom" look and patiently explained that it tastes "like milk." Uh, right.

Every morning when he wakes up, the first thing he asks for is his milky. Immediately. He flutters nervously around my legs as I get the sippy cup and jug out of the refrigerator, reaching up like an addict as soon as I snap the top on, then shuffles off to stand in front of the heater. I've always envied him those 5 minutes, standing there in the blast of heat, his pajama top hoisted up so he can touch his belly button and drink in peace. It's his version of morning coffee.

So when Josh told me yesterday that he thinks it's time for Cole to switch to a normal breakfast routine, eating at the big table--WITHOUT his morning milk, I really thought we were headed for the apocalypse.

I'm sure you see where this is going. Josh told Cole about the new plan last night, and this morning I found my little boy happily eating a bagel with cream cheese while totally ignoring the small cup of milk sitting next to him.

And he wouldn't even give me a bite.