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Our pediatrician recommended starting Rosalie on a bottle as early as possible to prevent her refusing to take one if it became essential at any point. So when she was 2.5 weeks old, we bought a bottle and were thrilled as she happily gulped it down.

During the first few months of her life, we left Rosie with her grandparents a few times when we would go out for the evening, and I always left a bit of milk to make sure she was happy all evening. But when she was about 4 months old, Rosalie started going to bed around 7 pm every night, and I stopped giving her a bottle. If necessary, I could feed her around 6:30, and she'd be set for the night. It never occurred to me to keep giving her a bottle periodically if it wasn't necessary.

About a month ago, I decided to leave Rosalie with my mom for the afternoon, and pulled out the bottle to make sure she would take it while I was gone. No such luck. She gnawed on it, crying when I took it away, but she made no progress with the milk itself. So I went on a wild goose chase, buying every type of bottle and sippy cup I could find on the Palouse, but she refused them all. I gave up on the day trip, but not on the bottle. I knew Rosalie would need to take one eventually...

Finally, on Monday, I found the magic cure -- the Soothie bottle. Rosalie has only taken Soothie pacifiers since birth, and when I heard that there was a bottle by the same company and shaped just like the paci, I thought I might have hit the jackpot.

Turns out I did, and now our little Rosalie has a new best friend.