No, not to you guys! I’m not going anywhere.
Today, though, we polished off the last dregs of our giant cans of Enfamil Lipil. Oh, the happy dance I am doing right now!
I was going to say “good riddance,” but I can’t be that negative about something that has kept my kids well-nourished and growing for their entire first year. But man, I have really resented it at various points along the way.
In the NICU, there was the darker-colored and somehow worse-smelling pre-made stuff. I’m glad it was there to feed my kids, but I was so frustrated that my dutiful pumping was coming to naught.
They came home a week later with instructions to be on the high-cal version for every other feeding, so I’d mix a few quarts at a time: three scoops for every five ounces, instead of the usual one-for-two. I couldn’t wait to get the all-clear from my pediatrician to stop it, because I felt like it was getting in the way of successful breastfeeding.
In the end, lots of things got in the way of successful breastfeeding, and at eight weeks old, they were full-time on Enfamil. After that, I went to the warehouse store a couple of times a month, adding the cans to my cart six-at-a-time in addition to the diapers and wipes and laundry detergent. $33 for a 38-ounce canister, which at the peak of formula consumption around 7-8 months would last us about three days. It was a nearly $80-per-week habit. I know milk has gotten expensive lately, especially the organic stuff I feel oddly compelled to buy, but still… what an improvement!
Thanks to all for the great suggestions on the milk transition last week. I decided to go step-by-step and do a formula/milk mix that became more and more milk over the course of 4-5 days, but kept it in their usual bottles. The last two days, it was all milk with a scoop of formula tossed in for good measure, mostly so the last expensive bits of powder wouldn’t go to waste. I don’t think my son really needed such a gradual transition, but my daughter is wary of new tastes in general, so we took it a little slower. Today, we’re going cold-turkey on sippy cups instead of bottles. Again, Daniel seems to have just shrugged and grabbed his cup. Rebecca is suspicious, but she’ll come around.
The end of another era, my how time is flying. At six months old, I could barely believe we had finally stopped swaddling and doing overnight bottles. At eight, we ditched the infant carseats. No longer do I live in a world of stationary playmats, exersaucers, bouncy seats, and bottles. On we go to cups, milk, and gates so they don’t climb the stairs without me. When did my babies become little kids?!
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12 responses so far ↓
1 Eva // Aug 18, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Yay! I find it so much easier to be able to give them milk now. Makes going out easier too, you can actually order milk in a restaurant or buy it at a convenience store if necessarry. What a novelty!
2 LauraC // Aug 18, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I remember carefully planning out the last few cans of formula so we had NONE left in the house when we transitioned. The boys were on soy formula bc of Alex’s dairy intolerance and it smelled nasty. So nasty!
We’re about to experience our next big drop in costs…. no more diapers. I will be shouting from the blogtops the day they use their last diaper.
3 Erin // Aug 18, 2008 at 2:18 pm
This made me so sad reading it! My duo just turned 9 months on Friday, so this transition is just around the corner for us. We don’t plan on having anymore children, so I’m trying to enjoy the ‘babyhood’ for as long as possible. How time flies!
4 Rebecca // Aug 18, 2008 at 2:36 pm
That price difference between formula and milk is huge! I think we spend about $8-$10 a week on milk. What are you going to do with all your extra cash each week? Weekly pedicures? A shopping trip at Saks? I could come up with many options for you….
5 Cheryl // Aug 18, 2008 at 2:49 pm
The twin-tensified, nostalgic stepping stones keep coming…
Just last night, our twins moved from their toddler beds into twin-sized (which they thought were named as such because they are twins…not sure they believed us when we explained non-twins sleep in twin beds…) loft beds. And bigger move, from their previously shared nursery, to their now shared former guest room.
Enjoy the extra cash…maybe save it for future loft beds
!
6 Jennie // Aug 18, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I’m so glad I’m not the only twin mom who took photos of the last formula can. I even saved it to alter with my scrapbook supplies!
Fortunately, our transition to milk was quick. Friday they turned one. I still have a jug of formula mixed up in the fridge and mixed about 50/50 with milk. Once the formula was gone, I gave them plain whole milk and that was that. And, we are completely off bottles as of Saturday!
Glad to know I’m not the only one who prefers the take ‘n toss type cups!
Jennie
7 rachael // Aug 18, 2008 at 3:48 pm
i am so glad to hear that this worked for you! i have been drawing up a game plan for our transition in a month and this was sort of what i had settled on, not wanting to do both the gradual switch to milk and sippy cups at the same time. thanks for sharing!
8 Cynthia // Aug 18, 2008 at 8:53 pm
WOO-HOO! Bring on the milk! Congratulations and good luck with the switch to the cups.
9 Debi B // Aug 18, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Isn’t it incredibly scary how fast it FLIES by!?! My twins will be TWO in October and I am in shock! I just can’t believe my babies aren’t babies!
Congrats on kissing the formula goodbye!
10 Kathy // Aug 18, 2008 at 10:51 pm
and my husband thought I was crazy when I photographed the last 2 empty bottles — I too was SO happy to be done with formula, and we were done with bottles simultaneously. said bottles were removed from my house in the next week, given away. thrilling on one hand, yet i did cry as I do when baby things leave me, since I’m not planning to have more kids. (my neighbors promise to give back the bottles should I need them again in the future…) congrats!
11 silver // Aug 19, 2008 at 12:37 am
Yey! No more formula! That is a great day!
12 Kim // Aug 20, 2008 at 7:40 am
Yay! No more formula – that is such a HUGE expense times 2! You’ll find the next big one to go is diapers – congrats – while it does mean they’re growing up – it does help saving you money .
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