I am the Parent Holding On + Giveaway #AventMoms

I am the parent holding on.

Holding on to used pregnancy tests that ended in both babies and losses.

Holding on to cards that are reminders of birthdays, milestones, and life’s little achievements.

Holding on to umbilical cords that came from babies born too early and ones that were born in the safety of home shaped into hearts.

Holding on to first outfits, first outfits that actually fit and shoes that were never worn because who actually puts shoes on newborns.

Holding on to little hands so that they feel safe.

Holding on to bigger hands so that they know I will always be there.

Holding on because soon they will be letting go.

Our Last Baby

I don’t want to rush them when they are young. It is this time where my little people will be most carefree. This is the time when they are navigating the world, learning right and wrong, and ultimately growing up so that they can take care of themselves. I want to hold onto that little piece of innocence for as long as possible.

That is why we still bed share if the kids want to, this is why I don’t push them to potty train until they want to, and why I still allow my youngest to drink from a bottle. He is my last baby and I will cherish his firsts because they are my lasts.

At almost two he is long past the threshold of what is the norm when it comes to drinking out of a bottle. I know that. He is fully capable of drinking out of a cup and has been eating and drinking independently since he was six months old. He has three older siblings to mimic and I can assure you he is doing a great job keeping up. The bottle helps him go to sleep–and stay sleeping–and I need the sleep as much as his little body does.

I know that that changes in an instant. One moment he will want the bottle and the next he will throw it aside as he grows up just a little bit more. My heart will burst as I watch this as well as break a little because this will be the fleeting moments of my last born in the baby phase.

Philips Avent Natural Bottle

Cyrus is what you would call a creature of habit. Each one of my kids has had me throw my parenting beliefs out and start again but he–he really pulled a number on me. He has this love for stuffed animals that knows no bounds. He has spent the past 6 months collecting stuffies he finds around the house and building himself little nests out of them. It is these little nests that he lays down on with his bottle to watch his favourite show and fall into a slumber. As long as he has his stuffies, his bottle and a blankie he feels safe enough to drift off.

The Phillips Avent Natural line is not new to us. Philips Avent products have won multiple PTPA approval seals and we gladly added ours.  The same bottles that Aria was using are still in use for Cyrus. They were the most natural bottles to use when we needed to transition our kids between breastfeeding and bottle feeding. This allowed us to get the whole family involved in feeding the baby and it made all the difference in making sure momma got some much-needed rest. These BPA-free bottles saved our little guy from the dreaded nipple confusion with the wide breast shaped nipple. If you take a moment and look it has unique petals for a soft, flexible nipple without the collapse that can sometimes happen when babies eat. That makes for a cranky baby and no one has time for that.

Why we love it? The twin-valve in the advanced anti-colic system makes sure air goes into the bottle and not the baby’s tummy. No tummy aches, no spit-ups and a baby that will stay sleeping because his tummy is fed.

We have what seems like every single Philips Avent and cup and these wonderful nipples fit seamlessly on everyone. In frantic moments when we can’t find our big by 9oz bottles our guy can get a mini 4oz fix. He doesn’t seem to mind and I love the ease of transition between the system that allows us to use the same ergonomic shaped bottle that is easy to hold and grip with any nipple, even when he wants the sippy cup top.

Giveaway

 
Philips Avent Bottles Giveaway
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March/April 2017

Aneta Alaei

Aneta is a Toronto-based mom of four that loves a good meal, great company, and learning something new. In her free time, you can find her trying to keep yet another plant alive.

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