*there's his favorite drinking helpers

An update on Will's feeding progress - he is drinking so much more lately. For most meals he was drinking either 0 or 5-10mls per meal in the past. Just so you know, 5 mls is about a teaspoon! As of last week he suddenly is drinking more! He has been known to drink 1-2 OUNCES at one time now!

So here is a run down of what we use and how they help. First, a disclaimer: the feeding therapy recommendation is that his cups need to be very free flowing and not have flow-restricting valves. Those are usually in kids' cups to make them spill-proof. So if you are looking for a cup that doesn't make a mess you will need to ask someone else...I only have experience with the messy ones!

The Take and Toss 5oz Little Learner Sippy Cups are the ones we usually use.
Pro #1: This brand has interchangeable parts. The top of this cup also holds the snack cup top and the removable handles that come with the Take and Toss 7 oz Sippy Cups with Removable Handles. Will liked the handles at first but they are really difficult to get on and off for me (Con #1). Now he grabs the little 5 oz cup easily without the handles and I think he prefers it. These are perfect for people like us that are keeping track of how has been drunk after each meal because there are measurements on the side like a baby bottle! (Pro #2)  It is really hard to see the numbers depending on the color of the cup and liquid but you can do it. The small "snack cup" size is perfect for Will. Remember...these are not spill proof cups!(Con #2) They are sometimes listed as such and I'm sorry to say that is just not true! They are really inexpensive at less than $2 each. (Pro #3) Since Will uses the spout to practice chewing with his new teeth we will be needing some new ones soon. Maybe then we will graduate to some with cartoon characters on them!

Another cup that I hoped and still hope to like is the Born Free Drinking Cup.

It also has the measurements listed on the side and has interchangeable parts with another cup, the Born Free Training Cup which looks almost identical but has a very different spout. One is to help babies transition off the bottle and the other is their version of a typical toddler sippy cup. Will has enjoyed this cup a few times but then seemed uninterested, so I put it away for awhile. It does have a flow restrictor which Will doesn't need, so I'm saving it for possible future use.

It went against my I'mnotgoingtobuyeverycuponthemarket plan but the Tommee Tippee Explora Truly Spill Proof Straw Cup was a completely un-researched impulse buy. I didn't include a picture because it doesn't deserve it. It is spill proof; it is also practically drink proof. I can't drink from this cup. I even handed it to Chris to see if I was doing something wrong and he couldn't drink from this cup. Afterward I looked online at parent reviews and one said "My tongue actually hurts from trying to make this cup work." Amen. Despite them not being insulated, I think I will be trying the Take and Toss or the Ziploc Straw Cup when the time comes for straw cups. I haven't tried Ziploc yet but their lids seem more secure. And when he needs a bigger one I'm thinking about the Munchkin Mighty Grip. I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a flow restrictor either.

I think the unfortunate Tommee Tippee purchase came from false confidence after a surprising success with the Earth's Best Organic Yogurt Fruit Smoothie. (just to clarify- this is not a cup but an eating milestone!)

We were in Nashville between doctor's appointments and I was looking for something at Whole Foods anyway so I grabbed one and took it with us to lunch. He LOVED it. Despite it being thick and having to suck it through a short but wide built-in spout, he couldn't get enough of this. His favorite thing is to put the cap in his mouth, taking it off and putting it back on the pouch without any hands. He still hasn't tired of this game. One day he must have been super hungry because he downed the whole 4 ounces at once and didn't even need my help holding it. We tried to show the feeding therapist the next day and he squeezed this one by Ella's Kitchen in a way that made it explode onto his face and into his eyes. That was a screaming disaster. We regrouped and tried again at home and he is back to liking them in a supervised way.

Now for the cup that helped him make progress - the Nuby No Spill Cup with Super Spout! It is definitely my favorite cup for him right now. It leaks a little, but not much. I think it works better for him now than when he was younger because the spout was a little bit too big. It releases liquid with gentle pressure (accomplished with a bite down) and the handles are secured to the lid. The handles being secure is very important, because that is the difference in the cup I recommend and the cup I DON'T recommend...the Nuby No Spill Grip 'n Sip Cup. Ease of drinking from this one is irrelevant because this cup breaks. Easily. Will broke 2 of them during their first use. How can a cup for a toddler not withstand a collision with the floor?

For a taller version of the GOOD cup I would get the Nuby Super Spout Easy Gripper. But be warned that another Nuby cup I don't like is the No Spill Easy Grip Cup. Although the names are similar and the cups look the same, the silicone lid on the latter creates a strange vacuum when drinking. In short, if you want a Nuby go with the Super Spout and whether it says Easy Grip or Easy Gripper.

Some day Will is probably going to read this and ask why on earth I thought anyone would want to know these things. I'm not sure anyone does. But even though they are disguised as product reviews, these are milestones and snapshots of our life. It's not just a cup to me!