Loren
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My daughter, Gemma, will be 2 in March.  March 10th to be exact, and she's still drinking from a flippin' bottle.  I am aware that it's my fault.  I take full responsibility (ok, partial only because I'm not ready to fully admit that I  created this bottle-crazed monster).  
It began when she first started taking a bottle.  Of course this came after multiple days of trying to remove nipple ever so gently and replace it with an awkward, cold, silicone tip instead.  Gemma was no fool.  Sleep deprived and rather looney, I sought out help from a fellow Trotter whose daughter had also been picky about her drinking companion.  I was able to borrow SIX different brand bottles from Helpy McHelperson (well, Clara really I suppose) and this didn't include the other 4 brands I had stacked up at home from baby showers/sprinkles/first born.  We tried them all--glass bottles, Dr Browns bottles, $15 bottles, nothing.  Advice from friends, family, strangers alike was that eventually she would be hungry enough and would take the bottle.  Gemma reinvented the word stubborn that week.
In the end, after several WEEKS of introducing bottle after bottle, what did she end up choosing?  Latex nipples (which had actually been included in the insanity pack that we borrowed from Clara, but I had forgotten about them).  You know the great thing about latex nipples?  They are discontinued.  Yes, completely and totally discontinued.  What does this mean?  It means that the latex-hoarding individuals on amazon could sell them to us needy AF parents for WAY more than their actual monetary value.  This 'lucky' couple scored a 3-pack of latex nipples for a measly $33.  Be jealous.  BOOM.  Yep, my daughter preferred $11 nipples that we knew would eventually deteriorate over time--as latex naturally does.
There was even in incident where we traveled out to California, and one of the nipples began to show signs of wear and tare.  I didn't realize it would happen as quickly as it did (thinking perhaps Gemma was an alien after all and had strange levels of acidity in her saliva) and so I was an unprepared mother and the only other latex nipples that existed in the world were in ATX.  What did this mean?  We needed our dear old friends to OVERNIGHT a latex nipple to California.  It does not get much more ridiculous than that.  Really.  I shake my head and laugh as I type this.  And this was our SECOND child, people.
Any woo, time went by, latex withered and silicone became our new bestie.  Lucky for us, solid foods were being given and fluids were being had in other ways than through a rapido nip.  We were able to continuously give her a silicone nipple, and eventually she took to it (phew)!
So now it's present day.  We had collected the insanity pack of sippy cups, and I'm reliving the glory days of introducing a bottle all over again.  Straws, hard spouts, soft spouts, training cups, etc.  Our daughter is SO stubborn that she actually made it 48 hours without taking a single sip from a cup.  Back to the bottle (and wet diapers) she went.  
So if any of you have some glorious tip as to how to get your stubborn (for lack of a better word) child to do something they really don't want to do, let me know.   As for now, it's off to the google machine to search for $33 sippy cup with a latex top---or at least for a kind of cup that's being discontinued.

Happy February everyone! It's Featured Member Friday... that means you get to meet one of our amazing members up close and personal. How do we decide who to feature? With a super un-biased draw out of a hat by the nearest tot.

If you had met this month's featured member a year ago, she would have told you that running a half marathon was impossible for her. Trust me, she told me more than once when I tried to convince her it was a good idea. One year later, however, she has now completed not one, but three half marathons (at break-neck speeds) and will be running the Austin MARATHON in a few weeks!

Susan C, aka Tex-Sass, or Susie Q, is the proud mama of a spunky almost 2-year-old named Evelyn, and a 5-year-old named Bodie who has the sweetest disposition, and better organizational skills than most adults. Her husband, Josh, is a member of the Trotting With Tots Bald Dads club (population climbing rapidly), and an avid runner as well. Unfortunately for him, his running season is shortened each year during hail season, as he does paintless dent repair and works long hours when there are ice showers. However, he makes up for it by being Susan's biggest cheerleader, often finishing races hand in hand with her (if he can catch up).

Before she became a mama, Susan worked for a neurosurgery practice. She grew up in Wimberley, Texas, but settled in the country in South Austin, where they see plenty of wildflowers and wildlife. Since she has conquered her fear of running long distances, maybe she will tackle her fear of snakes, scorpions, and frogs next. Some day, Susan thinks she might like to be a pilates or fitness instructor, working with people to help them be healthier.

For now, Susan spends her days running around with her kiddos in their BOB stroller. Her favorite places to run are Circle C Park, and Zilker, which also happens to be her favorite place in Austin. She would rather run that trail than any other, and holds out hope that she will spot her celebrity crush, Justin Timberlake, there one day (where I'm sure he would appreciate a mob of moms chasing him with their strollers). If she remembers to pack it, she loves to run with her Rogue American headband, and can usually be spotted with her headphones in, since her running playlist is full of songs that are not so kid-friendly (Bodie does know most of the words to "Booty Wurk" by T-Pain). The song she would pick to play on repeat while she racks up the miles is "Lay it All on Me" by Rudimental. Susan also swears by running with gum in her mouth, often switching pieces out mid-race (ask her where she keeps the extras).

Bodie and Evelyn stay busy in the stroller with snacks, milk, and an iPad if times get desperate. The whole family is rewarded with a trip to Pieous or Torchy's Tacos post-run, because chips and queso are the perfect way to top off a sweat session. Since she says running helps with her sanity, she has decided to make it a daily occurrence and has been streak running since early July 2016. The other reason she runs, she says, is to be able to indulge in things like dark chocolate, extra caffeine, and Lisa W.'s cakes. Whatever the reason, it has definitely been a good habit to pick up, and we are glad she has joined us!

When she's not running, Susan spends time taking Pilates and Barre classes at the gym, and gardening. She has quite the green thumb, even saving other people's plants that are in need of help. While at home, Susan tries to keep Bodie away from Sponge Bob, because he is "so gross" and bakes 2-3 strawberry pies for her family every week! Susan is a smiley addition to the group, and if you need someone to encourage you to keep going when you want to quit, make sure to say hi at our next meetup!