Weaned by Kate Winslet

Carlos has been taking his milk from the bottle for almost a month now. Thanks to Kate Winslet and the movie Finding Neverland.

Since birth until he's over two years old, Carlos has been breastfed. When his teeth came out at 9 months, we started giving him solid food. The bottle has been there eversince he was born -but was used when we were out or if ever I was gone for a long time. I remember that up till he was seven months, I've been pumping milk for use during those times mentioned.

Our first try at weaning him from the breast was before he turned two. I've been complaining about the long hours of feeding especially at night time. Plus I was trying to gain weight and we all thought that breastfeeding him was going on the contrary. Our strategy was to put a strong flavor - coffee, vinegar or soy sauce on my nipples. It worked a bit. As soon as he would taste the weird flavor, he would refuse to nurse with me. This strategy failed however because during nighttime, he would not take the bottle and refuse to feed from me thinking my breast still tasted yucky. So he would cry himself to sleep, leaving me sleepless.

Next strategy we tried was the one which worked for Lois. At age 14 months, we told Lois she could not breastfeed anymore because there was a baby growing inside mommy's tummy. Everybody kept on telling her this whenever she would ask for me until she took to the bottle already.

So for Carlos, we started telling him that mommy has no milk anymore so he should drink from the bottle. At this, he would always argue that he wants mommy. "Dede Kay mommy, meron pa," he would insist.

Until I got a cough and the most watched movie at home was Johnny Depp & Kate Winslet's Finding Neverland. The movie was about the play Peter Pan came about - which was written by plywright jm Barrie while inspired with many interactions with the daddy-orphaned kids and widow of Llewelyn Davies.

The writer kept his social contact with this jolly family despite disapproval of many. Mrs. Llewelyn Davies, a widow with four bright boys constantly meeting with a man was considered taboo.

Out of their imagined games and spirited interactions, Mr Barrie was able to write Peter Pan. However, at the opening night of the play, Mrs Llewelyn Davies was dying because of respiratory disease. There was a scene at the movie when it was found she was sick because she couldn't stop coughing. Her sickness overtook her until after the play's first run, she died leaving her kids orphaned.

Lois and Carlos took this that my cough could also lead to death. Whenever Carlos would ask for me, Lois would instantly remind him of the dead mom - which could be me. It went on and on until Carlos settled well with his bottle. Asking, "dede please sa bote #6."