There are so many milestones within the first year. Almost too many to keep track of. It can be both overwhelming and exciting for any new parent. Your child is learning and growing at such a rapid pace. You may feel as though your head is spinning trying to facilitate all the learning experiences your child needs to progress.

You are patiently waiting for the larger milestones such as rolling, crawling, first words, and transitioning to solids. These alone consume enough of your attention and patience. You are so concerned about their development and rightfully so. You put a lot of pressure on yourself to make sure your child is developing the “right” skills at the “right” time. I have been learning that I need to have a more relaxed attitude. Just like I need to learn to give myself grace as a new mom I have to extend that to her as well. There are some days when mealtimes are a struggle. There are other days where she tries three new foods in one sitting!

Some transitions that are not on our radar are things like drinking from a cup. When I went for Siena’s 6-month appointment they asked me if I had tried getting her to drink from a cup. I was caught off guard. I just started trying to get her to take food from a spoon! However, never underestimate your baby. I was shocked the first time I offered her a cup. It took me two times bringing it to her mouth for her to realize what to do. Then I started on my search for the perfect sippy cup. I was looking for something that would be easy for her to handle, meaning she could figure out how to pick it up on her own. I was also looking for something that gave me a straw or spout option as well. I had read that learning to drink from a cup or spout also helps with language development. It is crazy how everything is connected! I love the OXO TotTransitions Soft Spout Sippy Cup Set because it helps with the transition from bottle to sippy cup, and gives me more than one option as she grows up. It has a unique almond-shaped spout that opens right when her lips touch it. When she’s ready to try big kid cups, there’s a training lid that mimics a cup. Products that grow with your child are the best!

Is she a pro yet? Definitely not! But I do believe that her being exposed to the idea of drinking out of a sippy cup now is going to make the transition easier when it really matters. It is funny how a milestone that is not necessarily one of the more popular ones taught me the most! So, I am trying to relax more and focus on having fun with her as she explores. Realizing the smaller moments will lead to the larger ones. I have her participate in whatever small things when I can, like hanging her bottles or teething toys on the OXO Tot Space Saving Dry Rack when I am finished washing them. Or, involving her in my morning coffee routine. She kicks and squeals if she is not over by the machine when I am making coffee, so now it’s become routine to put her bottle in the warmer, for me to go make my coffee, and have Siena press the button on the machine. I can’t wait to see what else she will accomplish as we near one year!

This post is done in partnership with OXO Tot, all opinion's are my own.