messy boy

Oh the bottle saga continues.  I've been working forever to get my buddy to drink out of anything but a bottle.  Just when I gave up and decided I would wait to push the issue, he decides to chew holes in the bottle nipples.  My buddy was finally able to hold the bottle himself while sitting up and be independent with it.  Of course, the milk poured down his chin soaking his shirt.  He has a knack for taking a swig then, before swallowing, shifting the bottle to the side for a little chewing action, thus dribbling milk down his face.

This kind of messiness is nothing new to my buddy.  Monkey bear has been heard saying, "I love my messy boy."  When my buddy decides that the mouthful of food he currently has isn't quite right and he would prefer a sip of milk, he simply spits the food out.  If you offer food he doesn't want.  Instead of signing "no" he takes then food then lobs it across the room.

I've tried giving him a sippy cup with no valve in it.  He uses it to pour all over himself, the floor, the cats, and generally anything within reach.  But not so much in his mouth.  For whatever reason, my buddy will/can not suck on anything other than the bottle.  He has not figured out that in order to get something yummy out, you need to suck.  My buddy simply bites.  Not very effective. 

I've tried every method I can think of or get others to recommend.  Nothing.  It's not easy to teach someone how to suck on a cup.  I'm considering going cold turkey on the bottle - with maybe just one before bed.  Perhaps it's that stubborn I'm-going-to-hold-out-for-a-bottle streak that has been holding him back.  We all know how stubborn my buddy can be.