Paci-Free...Kinda

And let the fun begin…

Wally and I made the decision last week that we need to really start weaning Caroline off the paci. No real reason other than I can’t stand the sound of her talking while she’s got the paci in her mouth!! All kidding aside – it’s just time.

In the beginning, she never really “needed” the paci – it never EVER calmed her down and she was probably 6 months old before she figured out how to keep it in her mouth. And all along I kept saying “Now’s the time to chuck it. She’ll never miss it.” Yeah, but I’ll miss it.

Seriously, this was more of a photo-op

And as Caroline grew, so did the attachment. Darn. She FINALLY figured out how to put it in by herself…what a BIG GIRL!!

I didn't say she could get it in right side up.

And then MY attachment just became unnecessary.

Just in case...

When I was pregnant and contemplating introducing the paci in the first place I kept saying “Ok – but she will NOT have it past her first birthday.” How many of you did I say that to? April 11, 2010 rolls around and…cue the sinus infections, cutting teeth, switching rooms at school, ear infections…what mother can be so mean at a time like this!?! Of course you can have your paci Caroline! It makes you happy!!!

All that came and went and then we became serious about it. We ONLY let her have it in the car and in the crib. And that worked out fabulously. And then she started talking with it in her mouth while in the car and in the crib. No ma’am. Mommy is not a fan.

Last Thursday, we did the deed…kinda. No paci at nighttime. One of our good friends suggested that we cut the nipple off, she’d get frustrated with it and then would be done with it. Just that easy, right? Wrong. We let her play with it in the den for a while. A new toy! Lot of fun for little girls!! In the crib? Not so much. She could see right thru us. We let her cry in her crib for 10 minutes (seemed like an eternity) and when Wally walked in, she was sitting up, crying, holding that paci in her hands and just staring at it. Like she had lost a friend. Too bad Wally was the one that witnessed it, not me! (And just so you know, it made him feel bad and I think he teared up a bit.) After a bit of coaxing and back rubbing, she finally went to sleep. Friday night & Saturday night were a little easier, much less crying involved. And Sunday night, no crying!! Hooray!! She still has her BFF in her crib – her lovey - so she is not completely lonely.

Who needs a paci when you can cuddle with your BFF?

Right or wrong (who knows at this point), we’re still letting her use the paci at naptime just to nod off, then we take it out after she falls asleep. We’ll work on weaning her off her naptime paci once we can master nighttime with out it first.