The other morning, I was just about to crawl under a crib to search for a missing pacifier, as I inevitably must do every time the kids sleep, when I suddenly wondered...What if I don't give the boys their pacies for the morning nap? Hmmm...So I straightened back up and decided the worst that could happen was that they would scream for the entire nap and I'd have to give them back. I quickly removed all the pacies from sight and prepared to give it a go!
This wasn't totally on a whim. Jim and I had briefly discussed the fact that eventually we would need to give them up. We were starting to run low on pacies as they either disappeared into some black hole somewhere or began to tear and were thrown away. We either needed to break the pacy habit or start looking for a way to buy new ones. We used the ones they were given in the NICU and had simply come home with a bag full of them, so I didn't know where we would go to get new ones.
Anyway, the morning nap came along, and I put the kids to bed without pacifiers.
And the boys started crying because they couldn't find them.
They cried for about ten minutes and then they all went to sleep! I was amazed! It went so well I decided to keep the pacies in hiding for the afternoon nap too! That nap went much like it does every day...they chattered and squealed and cried off and on for awhile and then they went to sleep! So that night they went to bed without pacies and now it's Day 5 of sleeping without pacifiers and it seems to be going just great!
I'm truly amazed! I really expected more of a fuss, although I guess this has been like every other transition we have faced. When I decided they needed to have set naptimes, I just kept them awake until the time I had decided on and then I put them all down in their beds and they went to sleep like it was totally normal. When we started cutting out the bottles, the time of day would come when they would normally get a bottle, and I would give them a sippy cup instead, and they just accepted it. No fuss at all! What a tremendous blessing it has been to have such adaptable children!
So, please join us as we wish a fond farewell to our beloved pacifiers!
(cue sappy music)
In the middle is Reagan with her pacy, back before she decided only boys needed pacies!
Jonathan smiles fondly at his favorite companion
Jonathan, Zachary, and Thomas in their last pictures with the pacies. These pictures were actually taken the moment they each turned one year old!
3 comments:
I think it's harder on Mom to give up pacis!! :( What troopers they are! Congrats on the success so far!
Congrats to you! We are still at 16 months with the paci- and still not sleeping through the night. It was soooo different with just one to take care of. I can't imagine 4! It is pretty cool that you got to meet John and Kate!!! Funny how they are kindof celebrities to us moms and dads!
Not really sure how I found your blog. Not sure if I have commented before either- the sleep deprivation setting in, sorry! I am orginally from TN and used to live in Jeff City and go to Carson-Newman College. Now we are in Fl, God Bless!
Ashley
I'm jealous!! :) Congrats!
Callie still has one at night...she knows not to even ask for it during the day. I asked her if we could give it to Santa and she just said, "NO! I'm not giving it to Santa!"
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