We officially gave up the pacifier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For months now they only got it at nap time and bed time but I was hoping to get rid of it all together. I tried once or twice and just didn't think I could take the crying. At their one year appointment their doctor even said there was no real reason to fight the fight just yet. Put them in bed and give them their paci and blanket and they would literally be asleep in minutes with no fuss what so ever. Put them in bed with their blanket and no paci and it would sounds like someone was in their room hurting them. So I gave the thought up for a few months. Until...Grayson starting reaching in his bed for his paci (where we made them leave them after waking) which made me realize he was getting more attached rather than less attached. I decided if he was going to whine for it I might as well take it away before it got too bad. I started by not giving it to them at nap time one day and oh my goodness I did not think I could follow through. They literally cried for 45 minutes straight. Not a whimper cry but a full on someone is hurting me cry. Just when I didn't think I could take it any more I called Kevin to tell him I might fold. I had been reading articles on getting children to give up the pacifier and it said, DO NOT GIVE IN or you are teaching them if they throw a big enough fit they will get their way. So I stayed strong and after 45 minutes and a phone call to daddy it was suddenly quiet. They had both fallen asleep and slept for 3 hours they were so worn out. But I still wasn't sure I could take such sad crying for who knows how long. 45 minutes is a REALLY long and torturous time when you have kids that rarely make a noise when put to bed.
Next up was bedtime. We did the same thing as usual, bath, pajamas, story, kisses goodnight and then laid them in bed with their blankies only. There was slight cry/whimpering for about 5 minutes and then boom they were out cold again.
After that they really didn't even cry at all. For the next few days Grayson seemed a little off but they were falling right to sleep and sleeping throughout the night without waking for the paci. I believe taking the pacifier away is all about timing. They were big enough they didn't need it anymore for soothing purposes but they were attached and therefore needed some time to figure out how to put themselves to sleep without it. Thankfully they are still pretty little and did not have it during the day so they didn't really know to ask for it.
I am incredibly thankful the transition went so well but I have to admit a part of me was a tiny bit sad that another 'baby' stage was over. It breaks my heart that my little itty bitty babies are full on toddlers these days!
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