Goodbye Paci!

So last night was THE night. The night we took the pacifier away. I had been dreading this day for quite some time because I knew how attached she was to them and how hard it would be for her to let them go. I didn't even know where to start but heard a few experienced moms talk about the "paci fairy" so I just ran with it and came up with a plan that I thought would help her understand that the pacis were leaving forever. I know it was Valentines Day, but a Thursday, we decided, would be the best day for us to do it considering my work schedule and I didn't want to put it off another week so we just did it.

I had been preparing her all week for the "paci fairy" (and talking about getting rid of the pacis for even longer) so I know she was understanding what was going to happen. She often surprises me with just how much she does understand. Right before we packaged them up last night, I walked up to the loft to get the envelope we were going to put them in.  She was lying on my bed and saw me with it in my hand and said "pacis" "prize?"...I hadn't even mentioned it but she knew thats what we were going to do. So she went with me and we collected all the pacis (the ones we could find at least). We put them in a container and carried them downstairs. Then Nathan helped her put them in the envelope. We let her seal it up and you could see in her face she knew what that meant. She got really upset but was trying not to cry but then she just lost it. :(  I tried to keep her excited about what we were doing so we wrote a message on the envelope to the babies we were sending the pacis to and then she got to put stickers on the package (she liked that part the best).

 After we sealed up the envelope we put it out on the front porch for the paci fairy to come pick up. She was trying to be so strong but you can tell by the look on her face how hard it was for her. :( It broke my heart. This was surely one of her first little life lessons...its hard letting go of things you love but sometimes its for the best.

Telling them bye...

A little later we went back out to check if the paci fairy had came yet and look what we found!!! She came, took the pacis, and left a prize!!! Oh boy!!

She loved her little sock monkey and kept hugging and hugging him! (that made me feel a little better about what I had just done to her). He still didn't help her fall asleep I don't think...but maybe it was a little comfort at least to help her understand.

 

So after the "paci fairy" came, I put her to bed like usual taking along our new little friend. We went through the normal routine and I walked out of her room at 8:22p. (Yes I looked at the clock so I could see how long it took her to fall asleep).

Here is a little look at what it was like. It still makes me feel sick to watch this.... :(

It was just awful. It was really like she was in withdrawal from drugs or alcohol. She cried and screamed and threw her body around for 1 hour and 15 minutes. I went in there 2 or 3 times to help comfort her and she would immediately calm down. We would talk about it, I would hold her, and she would just stare in my eyes. I really felt soooo bad for her. I know for her at age 2, this was one of the worst things she has ever had to do. But I stayed strong and just let her work it out. She eventually cried herself to sleep. And then woke up again at 11:30pm, looking for her pacis and started crying/screaming again. After about 5 minutes, I went in and tried to calm her down but it didn't help. A few minutes later, she came walking into our room (she has only done this one other time since she has been sleeping in her big bed). But once in our room, she just stood in the doorway. She didn't say anything and neither did we. After a few seconds, she turned around walked back to her room, got in her bed, and went back to sleep. She didn't cry anymore the rest of the night and slept until 8am! So the falling asleep part was rough but the rest of the night wasn't nearly as bad I had imagined!

Today she has done really well. She is tired from all that crying last night and not going to sleep until so late. So did ask for them while riding in the car this morning and she even said "pleeeeease" and then cried a little but it didn't last long. At naptime, she wanted to go to bed with her juice and when I wouldn't let her she got upset, but she didn't ask for the pacis. She cried for a while, apparently mad about the juice, but then just talked a while and eventually went to sleep.

So all in all, its been a success. This morning, I told her I was so proud of her, and she said "pacis"...so she knows what I'm talking about. :) I'm sure she will still be sad over the pacis tonight at bedtime but we're almost over it I think! I did find one in the car though!! I better get it put away before she sees it!  

Goodbye dear friend, thanks for all your help over the past 2 years!!