Two and a half years ago when our little boy was born we gave him a pacifier to satisfy him between nursing sessions and an addict was born.
Eli's first time to use a pacifier.
I knew then that we were going to have a love/hate relationship with the pacifier. I loved it when it helped him go to sleep at night. I hated it when it fell out and he couldn't find it. I loved it when he was crying and it immediately calmed him down. I hated it when he learned how to throw it in the car in a place where I couldn't reach and then proceeded to cry bloody murder because he didn't have it. I loved it when we needed him to take a nap on road trips. I hated it when he couldn't go to sleep because we forgot it at home. That's the way it's been from the very beginning. Eventually, we weaned Eli to only using the pacifier at night and at nap time. I never wanted the pacifier to be something that he kept in his mouth all the time. I wanted him to be able to talk and interact with others. He adjusted to that very well.
When he turned one, I fleetingly considered making him give it up, but I wasn't ready to tackle the numerous nights of crying for a paci and not understanding where it was, so I abandoned that idea just as quickly as I had thought of it.
When he turned two, I knew that the time had come for him to give it up, but we had lots of changes about to happen in our lives and I knew it was his one comfort item. I didn't want to take his paci away from him when he was about to move away from the only home he'd ever known. Plus, not only was his house going to be different, but he was also moving to a toddler bed. No, I decided I'd let him keep it for a little while longer.
Summer came and I realized that it was time. I was off for the summer so if he had a couple of sleepless nights crying for the paci, I could realistically handle it because I could always catch up on sleep during the day. Plus, he just seemed ready. I can't explain it, but I just knew that he'd be okay.
We started telling Eli that the Paci Monster was going to visit when he got back from Grammy and Pop's house. The Paci Monster is just like the Paci Fairy that visits some people's houses. He takes your pacis and gives them to little babies that need them and leaves you a surprise while you're sleeping! We talked about him enough that Eli could answer any question you asked him about the Paci Monster. If you asked him about the Paci Monster, he'd immediately reply, "He really nice!"
This past Monday night the Paci Monster was scheduled to visit our house. Eli carefully boxed up the two pacifiers he was using.
Then we decorated the box to make it look pretty.
I helped him write a letter to the Paci Monster.
Then we set the box of pacis and a plate of Monster Cookies by Eli's door so the Paci Monster would find the goodies.
That night Eli went to sleep for the first time since he was born without a pacifier and he did GREAT! We were all so proud of him! In the morning, he found his surprises from the Paci Monster along with a letter.
The Paci Monster left him three gifts-one for each pacifier and then one for being such a big boy! He got a new baseball bat and ball, a Toy Story hopper ball, and a set of Melissa and Doug puzzles. He immediately started working on the puzzles.
While he played with his puzzles, we blew his hopper up and then he took it outside to test it out. He was a natural! Later on that night, he tested out his new bat and ball and loved it as well! That Paci Monster sure knew which gifts would make my little man happy ;)
It's been an entire week since Eli's visit from the Paci Monster and I have to say he's doing really well. Every night he asks where his pa-pas (what he calls his pacifiers) are and we go through the entire explanation about how little babies that need them are using them. We remind him that he's a big boy and he can go to sleep without pa-pas now. It usually doesn't take very long for him to fall asleep and even if he wakes up in the middle of the night he goes right back to sleep without any problem. Nap time is a completely different story. He begs and cries for his pa-pas then :( He usually ends up going to sleep, but it's not as easy as bedtime. I know when he goes to his new school in the fall he'll do fine at nap time because he'll have other kids to watch and copy, but right now he's just trying to see if this Momma is going to cave and make a pacifier appear out of thin air. I'm holding strong and I'm resolved to let this happen. Even with all the tears at nap time, I know it's going to be a good thing in the end. Every day has gotten better and I know in two weeks this will all be forgotten. Pretty soon the only remembrances of pacifiers we'll have are the pictures...and that's a very good thing :) So long, pa-pa, you've been good to us for a long time. I'm sure we'll meet again when another precious baby comes into our home, but until then, I'll just watch as my big boy goes to sleep on his own...we don't need you anymore.
