The started off in the NICU with these wonderful vanilla scented pacifiers. We must have bought 5 dozen over the last 2 1/2 years. Last week we decided that Rylan and Jacob were big boys and did not need the paci anymore. Before the account of saying bye, bye to the paci, walk with me down memory lane with our beloved green friends!Jacob - 3 weeks old. Still in the NICU, but loving the paci! Notice how big it was compared to his face. It cracks me up how much smaller the pacis seem to get through the months, but they are the same pacis.
All snuggled up in the NICU - Rylan, paci and Jacob
Sweet Rylan and Jason's hand
About 16 months old - Jacob sleeping on Granna
About 9 months - Rylan sleeping in the stroller at GPop's retirement party. Sleeping in the stroller was a common occurrence.
About 12 months - Rylan with his BELOVED paci asleep on Mommmy. Notice Jacob twirling my hair. He still does that when he gets tired!
About 13 months old... Rylan' s favorite sleeping position - hinny up, paci in.
Same story for Rylan at 20 months...
Jacob - still twirling, still loving the paci at 20 months
We were very strict that the paci stayed in the bed. They only had it for naps and bedtime. This was the last night with their pacis. I have to admit, I got a little choked up. I remember so vividly picking the pacis up off the NICU floor, bringing them home and boiling them. I remember carrying 6 in my bag, so that if we needed one it was handy. I remember waking up in the middle of the night to put it back in their mouth. It was a realization that my babies are not quite babies anymore... it was time for the paci to go. So here they are sleeping for the last time with their pacis.Rylan
Jacob
Jacob handing over the goods...
Rylan says a reluctant good-bye...
But wait! It was not so bad. They traded their pacis for COOL, NEW Thomas flashlights!!!!! Jacob's dimples say it all - this ROCKS!!!
Rylan ran around for 20 minutes with his light shining on the ceiling.
WE LOVE OUR FLASHLIGHTS!
The flashlights are really cool in a cave in Mommy and Daddy's bed!
So this step towards becoming a big boy has gone smoother than I anticipated. Rylan LOVED his paci. If we would have let him, he would have had it 24/7. Naptime has been the biggest challenge. Last week we had 1 day of quick to sleep, 1 day of no sleep and 3 days of stern talkings then sleep. Bedtime has been a breeze. So all in all, the flashlights were a perfect incentive and worked like a charm for my sweet big boys!
8 comments:
They are so big! They grow everytime you post a picture! Good bye paci's....sounds like the hard part is over.
I think the flashlight idea is genius. Don't worry, they will continue to adjust to this new change and the naps will settle back in. Fingers crossed. :)
Oh, Kim, this makes me want to cry! We had the same "bedtime only" rule when Caleb was two. If he brought one out of his room, he had to throw it in the trash. I'll never forget that last one being thrown away. It was like a funeral over by the trash can! I didn't let him see me tear-up!
You're a good momma, Kim. Stick to your guns!
Great idea -- the flashlight! I'm totally going to steal it when Harrison gives up his paci....which is going to be soon. :( Madeleine kept hers until she was 3 1/2 (gasp!!)and although she gave it up with little fight, I plan on doing it sooner this time. Hang in there!
Very cute tribute to the paci :) Austin uses the same kind! He has recently become much more attached to them during recent teething- so breaking the habit is NOT going to be fun.
I remember being so nervous about giving up the paci when H turned 2, and we had one bad nap and that was it. We clipped the tip though, and he decided the "bappy broke" and he was pretty much over it. I'm always more anxious about the changes being worse than they usually are. We have a bedtime flashlight, too, he uses it for nights when he has a hard time falling asleep. He gets to put a few books in his bed and look at them with the flashlight until he gets tired and goes to sleep. Works a lot better than hearing "MOM!" and having to address all kinds of needs (water, 'one more song', 'monsters in my room', etc. for an hour or so after bedtime.)
way to go momma!! you stuck to it and you all lived through it! setting great foundation for the many other bridges you will cross in the days to come!!
Bitter, sweet memories. The paci's were favorites of my boys, but Krimson chose her fingers. Thanks for sharing.....As for Karen Kingsbury, what can I say...I love her. Start with the Redemption series. That is where I got started and it just took off. She's done 2 and is working on the 3rd spin off of this series. Her book are a gift from the Lord. She says she writes her books as fast as she reads. One book she wrote in 72 hours! Be prepared to cry, but you won't be disappointed. Let me know what you think.
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