victory in defeat...

What is the victory in defeat, you may ask????
Blaine DEFEATED the PACI!!!
We are so thrilled with his VICTORY!

The pediatrician urged us to get rid of the pacifier once Britton was born but Blaine was only 16 months old and I just couldn't do that to him. Call me a softie but I looked at like this... He was already going to have a HUGE adjustment to make with a baby coming in, stripping him of his baby status in the house and then having this lifeline AKA pacifier ripped from between his teeth would just be too much for him (or maybe me??) Either way I just couldn't and wouldn't do it.
We did however make him, at that point, start leaving it in his bed. So Blaine could only have it at naptime and bedtime and he adjusted to that so well! Didn't cry about it at all when I told him to leave it in bed. Let me add that Blaine miraculously did NOT inherit my personality. He is laid back and passive, complete OPPOSITE of me and that is such a blessing!
Well, at his 18 month well check, the pedi asked if he was still using the paci and I sheepishly replied yes (but added only at naptime and bedtime) and she scolded me a little that I needed to be strong. Quite honestly I thought I WAS being strong in making him keep it in bed...
So we continued the pacifier-in-the-bed routine for months, 6 months and 3 weeks to be exact. Blaine got to the point where he no longer used the pacifier to really pacify himself but would bite down on the end of his pacifier and they were so old and so worn that he ended up biting the tip of the paci off. I told Ryan that we wouldn't have to get rid of them because he was going through the stash quickly and would be all out soon.
Well last Sunday was the first day without a pacifier. He took a nap just fine. He had actually taken a few naps before without a pacifier and while he preferred having one he would eventually fall asleep. I knew however that Sunday night wouldn't be so easy because he had never gone to bed without one. So sure enough when it was time for bed Sunday night he asked for his "paa" (which is what he called it) and when I told him that it was broken he just looked at me and started sobbing. He looked under his pillow and blankets and when it wasn't there he cried harder. I gave him a kiss, closed the door and stood there tearing up myself as I heard him get up and start going through his dresser. When I opened the door he turned around he looked so sad. He went over to his bed and was looking underneath it and when he didn't find one he just collapsed on his bed and cried on his pillow. So sad! Well I laid down with him while he just sobbed into my chest and this continued ALL NIGHT LONG! If Weatherford had a supercenter Wal-Mart I would have gone to get him more pacifiers but our "regular" store doesn't carry the Soothie pacifiers. I contemplated driving to El Reno because I had a feeling that the next several days were going to be a nightmare. I called the doc Monday morning bright and early and she said to just be strong. So Monday at naptime he asked me again for the pacifier and when I told him it was broken he whimpered (but didn't cry!!) and then at bedtime that night he asked again and again I told him it was broken. He cried for 2 minutes and that is it, not another word or mention of the pacifier!

Sorry for the essay! I am just so proud of Blaine! Brandon was a thumb sucker and Britton is a thumb sucker as well. I have realized that both, the paci and thumb have pros and cons that pretty much balance each other out except with the thumb you cannot take it away!