Paci Weaning

For those of you that know Drew, you know he loves his paci, and we (really I) was at a loss on how to start weaning him off of it. He started out on the paci much like his sister, but I think we were more diligent about only giving it to her for naps and bedtime. With Drew some how he just ended up having the paci throughout the day for no reason at all except he was so grumpy without it. Sometimes he'd be in the middle of playing something and all of the sudden start throwing a hissy fit and nothing would appease him except for the paci. And it was (is) a must for car rides...he'd fight getting in his carseat but if you whipped out the paci he'd do anything for you. So it was probably our fault that he's addicted the paci, since it just made life with Drew easier. Of course at a year, the doctor started talking about weaning him from the paci, but I felt he wasn't ready so I ignored the doctor and Dennis. I was hoping miraculously he'd give it up one day like his sister did 3 Christmas's ago. I mean he started giving up the paci during bedtime, where he'd only suck on it for a few minutes while I read to him then hand it to me when was ready to get in his crib, so I figured that was progress. No such luck! If anything his dependency on the paci just intensified during the day! At 18 months, I saw no real sign of him giving that baby up, so I started thinking to myself what to do...coming up with no solutions really.

Then we went to NY, where the paci was Drew's best friend. Anytime he fussed any bit, I just handed him a paci and it was done. The entire 4 days we spent in NY, I was thinking to myself that I really screwed myself over with the weaning thing. He loved that thing more than ever now (you'll see later in the NY Trip post, how every picture of Drew he's got his bestie with him)!

So the other night (September 28th to be exact), when we couldn't find one of his paci's before bed, we (Baba and I) searched the house high and low. Baba said I'll run to the store buy him a new one, I said no he's just going to have to deal with not having one. So when it came to bedtime, we started the bedtime routine. I took him upstairs rinsed him off, attempted a teeth brushing (he's not a fan), gave him a cup of milk, and began reading his book (sans paci). We were off to a good start, I thought to myself this is awesome he's hugging on his pillow not even thinking about his paci...half way through the book he started the search. He did his make shift sign for the paci (he rubs the tips of his fingers together, its pretty cute), and I asked him where is the paci and told him we couldn't find it. He pointed to the door, so I asked him if he wanted to go look for a paci. He nodded yes, so we went out to Emmie's room. We looked around her room for a bit couldn't find anything and it seemed to appease him; he said he was ready to go back to his room.

We started the book again, but before long he was lifting up pillows and blankets searching again. I helped him lift things and look, but came up with nothing. He wanted to go out again, so I took him to search in our room. I lifted the bed skirt and he quickly laid on the ground to look under the bed, and shrugged his little shoulders when didn't see a paci (cutest thing ever). I took him around the room and searched...nothing. He again signaled he was ready to back to his room. I restarted the book again, this time he was antsy and wouldn't pay attention, pointing to the door every few seconds. I told him it was too late and it was night night time! We finally finished the book and he whimpered and pointed to the door several times, but I continued to tell him it was night night time. Finally he caved and pointed to his crib...so off to bed he went or so I thought. He began crying the instant I closed the door to the room. I quickly ran around searching again for a paci...nada! I headed downstairs to get a little more milk for him and searched downstairs...at this point Baba was seriously ready to run out the door to get him a new one. I said no again! Headed back up with some milk, but he had fallen asleep...so that was his first night no paci.

Early the next morning he woke at about 530, normally he gets a cup of milk, sucks on his paci and quickly falls asleep again. So I was expecting him to just stay awake after finishing his milk and mentally prepared myself. He gulped down his milk, signed briefly for his paci, but then turned to hug his pillow and fell back to sleep. SUCCESS...I was thinking to myself. I knew we still had a long road ahead of us but I felt we got over a pretty big hurdle. So before I left for work, I wrote Baba a note to help him find his paci if he asks, but try not to let him have one if she ends up finding it first.

Later on the day I get a call from Baba, she goes you know you left that note, but before we even went downstairs he had found a paci upstairs. She said she was laying in Emmie's room with him when he started trying to get her attention. She just pretended like she was sleeping, so then he left her alone but came back a short while later. She opened her eyes and guess who had a paci in his mouth. A paci that we hadn't seen for weeks! She was cracking up because she said he was so happy to have found it. He eventually gave it up to her when they went downstairs. Then later that afternoon, I get another call. My mom is telling me how amazing Drew is because he showed up with yet another paci. We had totally turned the house inside out looking for just one and found nothing! So he is pretty amazing for finding 2 of them!

We're still on paci weaning mode though. Last night there was a rough car ride home from playing at Rice, but once we started jamming to Kids Bop's "I gotta a feeling" he forgot all about his paci. We listened to that song about 5 times in a row. And it was another successful night of no paci bedtime! Unfortunately this morning, he woke about 600 and I got his milk and gave him to Baba so I could get ready for work. Before going downstairs, I could hear him and knew he wasn't sleeping but was hoping he would soon. Next thing I know he's crying so I decide I better leave before he sees me but too late Baba has brought him downstairs for a little more milk since there's no paci! But I have a feeling Baba dug out the paci and gave it to him.

We'll have to see how long paci weaning is going to take updates to come...it sure is an adventure!