Saying Good-Bye to a Dear Friend

Addison gave up her beloved pacis last night. I am so proud of her. We didn't have to take them away, we have just been encouraging her to be a "Big Girl". Last night, she told Tommy to put them on the dresser. She made it through the night without them, and this morning she said she was giving them all to Reagan.

I can't even believe how easy it came! I truly thought that taking these pacis away was going to be the most difficult thing we have done as parents so far. She was in love. As soon as she was old enough to put her own paci in her mouth we started letting her sleep with tons of them, in hopes that she might sleep through the night. The habit stuck. She is used to sleeping with one in her mouth, one in each hand and many beside her. Each night before bed she asks for her "lot of pacis". She carries them with her when she comes to my bed in the morning, she wants them when she is hurt, and if she gets grumpy during the day, she might retreat to her room (or be sent there) and calm herself down by playing with them. They have most certainly been her security blanket!

This came upon us just like potty training did, because Addison wanted to do it. She has such a driven little personality. She wants to be a "Big Girl", she wants to please us, and she is always so proud of herself. Tommy and I are both very goal oriented and set high standards for ourselves. I guess she got a little of that.

She put herself to sleep in about 30 minutes last night. There was some crying, lots of chatter, begging for a snack and calling for Mommy. However, she never once asked for the pacis...I was ready to give them to her at the moments request! Tommy and I forgot about the technology of the baby monitor, which could have kept us comfortably on the couch, and sat outside her door listening to her. She sang, she counted, she talked to herself and then she finally got quiet and went to sleep. The verdict is still out on naptime. I put her down 30 minutes ago and she is still chatting away, quite loudly. I had to call Tommy and let him listen through the monitor...all the internal dialogue coming out is too funny!!!

While I am so proud of her, and happy to be over this hurdle, I am also a little sad. Pacis were the very last baby thing left of Addison. She is fully potty trained, in a big girl bed, dressing herself and becoming fiercely independent. I have tears in my eyes thinking that sometime right before my eyes, she became a little girl. She thinks I threw the pacis away, but I can't do it. They are in a baggie, safely tucked away with a few other treasures from her sweet baby days.