A Paci Revolution

Here we are today: A Paci revolution. We are trying to undo what we begged her to do at 2 months. We are asking her to give up her beloved paci. We are fortunate that she only uses it to sleep. OK, and since she hated the car seat for so long, I spoiled her with it in the car as well. But that's ALL. Now AB has given up the paci (she is one day younger than Anna, and my officemate/friend's second daughter) and H's mom went cold turkey this past weekend. Bless her heart. It was rough, she tells me, but the deed is done. Feeling like we can do it if they can do it, we got bold last night and gave it a try. Peer pressure in the face of parenthood. Did I mention I am new at this?


Spacemama: Hey Anna, did you have a GREAT day at school? Let's get UP in the truck and go home to see Daddy!
Anna: BABI?BABI?
Spacemama: No paci, Anna. Paci is TRASH. Paci is YUCK!
Anna: BABI! BABI!
Spacemama: Fine. I am a sucker.

Out of the day care parking lot:
Spacemama: Yuck, Anna! The paci is TRASH. YUCKY!
Anna: Yuck!

She threw her paci out of her mouth on to the floor, and asked for my water bottle, which I never refuse her. Must stay hydrated, right?

Thanks to several repeated rounds of "Wheels on the bus", we made it home paci-less. She didn't ask for it again. Then came bedtime.

Feeling bold, we took all 3 paci's out of her crib (yes, 3 pacis: don't judge). She asked Daddy for one during her nightly story and he explained that they were YUCKY, TRASH! After her story, and daddy's round of "Ants go marching", it was time for bed. He left her. We watched on her video monitor.
We saw she realized something wasn't right. We saw her feel all around her bed for her beloved paci. We saw her stand up, lean against the crib rail, and proceed to scream, "MMMOOOMMMYYY!!!!"...followed by pretty pathetic sobbing.

Spacedaddy: Did she just scream MOMMY?

After only 10 minutes, we caved. We gave her the beloved paci and she passed right out. We couldn't even endure the 45 min scream fest H's mom made it through last weekend. Chumps.

But mostly I realized I was caving in to my own peer pressure at this time in trying to get her to give it up right now. Believe me, when we feel strongly about her giving up the paci, we will go through with it all the way (we know about teeth issues, addiction, and God forbid whatever psychological damage this paci addiction might inflict on her future). For now, we are sticking to use only during sleep.

This morning at Day Care (DC):
Spacemama: (to Miss Karen)...we had a rough attempt at giving up the P-A-C-I last night. We gave in after only 10 min of screaming. We are trying to break the habit but it will be tough with sleeping.
Miss Karen: She took her nap yesterday on the mat without it.

Background: Our daughter has finally taken to napping on the mat like a big girl just this week. She is in a new class this year with her toddler buddies. In her previous class, she was the youngest, and the only one not sleeping on a mat. It was just symbollic of playtime for her. Thus, the only remaining erected Pack N Play in her other room was just for my silly little girl's naps.

Spacemama: WHAT? Can you elaborate? The whole 1.5 hour nap with no P-A-C-I?
Miss Karen: She put herself down on the mat, we covered her up, and by the time we got around to giving out the paci's, she was already asleep!

We are paci chumps.