I've decided that it's time for Paige to say good-bye to her lifelong friend, her Binky. I put it off and put it off. I almost clung to one of the last things of her infancy. Truth be told, I was also a little scared about how she'd react if I took it away. She's quite dependent on it, particularly at naptime and bedtime. I started off not allowing her to have it if she was out of the crib. So she'd get it before she went down for a nap or for the night, and all was right with the world. She sleeps WONDERFULLY, and I really didn't want to mess with that. I mean, a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon, and then down for the night at 9:00 until 8:30 is something I'm very fortunate for.
Once she was satisfied with handing the binky over when I'd take her out of her crib, I began thinking about taking it away forever. It was a really hard decision, but I set the date. We were away for two weekends straight at a family reunion, and then a camping outing, so my hubby and I decided that the week we came back (this week) would be the week we started weaning her off.
Monday came, and I put her down for a nap with no binky. Low and behold, my amazing daughter sleeps for three hours with not so much as a peep. I was so proud of her. I bragged to hubby, my mom, and anyone who would listen. Then bedtime rolls around, and Paige is literally HANGING from the "binky drawer" screaming for her binky. I ignored it, and put her down with her "softy" and her stuffed otter, and she SCREAMED for about 10 minutes, until she finally fell asleep. I was so very proud of her, and myself for being strong and letting her just settle herself down. At 2:30, her breathing monitor (Bebesounds Angelcare Deluxe Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor) which I would recommend to anyone...it's a piece of mind at first, and then will alert you if/when your LO decides to climb out of the crib, went off. My husband jumped out of bed, and went into her room, to find her at the top of her crib, so the sensor didn't pick up her movement. We discovered she had pooped, so we changed her, and she wouldn't go down without a binky. So I gave in (I was EXHAUSTED, and just couldn't torture her anymore...guilt was setting in), and she slept fine the rest of the night.
Tuesday rolls around, and I take the binky away from her when she wakes up. No problems. We go to MyGym...something else I would highly recommend, and on the way home she's crying from hunger and being tired. So I feed her and take her to her room...and once again she cries for her Binky. So now, of course, I'm beginning to doubt myself that this just isn't the time to take her Binky away. I give in, and call for reinforcements. My stepmom (who is my best friend) and my hubby. They both assure me that it's okay if she has it, so I decide to just let it be. Tuesday night she takes my hand, and hubby's hand, and off we go to bed. No binky, no crying, no fussing. NOTHING. We put her down, and she slept until 8:45 with no binky.
This morning she is a happy little girl. Naptime rolls around (well sort of, she gets fussy and clingy). I look up from checking the news, and there she is, hanging on the binky drawer. So I once again, give in....but this time I think I may have won. I cut the binky in half, eliminating the suction she'd get, and send her on her merry way into her crib. She is still sucking on it, but she cried when it wasn't working the way she expected. She did get herself to sleep, so I'm hoping this is a start. I am thinking that the best approach is to put her down BEFORE she gets completely exhausted. Then she can just settle herself down with her loveys and be done with it.
Tomorrow is another day. I'm hoping I win this war.
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