I like to think I'm one to admit when I'm wrong or when I speak too soon.
The no pacifier thing [see yesterday's post]... at BEDtime... did NOT go very well last night. Well, regular bedtime routine went great, but when we finally remembered to turn on the monitor about half an hour after Dan put her down, she was still frantically searching her crib for it, so tired, almost hallucinogenic, with a scratchy voice and desperation in her every move. She was talking like a baby schizophrenic, I couldn't understand what she was saying, but I knew she was confused and I didn't feel right about it like I had earlier at nap time when I wrote you all those paragraphs...
It seemed like torture, and certainly not something to congratulate ourselves over. Dan felt even worse about it than I did.
It wasn't a power struggle... for her it was just a struggle.
Gahhhhhh
We couldn't take it. So we changed our tune and she got a pacifier, and 5 more songs and cuddles with Daddy.
I think we're going to continue with the gradual pacifier weening, with plan #6 [maybe y'all shouldn't take tips from me anymore] being to cut it out at nap time first (like yesterday)... building up to a bedtime ween, with the goal of having it completely gone before her 2nd birthday.
I'm not calling it a failure, maybe how about a stepping stone instead of a milestone.
Ah motherhood.
Just wanted to publicly disclaim my well-intentioned yet premature announcement from yesterday.
hashtag nevermind. hashtag worstparentsever.
Oh bummer! But that really is many aspects of parenthood in a nutshell - trial and error. We prepped Brock, "You know 'they' don't let two year old boys have pacifiers. Those are just for babies and when you're two we will need to be all done with them." It seemed to work. When Henry arrived he was 22 months and he declared that since they were for babies he wanted to give his to the baby and give them up. Note also however my comment from yesterday - I know he wishes he could still have one. I've caught him a few times "hunting" down Henry's and sitting in my closet counting them. They are like little treasures for him.
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