Sayonara Paci-face

One of Abbie's teachers at daycare informed me just this morning that Abbie had gone all week, thus far, without her beloved pacifier. (Well, technically, she owns about 10 of them, but you know what I mean.)

I was halfway out the door when she said it, and I almost fell over. I did that thing where you point to yourself and ask, emphatically, if the person was actually talking to you and not some imaginary person behind you. She just laughed at me and confirmed that yes, Abbie was even napping without the pacifier. I was shocked to say the least.

In case I have not said so before, I originally swore (back when I was childless and full of those half-wit ideas that only childless folks have) that I would never have a child over the age of 1 still using a pacifier. Then came Abbie's one-year check up with her pediatrician where I asked for some doc-approved input, and the pediatrician said if only used at bedtime and naptime, we should wait until Abbie turned 2 to take the pacifier away, at which time we could more easily reason with her and offer her a new big-girl toy or doll in exchange for the pacifier.

Oddly enough, Abbie used the pacifier rarely as a newborn, but had gotten more and more attached after she was 1. Lately, she would even want it when she was playing and would often sneak into her bedroom and snag one off of her bed.

But I digress. The fact that she was not only NOT asking for her pacifier when she was up and playing but also NOT using it to put herself to sleep during her daily naps blew my mind. But when Michael came home this afternoon and informed me that he too had learned Abbie was paci-free at daycare, I knew it was all over.

Michael cheerfully told me how he had hidden all of our pacifiers in the house and even sounded excited at his own suggestion to put her to bed tonight without the pacifier.

I just assumed, since Abbie is only 20 months, that I had some more time before we took the pacifier. I had it all planned out. I don't want to give away all my details, but I had big plans for the coming-off-the-pacifier process.

I told Michael that Abbie was just a baby and I didn't think I was prepared for this yet. Michael spent the next few minutes pointing out all the big-girl things Abbie can now do, as evidence for the fact that she is NOT a baby anymore. To which I replied with: "No, but she is my baby!!!"

Yup, that was exactly what I said in response. And it was only then that Michael realized I was crying at the dinner table. Seriously, I am crying about this stupid pacifier. I get that kids cannot stay little forever, but from the moment the doctor confirmed that I was indeed pregnant with her, I have wanted time to all but stop. Not stop, but just slow down. I wanted to enjoy every second, and she is just getting too big! I don't like it. There, I said it.

*sigh*

The picture at the top is from just a couple weeks ago, but when Abbie puts that pacifier in her mouth, this is what I see.















Look at that sweet paci-face!!! I love that face!!! I love her face more than ever now, but I just cannot believe this is no longer what she looks like. And, for the record, Abbie went to sleep tonight around 7:30 without a pacifier. She didn't even ask for it. She looked around her pillow when I first laid her down, and I'm sure she was hunting for it, but it was not there and she never made another peep.

Nope, I don't like it one little bit.