The Geese Have the Last Rath Paci

Almost a year ago, we said bye bye to Jack's paci.  It was a cold turkey move, necessitated by a tumble on the playground and visit with the dentist.  It was not a fun transition, although I don't remember that because it was so awful, I just re-read my post on it.  Funny how you put those things out of your mind.

I've been struggling with when to do it for Duke since his 2nd birthday.  He only takes it at night and nap - and only naps at home, hasn't had it at daycare since he was 12 months (WIMP me - should have done it all then!)  I really didn't want to go through the holidays with any issues with sleep, so that put it into January.  Cory was gone all but about 6 days that month and I didn't feel like dealing with it on my own, same for February.  We hope to have the boys rooming together by the end of this year, and therefore, I can't really wait until that happens to do it.  So I've been waiting for "the opportunity" to present itself.  It did today in an odd way.

I took his crib bumper out of his bed about a month ago.  I was just sick of dealing with it when I had to change the sheets and the only reason I kept it in there was to keep his paci from falling through the slats in the middle of the night.  After a few nights of hearing a quiet "Where's paci go?" at 2 a.m. and retrieving it, those mumurs stopped, yet in the morning, more and more often, I'd find said paci on the floor under the crib or in between the mattress and rails hidden from his searching hands and him waking up without wanting it.  At least until it was time to get out of bed, then he'd ask for it, we'd find it, he'd take one long drag like a person on smoke break trying to eke the last bit of nicotine out of a cig and dunk it in the crib for that night.

This morning however, neither of us could find it.  Looked on the floor, around the edge of the mattress, under all his stuffed animals, nowhere in sight.  Our opportunity had just presented itself.

"Well, the geese must have taken your paci!"   I should have read my previous blog post before this plan, since I didn't actually want him thinking geese randomly entered his room in the middle of the night to steal all things precious to him, but in a way it worked.  Jack pipes up "Yea Duke!  The geese have your paci!  Now you're a big boy too!"  After a few "MY PACI?!" cries and general wake up crankiness passes, he's actually ok with it.  We talk more on the way to school and again on the way home and he's actually agreeing that it's all gone, the geese have it, etc. 

Bedtime went better than I thought, though not as great as I'd have liked.  Right up until going into the room, he was all fine with it, but once the reality set in, not so happy.  We rocked, we sang, we did all the rest of the 5 second routine the kid requires "Go Nite Nite", "Give me a Kiss" kiss kiss "I love you Mommy", "I love you Duke" "Thank you" "Your welcome" and off to the crib, with the exception - and interesting one - he wanted to walk to his crib tonite rather than be carried on my shoulder from the chair.  hmmmm.   So after a little more crying/whimpering and me rubbing his back a minute, I left the room and went to finish up with Jack.

Then the howling started.  Not to the level Jack can be famous for, but strong with intermintent long pauses.  It probably helps I don't usually have any need to go into his room at bedtime, and that I'm usually stuck for 20 minutes getting Jack through his routine in his room.  For that 20 min I had no idea if he were screaming, hollering or silent. 

It was in between.  By the time I got out, there was about another 10 minutes of crying laced with long silent stretches that has since turned into complete silence.   And since he doesn't have it in the middle of the night most nights when it falls out of the bed...I may have made it paci free at last!