Operation D/C Binky

Paul and I knew it was time to discontinue Ryan's night time binky habit. We've known for a few months. We would talk about it now and then, but never really set a date or time. Saturday we decided it was time. We talked to Ryan about it a few times that day, and had a longer talk about it that evening, saying this is it, last night. He didn't seem to mind. Again mentioned it on Sunday once or twice, he still seems to shrug it off. That evening it all came to reality. I truly think this was way harder on me than him because his tears were heart wrenching! We said our goodnights and talked about the cool John Deere tractor toy he was going to get in the morning after he slept all night without the binkies. (He has had two of them in bed with him for well over a year). We closed his door and listened while he sobbed and sobbed. Three to four minutes later I hear. "Mommy! Mommy!" I go to his door, look inside and he is standing by the door. He says, "I need a hug Mommy, a hug". He cries on my shoulder and I ask him if he would like to sleep with the big snoopy that is on his dresser. It's a stuffed Snoopy that has just been there for a while. I tell him he can hug it at night if he wakes up and wants his binkies. Through his sobbing he says yes - goes back to bed, and puts Snoopy on the pillow next to him, talking to the Snoopy as he settles back into bed. "Snoopy, you'll sleep right there, ok"? Pulls the covers back over him and over Snoopy. I give Ryan a kiss, then Snoopy - Ryan giggles at that and says, "Ni night." Didn't hear a peep the rest of the night. The tenderness of that moment in our lives is really lost in my translation as I put it into words. To be able to console him, yet stick to our decision for no more pacifier was HUGE for me. Minute in the grand scheme of thing, yes.

But it was a proud Mommy moment for me.

Oddly enough, that pink binky was his favorite.