Bye Bye Paci - A Rite of Passage

Well, my friends, today was the day. It was a day that I, as Stella's mother, have been dreading since I recognized Stella's obsession and addiction to her pacifier. Knowing that the longer we prolonged the inevitable, the harder it would be, we decided that we would "de-pacify" Stella over our Christmas break. At this point, she only took it at nap and bedtime, but she definitely asked for it and wanted it during those times. We knew we would need the help of the paci on our 12-hour journey to and from Ohio, so once we got home, we ALL had to mentally prepare.

I had been warning Stella that her paci was going to go "bye bye" for quite some time. The typical response that I would receive was, "Shh, mommy. No talking. My paci." Ohhhkay. I just knew it wasn't going to be easy, so I had to come up with something meaningful and memorable for her paci "release." Therefore, this morning, Stella and I went to purchase some balloons. I let her pick out three balloons at the store and she chose an Elmo balloon, a star balloon, and a circle balloon. I told her that we were going to tie her paci to the balloons and send them to the stork in the sky so he could give them to other babies who needed them. Still, at this point, she was adamant that I just STOP TALKING. Needless to say, I kept reminding her that she was a big girl and didn't need it anymore. Then, this afternoon we took a trip to the beach. We made a big deal about the trip because it is rare that we go during the winter months. She was sooo excited to see the "ocean-pool." When we got to the beach, she ran onto the sand. Alan thought it would be a good idea to videotape the event so that we could show her the day she gave up her paci, not thinking that it would come in handy as a reminder later that night when she asked for it. Here's a look:

After the "paci release," we went to our favorite restaurant for dinner to celebrate Alan's birthday, which unfortunately, was overshadowed by our paci ceremony (sorry, babe). When we got home it was apparent that Stella was avoiding bedtime. Normally, she asks to go to bed, but tonight was definitely stalling. She typically gets her paci after she brushes her teeth, but tonight after she brushed her teeth, she was sort-of talking to herself about her paci and how it went bye bye in the sky with her Elmo balloon. It was so sweet to see her realization and her understanding. I definitely underestimated her. After a few minutes of snuggling on the couch, I said it was time to go to bed, and she went with ease. We read a few of her favorite books and sang her favorite songs. Then, that was it! Who knew it would be so easy!

Oh - and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALAN - an amazing husband and daddy. WE LOVE YOU!!!