Toes Returns for the Pie Pies

I've frequently mentioned that Avery has been the proud user of a pacifier.  She started off as a frequent enjoyer during fussy times but never slept with one.  The summer she turned one, she stopped napping well, and I began letting her use it then.  By the time she was 13-14 months old, she stopped wanting it during the day unless she saw it, so we put them away except for nap.  My plan was to take it away when she transitioned from 2 naps to 1, thinking she would be tired enough to sleep without it.  I took that nap over Christmas holiday when she was 17 months old, and while she did sleep without it, her naps were shorter.  I panicked and gave the pacifier back a few days later.

Here we are at almost 31 months old.  It's definitely been on my mind to take the pacifier, but I feared that naps would cease to exist.  Avery needs naps, and so do I.  A month or so ago, I asked Jennifer if she had left a pacifier there, and her response was that Avery hadn't been napping with a pacifier for quite some time at her house.  Way to pull the wool over our eyes, little girl!  After that, I knew we needed a plan, and I decided it would be better to do it before the move and the baby, since a few months after moving she'll transfer to a big bed.

I don't remember how it all played out, but I do know that Avery really wanted a truck like the one we gave Emerson for Christmas.  After the holidays, she also really wanted Toes (our elf) to come back.  So at some point, I asked if it would be ok for Toes to take her pacifiers and leave her a truck like Emerson's.  She seemed excited about it, and we've been talking about it since then, waiting for Mama to work up her nerve the right time.

Since Avery would be home all weekend, I decided that this past weekend would be the time.  We let her have a pacifier Saturday because Ned had some things to do during her nap, and I couldn't be back and forth getting her to go to sleep.  Lolli and Poppa came for dinner and brought the pacifier from their house.  When we took her to bed, Toes had arrived in her room with a basket for transport.

She was excited to see him and had no problem gathering her pie pies and dropping them in the basket.

When it was time to turn out the light, she said good-bye to Toes and the pie pies.  I wasn't worried then because she doesn't get one at night.  Before I went to bed, I switched Toes and the basket for the truck and prayed she wouldn't wake at 5 a.m. and see it in the dark.  I was the one who was actually up in the middle of the night remembering I had left the basket in plain sight when I went to put Toes away.

Sunday morning there was an excited voice coming over the monitor talking about a truck.  Ned and I went in together, and after a potty break, Avery checked out truck.

We refreshed our memories about the pie pies at lunch.  I told Avery that we could only play in her tent if she took a good nap and was quiet during rest time.  Ned put her down a little early because she was asking for a nap, but the talking began immediately.  He discovered a dirty diaper when he went in after a bit, and says he changed her and gave her a stern talking too.  Lots of jumping and "All aboard choo choo train" (from the Disney Channel song) were heard after that.  By then it was time for Mama to brave the steps.  I covered her up, told her to be quiet and go to sleep, and rubbed her head for a minute.  We heard her again three hours later!

Two hours is the norm around here, so I have a feeling that a shorter nap yesterday plus a cold lengthened this one, but I'll take it.  I'm not proclaiming victory at all, but the little stinker at least showed she can and will nap here without a pacifier.  I'm not embarrassed in the least that at almost 31 months she still had a pacifier.  Hopefully Sam won't need one to sleep, but he'll get one if he does.  Around here we do what works, and I'm constantly reminded that children handle changes much better than crazy mothers.

So long pie-pies!  You've been a great friend.