Sayonara Paci

Success!  2 whole days of him not even asking for his beloved paci.  Ahhhhhhh.  One less thing to lug around with me while we are out and about.  For the last few days he has asked for his paci a couple of times and then rejected it immediately after putting it in his mouth.  He just can't get the same suction with the whole in the tip now.  I am so glad we stuck to our guns with this one, because P and I almost gave up 3 nights ago when Liam woke up in the middle of the night and wasn't able to sooth himself back to sleep.  Fortunately we have had to sleep train this kid more times than I can remember, and the sound of him crying lulled me back to sleep.  There were really only 2 bad nights of sleep before he figured out how to sooth himself during the night.   He has also started talking a lot more this week, communicating with us in more than points and grunts.  He tells us "I big boy", "I did it!" and today he announced "I funny."

Bonus:  after Patrick did the bedtime ritual with him 2 nights ago, Liam asked for mommy.  This probably wouldn't have happened if he had his paci to console him.  When I went into his darkened room, he said, "mommy sing?"  I cuddled him through a few of his favorite lullabies and then snuggled him into his crib.  A tiny voice in the darkness rang out:  "Mommy, I love you!"  {which actually sounds more like, Mommy? I wud doo.}  See!  Giving up that paci may have been rough for a few days, but it was worth it for our new nighttime ritual of saying I love you.  Last night after I put him in his crib I said I love you, and then he repeated it back.  We say it to each other a few more times, and after I close his bedroom door he yells, "Mommmmmmy!  I looooove yoooouuuu!"  Nothing better in the world than hearing your child tell you they love you for the first time.  Thanks paci!