Purge the Paci

You know those "things" that you should probably not post on the Internet for all people in the whole wide world to read because you just KNOW that 100% of all people that don't have children, and 78% of all parents without paci loving children will not understand and most definitely will judge? 

This is one of those things.

But I'm just going with it because parenting is hard and even though this day has been kind of awful, I want to remember it. Because it has also been kind of sweet.

So Piper loves her pacifier. She didn't always... in fact, as a newborn I kind of thought she wouldn't even take a paci. But I kind of pushed it because, well, there's something about sticking a plug into a baby in church or after shots or at bedtime/nap time that's just kind of wonderful. 

And let me tell you, it worked all kinds of magic. You just needed to mention nap time and this kid was on her way to her bed voluntarily, hoping for sleep and a some good quality time with that pacifier.

For a weary parent, it was magical.

For two solid years, 3 months, and a handful of days it was magical.

But this week it started to not be magical anymore. We had weaned pacis to only sleeping time months ago. And her doctor said it really wasn't a problem for her to have it a limited number of hours in the day, and her dentist uncle said there were no real teeth concerns if it was also within that number of hours. But suddenly she wanted it all. the. time.

If she was hurt. If she was sad. If she was tired. If she was playing. And when we said no it usually wasn't a problem. Until this week. And then it was a major problem. Like crying for 40 minutes until we found some major distraction problem. 

So it needed to go. We checked out Elmo's Bye Bye, Pacifier DVD from the library, watched it this morning, she plopped the pacis in an envelope, and mailed them to a sweet baby in our life. We drove to target and picked out a new special snuggle sleep thing (teddy bear), and I was feeling great about nap time.

But then nap time happened and she realized she wasn't getting paci. And she cried so hard she threw up. And then let me rock her to sleep for the first time since before she was one.

She woke up crying. She was a mess most of the afternoon. And I was dreading bedtime. 

But for the most part it went way better. She snuggled with her big sister in bed and got up a gazillion times for water. And begged me to get to vacuum. (yes, vacuum.) 

When I told her she could vacuum in the morning after she slept all night without her pacis she cheered and told me she loved me. So apparently I'm not the worst mother ever.

She's finally asleep now, a solid 3 hours after her regular bedtime... and I anticipate needing to soothe her more than once tonight... but we are one day done.

The last time I went in her room and she requested the pacis, I told her how brave she was to give them to the babies that need them and she told me she wanted them back and didn't want to be brave. Bless. I can so relate. 

Anyway, Jordan asked me today if this was awful enough that I wouldn't want to give this next baby a pacifier. And my answer was an absolute no. If this baby takes a pacifier, power to the little man. We have had two years of gloriously easy sleep thanks to that pacifier. And I wouldn't change it for a moment. 

And that is the story of the paci.

 

Piper: Age 2

My baby isn't a baby anymore. 

She's two. 

She's "Pipey Ewizabeff." 

She talks in complete sentences. ("Wook mom! I see an Amewican fwag!") 

She tells me when she's "fwustwated."

She uses the big girl potty and keeps her undies dry all day (minus that darn #2).

She sings vibrant versions of "twinkle twinkle" and the "ABCs" and just about any other song you can think of.

She points out "corns" fields and beans and wheat when we drive past.

She loves all things her big sister is doing, but is very much of an individual and thrives on her own as well. 

She loves to play with other kids in just about any situation, and her once terrible church nursery anxiety seems to be completely gone. 

She still loooooves her pacis. But only gets them when sleeping. 

She is an absolute monkey climber and jumps off of everything. Everything. 

She hits when she's mad. And if we haven't caught it and put her in timeout, she puts herself in timeout and fake cries.

She loves a good snuggle and a rockabye when she can't sleep.

She's sleeping in a big girl bed, sharing a room with Emberly (as of two nights ago) and rocks it. 

And I just can't quite believe she's not a baby anymore. 

Emberly

Dear Jesus, please watch over Piper so I can have some time to myself today. Amen. 

Music player suggestions??

Please help.

I have these fond and happy memories as a kid of going on car trips to my grandparents' for the weekend and loading up my backpack of "car entertainment stuff" and throwing in my Walkman. (Anyone else?) 

I had a few tapes (initially)... and as I got older CDs became a thing. 

I put on my headphones and just went to my happy place listening to Psalty the Singing Song book and Point of Grace and Steven Curtis Chapman and Adventures in Odyssey and all kinds of other awesome kid music. I was in charge, and I felt kinda like I owned the world.

(I sound crazy.)

Or I'd sit in my room for hours on end, crafting, coloring, creating things while listening to tapes/CDs on my boom box. Gosh this makes me feel old. Can you even buy such a thing these days??

Anyway... I really want to recreate this for my music loving child. Her birthday is coming up and I would love to gift her with music. But I feel stumped. She'll be FOUR. It seems insane (and slightly less magical) to give her an iPod. But is this the way to go?? Thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas? 

:)

Musically yours!

Emberly

She will be four this summer. {How did that happen?!}

Though she still has plenty of emotion, I can see it taming every day. There are more pleases and may I's and thanks yous and a general desire to please. 

She loves to wrestle with her daddy. She asks about him every hour or so while he's at work. 

She thinks doughnuts would be an appropriate breakfast food every day of the week even though she's maybe been allowed to have them 3 times in her life.

Crafting is this girl's job. She begs for quiet time because it means her sissy is asleep and she is allowed to create in peace. Scissors, glue, stickers, markers, and paint are this girl's love language.

She can talk circles around any adult. Don't believe me? Just tell her it is bedtime. "But my mommy and daddy don't ever make me go to bed. They let me stay up and it's because I'm so helpful. And how about tomorrow I go to bed instead? Tonight I think we should just watch a show. I'll even snuggle with you. Suddenly I'm starving. Did you even remember to feed me dinner? How about a bedtime snack? No, nothing you suggested sounds quite right... maybe we should just take a little trip to the grocery store..." 

She thinks Piper is an awesome puppy. This usually includes playing with her on her terms only, usually in a way that is mildly dangerous or taking away toys that she has suddenly found interesting.  But they occasionally have the sweetest sister moments where you catch her holding Piper's hand, reading her a story, or kissing her owies. 

She wants to help with everything in the whole wide world. And is getting much better at actually being a help. 

She never stops moving or making noise. 

She could live outside. 

She is so curious and has the wildest imagination of all time. 

She remembers everything. Everything. She has her daddy's photographic memory. If you miss even one WORD while reading a book she's heard once, she will correct you. Tonight Jordan said "carrots" instead of "carrot sticks" in a book and she corrected him. 

She is always singing. She loves music and if you teach her a new song she won't sing along, she will just say, "again" until she has it mastered. And then she will sing it like she's known it her whole life. 

She insists upon being the one to pray before meals every.single.time. It usually goes something like, "Jesus, thanks that I get to spend this day with mommy and daddy and Piper. Thanks for this food too. I love you. Amen." but occasionally has the most lovely glimpse of her heart and includes a "please help me to be kind to my sister" or "thanks for my grandmas and grandpas. I miss them" or "I felt happy when I got to play outside today. Thanks for grass and trees."  She is often wondering about where God is and what happens in heaven and is telling people that "Jesus is ALIVE!" 

She loves people. Jordan and I often wonder how such a social butterfly could come from two introverts. 

She's pretty wonderful.

Piper

She's almost two. When you ask her how old she is, she holds up one finger and says "free. like Emmy." 

When you ask her what her name is, she will give you some variation of "baby" or "Pipey" or "Pipey baby." 

Most everything needs to be done "like Emmy." And if you forget, she will remind you. 

She climbs on EVERYTHING. Every time I turn around she is on the table or dangling over the back of the couch or hanging off the edge of Emberly's bed. 

She eats just about everything, but is occasionally weirdly selective and won't eat pasta or something she usually loves. Last night she shared Jordan's sushi. 

She takes one gloriously long afternoon nap, usually resulting in needing to wake her after two hours so she will go to bed when her big sissy does at night. She sleeps from 7pm-7am or later like clockwork. 

Her paci is her favorite thing, and I'm fairly certain she is going to be the only 18 year old going off to college that still has one. It's entirely contained to her crib for naps and bedtime... but lately she asks to go in her crib just for a quick paci refresher and then she's ready to conquer the rest of the day. Oops. 

She's a ham. She thinks she's hilarious and is always laughing at something. 

She can say anything she wants, and if you don't understand what she is asking for she will show you or give you clues until you get it. 

If you ask her a question she answers, "I no no" every.single.time. 

Though she's not into cuddling at bedtime, she likes to "pretend" she's my baby and let's me snuggle and rock her. It's maybe my favorite. 

Mother's Day

Today was lovely.  

Jordan let me sleep in.

The girls brought me breakfast in bed and then crawled in and ate what they brought me. 

They sang me Happy Birthday several times (because there's no Mother's Day song).

We picked up food car-side to go for lunch. 

We ate cupcakes.

I napped for an hour and a half.

Jordan folded and put away the four loads of laundry I washed yesterday and never quite got around to finishing.

I made my mama's meatballs and gravy for dinner and they turned out for the first time in my life. 

We played outside most of the afternoon. 

My busy little "no cuddles, no books, just put me in bed" Piper let me read her books AND snuggle her at bedtime tonight.

Emberly didn't throw a bedtime tantrum and was giggling and shouting "I love you" when I tucked her in tonight.

I got a new sewing pattern. 

We went for a family walk (with girls in the stroller... the best kind).

Jordan washed all of the dishes from the whole day. 

And I took a bath. 

Could it get any better than that? 

I vote no.