The Linders Adventures: Bye, Bye Paci!

Tink is officially 18 months old! She is changing by leaps and bounds each day, and we truly enjoy watching her grow. I decided a few months ago that 18 months was the cut-off point for her pacifier, but as the date approached, R and I both started having second thoughts. She only uses it in bed and on long car trips, and we were pretty happy with how things were going during those times. Why change a good thing, right? We somehow managed to convince each other that the longer we wait, the harder it will be, and we decided that Friday was the day. We didn't talk about it until Friday, but all afternoon, I kept telling her what a big girls she was and that she didn't need her paci anymore - she just kept nodding and smiling, not a clue of what was about to happen. After dinner, we brought out the balloons and let her go upstairs and get her paci. We tied them together and after a few sucks and "bye-byes", she let them go. It was a little scary, but she did really well - again, not having a clue. We gave her a bath and went through her regular bedtime routine without a hitch. As R was laying her down, she stared asking for her paci, but he reminded her that she sent it away with the balloons and left her to fend for herself. He came downstairs and we braced ourselves for a very long night. Amazingly enough, she cried for about 15 minutes, and slept the ENTIRE night! We were both completely amazed. Nap time was a little trickier, but she fell asleep after about 45 minutes. We're completely surprised and proud of her for adapting so quickly - such a bittersweet moment for me as a mom. Of course, Daddy had to take her to Chuck E Cheese's to celebrate :)