Paci Fairy

It has been almost two weeks since the Paci Fairy came to our home. I figure we've got a pretty good handle on things at this point so I can give a more accurate assessment of the experience. I asked my doctor back in June when I should get rid of Owen's pacifier. She said she gets rid of them by 18 mo. While I was ok with the fact that Owen has had it for over two years, I figured I should try and get rid of it before baby girl comes. I didn't want him to have to transition to her, and then later find out that she gets to keep a pacifier, but he doesn't. Illnesses, long road trips, and just plain convenience kept me from doing it for a while. Finally I decided my due date was coming too soon and it needed to happen. Not to mention, Owen was getting a little out of hand. If ever he was on his changing table and had access to his pacifiers, he would grab as many as he could and would shove them all in his mouth. He would do the same if he found multiple in his crib in the morning.

He also started sneaking them during the day. He used to reach into his drawer and stand on his tippy toes to get them, so I moved them farther back in the drawer. Then when he couldn't find/reach them, he moved his chair over to be taller and have better access. What a smart, little, stinker! Then I started hiding them under his socks or inside his hats in the drawer. So I'd walk in to discover that he had emptied the whole contents of the drawer, throwing them on his bedroom floor, trying to find them. That's when I realized I had an addict on my hands. 

SO...it was time for the Paci Fiary. And super-smart-me, thought the last night Miles was home before leaving on a four-day trip was a good time as well. (Not sure what I was thinking).

I had been talking about the Paci Fairy in the days leading up to this. Although I'm sure he didn't really understand it. So one night I told him we had to go around the house and find all his pacies to put in a bag for the Paci Fairy. (Usually they're all in his drawer, but I put them throughout the house so he could go on a hunt for them.) He had fun collecting them all and putting them in the bag. Then I told him we would write a letter to the Paci Fairy and he could color on it.

Here is the letter I wrote for him. It says, "Dear Paci Fairy, Here are my pacies for you to give to another baby. I'm all done with them. Please leave me a car for the pacies. Thank you, Owen." I told him what it said and helped him sign his name. He asked me to draw a Paci Fairy at the top, so that was my lame attempt at that. 

Here is the bag with his pacies that we left on the changing table:

Owen was very excited about the idea of getting a present in the morning from the Paci Fairy...

...until it came to bed time. He kept asking for his paci and I had to remind him that the Paci Fairy was going to come get them and leave him a present. I left and he started to cry. Over the next 30 min, Miles and I each went in a couple times trying to see if we could soothe/appease him. Eventually it turned to hard crying/screaming and when I went in he asked for me to sing to him (he had opted out of that part of his routine when I initially put him to bed). I sang about 3 or 4 songs to him and he seemed to be ok. He was quiet for about 20-30 min, and then yelled for me. I went in and he said he wanted to go potty...so I let him. But after laying him back down, he started to cry and call, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" After about 2 hours of ups and downs, he went to sleep around 10:30 PM...and woke up around 7 AM. UGH!

The next morning, I came in and told Owen that the Paci Fairy had left a present! 

He was very excited to open it...

 ...and even more excited to find a car! 

And since he'd had such a rough night, I made him some German Pancakes for breakfast. (A favorite of both mine and Owen's. Therefore, a well-deserved treat for both of us!)

After that nightmarish experience, the next night went pretty smooth. He went down without a peep. I heard him doing jumping jacks in his crib about an hour after I put him to bed, but there was no crying. However, naps for the next few days were either non-existent, or a total of 45 min. This had me worried since I've gotten used to a minimum of a 2-hour nap, if not three or four hours! Night number three was miserable again, but four was fine. Since then, most nights have been pretty good. He occassionally will ask for his paci, but I ask him where they are. Then he says, "Paci Fairy," and will ask for his "blue car." I think he's made the connection at least that she took them, and left behind his car. Miles said one night when he put him to bed, Owen had a scowl on his face when he mentioned the Paci Fairy. And I don't blame him one bit if he hates her! Naps, have gratefully gotten better (longer and without much struggle) but we still have an occasional day where he has cried/fought his nap for a good long time. Generally, it is going well at this point. But sadly, I think our days of sleeping in are gone. Amazingly, there have only been maybe two times he's woken up in the night (and all I have to do is hug him, lay him down and cover him up) and usually he just sleeps right through. But his morning wake-up time is pretty consistently between 7 and 7:30 AM. It's not the worst thing in the world, but I do miss sleeping until 8, 9 or even 10!

I hated myself a lot those first few tough nights and nap times, but I think it's good we did it now rather than later, and I'm glad Owen seems to be adjusting ok.