BIG MOVE... last days of the binky

Well... we did it. The beloved BINK is gone. After saying we were "going" to be done with it for about 6+ months now. We have finally pulled the plug. Calder LOVED his bink more than anything! It has been his "go to" for sleeping and comfort since he was born. We always had one on hand and most likely had two on us at all times for safety reasons (nobody likes to see or hear the tantrum coming from the 2 year old screaming and kicking his guts out at the grocery store... esp his parents). We've had excuse after excuse to let him keep his Bink but we finally accomplished the task about a month ago. He was to the point were he was no longer only wanting them for sleeping and comfort, he had to have one in his mouth constantly while we were at home or while driving in the car. He'd rather suck on his bink than eat, he'd have full conversations with it in his mouth, there was even a handful of times he'd actually say out loud to us, " I need to suck on something" and he'd go find his bink. It was totally out of control.

Mikey and I mustered up enough guts and made a pact with each other that Sunday night was the night we were going to cut them and that would be the end of it. With GREAT advice from friends (thanks chels & ben). We snipped the ends off the last three BINKS without him knowing. Therefore once he asked for them we could still hand them to him but he'd see they were "broken" and it would be his choice with what to do with them.

There's how it played out... he had left them in the car before going into dinner. While he was off playing and distracted with cousins, we cut the ends off the LAST three binkys we owned. After the unbelievable hard snip snip we put them back on the seat of the car right where he had left them, knowing he'd ask for them on our drive home from the family dinner. I sat in the back with him prepping for a total meltdown we'd most likely get as the binky's were revealed and we'd all cry our eyes out together.

Well... about half way home he popped the question. Mikey and I took a deep breath in and I grabbed one and handed it to him. Without looking he put it straight in his mouth. Immediately realizing something wasn't right he took it right out and looked at it. Staring at it, and looking like he was about to cry. He sucked up the tears, not one fell from his eyes and said, "oh no, what happened to my binks." We played into it and said right back. "Oh no, what happened!! OH NO, they broke, they're broken. (putting soo much emphasis on how sorry we were they "broke''.) Still no tears and being so brave he asked for his others and soon found they were all "broken." Mikey and I were amazed. What a STUD we have. His most beloved possession "broke" and he didn't drop one tear. He was able to say "oh well" and then reasoned with himself and came up with an explanation as to why they were "broken."

This is where the funny but mortifying part comes in. Since I was sitting as close as i could get to him to give him all the moral support he needed while getting through this tragedy. I was sitting on top of the binks where Calder had left them on the seat. His reason as to why they were "broken" was because"mommy sat on them" Ouch!!! What a huge burst to my bubble... even though I deserved it. I was the one who bloody cut the binks, BUT there was NO WAY I could let him think this was the way the binks went out. I quickly interfered and said "no, maybe they got stuck in between the seat when and broke." He was sort of ok with this but still a month later he still will say both stories. This week, Grandma Patsy was asking him what happened to his binks and he told her the story about how "mommy sat on them in the car and they broke", he then paused for a minute and then proceeded and said, " ACTUALLY, they got stuck in between the seats of the car." I can only hope he remembers the car breaking them and NOT me?!?!

He as done phenomenal without them... he only asked for them the next day once or twice. we'd remind him they were broken and he was good with it. He struggled the week after with naps and falling asleep quickly but after the week of ups and downs we were right back into his normal habits of napping 2+ hours a day and sleeping great at night.

The whole experience had been so bitter sweet, we were so ready to be done with fighting with the bink, but it was so hard to let them go. Just one more sign that Calder is growing up. This one especially because it has been with him since the beginning. One of the very first hard things with cutting that cord.

On a final note to Calder... once you are old enough to read this... Know that we are SOO sorry!! We just couldn't have you sucking on that adorable little bink until you were 30 cute little stud. Please forgive us for being so cruel. WE LOVE YOU TO THE MOON and BACK!!!!