The Paci Wars

For almost a year now we've only given Lucas his paci for bed time and nap time (or if we are out some where and it is nap time or bed time but we can't put him down to sleep right then and there.) I originally didn't want him to still has his paci past one year... but I am weak and it is easier to give it to him then wean him from it (plus like I said he only really uses it to sleep.) For the last few weeks we have a routine where when we go get him out of his crib we ask him to please put his paci in his crib and he will either throw it down on his mattress or hand it to us. If we have given it to him to go to sleep in the car, when we stop he will automatically hand it to us without asking (along with his baby) so we can put it in the diaper bag. Since this started I haven't really thought about weaning since I knew he understood their was a time and place he got his paci.

Well, then this week he started coming out of his room after playing with his paci proudly in his mouth. I realized that now when we got him out of his crib he had already paci free. He was throwing his paci on the floor before we came in the room so he could retrieve it at a later time!!! When he walks out of his room with his paci in his mouth and we ask for it he starts laughing and runs in the opposite direction from us!

The last few days I've started making sure that I pick up his paci from the floor and put it back in the crib. Well, somehow he was still coming back out of his room with his paci proudly in his mouth. Today I caught him in action when he thought I wasn't looking. He has now figured out that if he puts his little arm through the slats and pulls his sheet hard enough his paci will come right to him. We have one smart kid! Now when he gets out of bed we take his paci and set it on the top of his bookcase. He might be smart, but he is still short.