Buh-Bye Binkie

We’ve hit another milestone with Paige.  She’s now binkie free.  The binkie didn’t bother me -although I did hear about it from a lot of friends and family.  Looking back, the whole process was pretty darn funny.  Interestingly enough, Paige  followed the 5 stages of grief (Kübler-Ross Model) to a tee.

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Let me take you through our journey.

A few weeks back, we were still adjusting to our new bedroom in the front room and sweet-baby-jesus-we’ve-got-to-much-shit flood.  I hadn’t gotten organized, hell I’m still not.  Anyway, after lunch, Paige lost her binkie.  We tore up our already torn up house looking for the thing…high, low, in the laundry, everywhere.  The bink was gone.  Paige was full of panic and denial (Step 1), she wanted needed that binkie.  It was close to nap time and I was feeling a little panic-y too.  She didn’t know what it was like to sleep without her beloved binkie.  How would she ever manage to nap?  After a while of fussing, crying and freaking out, I really had it.  I probably would have paid a small fortune for one of those binkies.

Instead, I laid her down…and she slept.  Like a baby.  No fussing, no crying, get this – for two and a half hours.  I was amazed. It was after her nap that scared me shitless.

She was pissed.  Oh, so angry! (Step 2)  At everyone, everything…Paige had this crazed look in her eye and sneer on her lips – it wasn’t pretty.  Out of the blue, she’d scream at such a high pitch you were certain that your eardrums were going to blow.  The screams didn’t last long, 10- 15 seconds, but you never knew when the next one was coming.  We were in for a long night.  There was one point when I told Brand, “I like the kid with the binkie better…bring her back!  Please bring her back”.  Har-dee-har-har.  I wasn’t kidding.  What if my sweet little girl would never be sweet again?

Thankfully, we called it an early bedtime and once again she slept.  All night long.  First thing in the morning, Paige asked “Where’s my bink?”.  All along we told her it was lost, we didn’t know where it was and usually I followed that with an apology.  Because I was sorry, she loved her bink.  The next thing out of her mouth was “Where’s my present?”.  It took me a minute to figure that one out.  Then she said “I want my bink or I want my present.” (Step 3)  A few weeks prior, we had made talk of the binkie fairy and how when you give up your binkie, you get a present from the fairy.  At that point, she said she didn’t want to be a big girl and didn’t want a present.  I can’t believe she remembered!

At this point, we weren’t even 24 hours into Operation Binkie…and things were okay.  She spent the rest of the day asking for her binkie and occasionally a present.  Once again, we made it through naptime and bedtime with no problems.  I noticed that Paige would go off and sit by herself or with one of her dolls.  I’d see her sitting in her rocker rocking one of her babies – but not wanting to be social-like with the rest of the family.  (Step 4)

After three days, she stopped asking about her binkie…or at least she didn’t ask as much.  When she woke up on the 4th day, she said to me “Mama, your gam-ma (grandma) doesn’t have my bink, does she?”  I told her no.  I didn’t know where her binkie was.  Then, what she said next, broke my heart.  A simple “I know.” with a huge sigh. (Step 5)  I just wanted to cry for her!

Now that I reflect, it wasn’t really that difficult.  I’m surprised at how smoothly it went.  It was pretty painless and my eardrums are healing nicely.  Just in case you are wondering, the binky fairy did arrive.