Good-Bye Pacifier

Hayleigh and I (since I take it personally when someone makes snarky comments towards her) have been given a lot of flak for still allowing her to have a pacifier - a long with oh she still isn't potty trained.

Luckily having a second child things tend to calm down in the parenthood realm (just a little bit), you have a better head on your shoulders, you have more confidence, and you kind of know what to expect (well at least the basics, since each child tend to be so different.)

Sure it frustrates me when everyone and their mother try to dictate your mother, and thinking they know what is best, and this is how they did it so this is how everyone should do it.  But luckily now, I can vent to my mom, and then we just laugh about it and I move on nurturing my children to the best of my ability.

You see most people don't know your circumstances in your home, your situation, or the fact that moving half way across the world takes a toll on your family, and emotionally if she needs the dang pacifier for comfort let her have it, no people don't care about that - they care about themselves, forcing their opinions on others so they feel sense of self worth.

Well the point is that on Monday afternoon Hayleigh lost her last beloved pacifier (paci) and her little world was rocked (and my mama heart broke) you see I can't just go buy another one - the kind that she had was all the way from Germany.

Nate, Ian, and I searched for hours on end, and it was no where to be found... Nate and I just stared at each other, and silently thought (oh crap, we are never going to make it through the night) - disaster awaits us....

Well then Hayleigh informed us that she thinks the bugs ate her paci, and that is all gone and she no longer needs it - so we decided to embrace it and go with it.

I am happy to say that we have been paci free for five days now, with minimal tears.  Also I am prouder to say that it didn't happen because people made comments, or tried to make her feel "less big" with shaming comments. We are learning to let it roll of our backs, and to continue to do what is best for OUR family.

I am so proud of my girl, she did it all by herself with a little encouragement, and of course a celebration.  Yes, we celebrate lots of ridiculous things in our family... and I am proud of it.

Look how proud she is of herself!

She is growing up so fast, and I am so happy she is all ours.  Even though I am convinced I will have grey hair before I turn thirty - thanks to her!

Now that the paci is gone, I am pretty sure the potty training comments will intensify, but we will smile through it, and she will do it when SHE is ready, with lots of encouragement from our little family.

Another little milestone, for our family.  We made it!

Happy Friday!!!