Bye Bye binky--We're pacifier free!

Well, it has been 3 1/2 weeks since we took the pacifier away from Miles and it went...............

unexpectedly, amazingly, surprisingly well!!!!

We finally broke down and decided to take it away on July 5th (@ 16 months old) since we had a long holiday weekend to make-up for lost sleep if our nights paci-free didn't go well. To my surprise, we didn't lose ANY sleep! We didn't take them away in front of him, we just put him in his crib for a nap and left the room. He searched for a paci in his bed for a few minutes, whined for about 5 minutes, and then fell asleep! He has actually slept better at night ever since we've taken the pacifier away! The next night he broke my heart when before bed he got down on his belly and was searching under his bed for a pacifier :(  I simply told him "they're all gone" and we haven't mentioned the word pacifier since! 

Although I am relieved and glad that "byebye binky" went so well.....I sure am going to miss his little pacifier face :) 

At two weeks old....his pacifier was almost bigger than his face!

We mainly used the pacifier when they were babies to "hold them over" until the next feeding. Since we fed both babies at the same time and only every three hours, we would use the pacifier if one baby got hungry before the three hour mark to help satisfy them until the next meal.

Sweet boys snugglin'! This was back when Calvin took a pacifier too. He gave his up on his own at 2 months old. Notice, they took different brands....Calvin liked the Avent Soothie brand and Miles liked the Nuk brand. Who knows....did pacifier brand make the difference as to when they gave it up??? Miles was also the fussier baby and Calvin didn't cry (literally...didn't cry!) until he was 6 months old.....so maybe we just gave Miles the pacifier more often than we did Calvin. 

Pacifiers and sunglasses....just can't get any cuter!

Just can't resist that pacifier face!

Snugglin' with grandma Tammy! I think his pacifier made him a better snuggler!

Love those baby blues!

He has always been our sensitive, cuddly, huggable boy....could it be because of the pacifier??

Football+pacifier=tough guy!

Sweet boy!

Two bears sleeping in a stroller. Can you tell which one is Miles?

"I'm a Ladies Man" with a pacifier! HA

What? I am saving one for later!

At about 10 months old we started limiting the pacifier to nap, bedtime, car rides, and ouchies! He was REALLY good about leaving his pacifier in his bed when we said "Put paci in your bed" and he would always drop his pacifier on the floor of the minivan every time the engine turned off without being prompted. Such a good listener and so eager to please!

He was the BEST car rider because he would suck on his paci for 4 hours straight all the way to Grandma and Grandpa's house.....without a peep!  Brother Calvin on the other hand.....HORRIBLE car rider! I am dreading our first road trip without the paci in a few weeks.

The pacifier could always make him feel better even when he was sick with a nasty bug on Valentines Day and his birthday.  Doctors always say that pacifiers cause more ear infections and illnesses....I don't believe that is true because Miles was a much healthier baby than Calvin. If anything, the pacifier made him feel better quicker!

Nothing cuter than a pacifier-boy pushing his pacifier-baby in a shopping cart!

He loves his binky-baby!

Paci made him feel better when his brother bit his forehead :(   

I sure will miss that pacifier-face! It was probably harder on me to give it up than it was for him. Part of me wanted to keep letting him have it because I was afraid I would lose my snuggles, hugs and cuddles. Luckily Andrew is the stronger one of the two of us and he pulled the plug (literally)! I must say....I haven't lost my sweet, sensitive boy....he is still there, just without a pacifier in the way....and now I get kisses too :)