Pappy free!

Our big girl got even bigger a few weekends ago...she gave up her beloved pacifier! The "Pappy Fairy" made a visit to our house. For a couple weeks before, we talked a lot about how Brooke was a big girl now and how only babies like Joe needed a pappy. I explained that the Pappy Fairy takes pacifiers from big kids and gives them to new babies, leaving behind a special present for the big kids instead. So on a Saturday morning, she very excitedly helped me wrap up her pappy and put it in the mailbox. After lunch, she found this in the mailbox:

It said "Brooke, I got your pappy & now you are a big girl! Love, The Pappy Fairy." (I have no explanation for that weird look on her face, by the way.) Inside her "goody bag", as she called it, was a Little Einsteins DVD & a princess wand. She was very excited!

Until a few minutes later when it was nap time. And this is the part where I felt like the world's worst mom. And also the part where I was reminded that my very smart, very large toddler is only 2. See, she seemed to be all excited and willing to do this whole Pappy Fairy thing. But I don't think it really registered with her that she really wasn't getting her pappy back until we went up for nap time. There were many, many tears.

And it wasn't until that moment that I really thought about what a big milestone this was. She'd been using a pacifier as a comfort tool since the day she was born. Seriously, we popped a pacifier in her mouth in the hospital to help her sleep (despite the judgy eyes of the nurses). And she had used one for every single nap and nighttime sleep since. So for that to suddenly be gone would obviously be an incredible adjustment for her. Hence the Super Mean Mom award that I gave myself in that moment.

She eventually fell asleep and has been sleeping pappy-less ever since. She cried at every nap (and a few nights) for a good ten days. She never once asked for her pacifier; she just cried that she didn't want to take a nap. However, I'm happy to report that we're finally, and I'd say even happily, pappy free! She's all grown up, with just one pretty major Big Girl milestone to go: potty training!