Is it time for the Bottle Fairy to make an appearance? #sol15 Day 24

Desperate times called for desperate measures, so when Alex was two and a half, we called upon the Binky Fairy to make an appearance.  I used to hate seeing pictures of kids with pacifiers plugging up their mouths until my own child became passionately enamored with Binky, or should I say binkies as there were many pastel colored plugs that Alex would suck on for comfort throughout the day.  I recall him pulling it out to say something and then putting it back in, which really let me know Binky's time was coming to an end. My other mommy friends with kids of similar age were horrified that Alex still used a pacifier, but the time never seemed right to do away with them. When Alex was 20 months old, I became pregnant and it seemed like so much in his life was going to change, I didn't have the heart to take away his beloved Binkies.  
When I finally got up the courage to take away the pacifier, I decided to try a strategy that my sister and other moms had used- the Binkie Fairy.  This Fairy's job is to take away the "baby" binkies to give away to the new little babies who need them and in their place, she leaves new big kid toys.  It's a swap.  I collected all the binkies after Alex went to sleep and threw them out, feeling sick with guilt.  The Binkie Fairy left a note thanking Alex for giving away his baby binkies and she left him toy cars.  He liked the cars but wanted those binkies back.  Except they were gone. And he eventually got over it...
Today was Megan's two year old check-up.  Megan blessedly never took to the binkie so that is one battle I don't have to fight.  Our Waterloo will be the "ba-ba."  Megan can speak in full sentences and recite nursery rhymes, knows all her colors including aqua, but she still calls the bottle her "ba-ba" and she does NOT want to give it up.  The doctor said it's time.  She said maybe do a Bottle Fairy to give the bottles to the new little babies.  Tonight, I brought this up to Megan.  Here's how it went:
Me: The doctor said you're a big girl and it's time to give our ba-ba's away to the babies.
Megan: I not a big girl.  I little.  (Hitting me) That makes me very ang-y. (Pouty face). 
Tonight, I just don't have it in me to be the Bottle Fairy. I'm not ready to give up the cuddles as she rests in my arms and drinks her ba-ba and we snuggle.  She is my last baby and it's getting to be that time when there will be no more diapers and no more bottles.  She is growing up and while I love that, I also mourn it. Soon, very soon, the Bottle Fairy will whisk away the beloved bottles and leave a pretty doll or a new package of crayons and a coloring book. Tonight, Megan will rest in my arms and drink her ba-ba and we'll snuggle, as I hold tightly to a babyhood that has gone way too fast. 
Alex and his beloved Binky, pre-Fairy
Megan, drinking her most favorite ba-ba and her fellow ba-ba loving cousin. 

Comments

  1. LynnGMarch 24, 2015 at 7:15 AM

    Reminds me of the binky fairy coming here. A year later my daughter found the pacifiers under the seat in her dad's car. Apparently he didn't think it was going to work out.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JudyMarch 24, 2015 at 7:20 AM

    One more night won't hurt her. Sweet piece.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JudyMarch 24, 2015 at 7:20 AM

    One more night won't hurt her. Sweet piece.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMarch 24, 2015 at 2:46 PM

    Oh, how I love this post! My Lily was never into the binky either but she sure LOVES her ba ba's. I keep thinking that now that she's 1.5, that it's time. She was sick with a stomach bug all last week so we didn't give her one at night (no milk allowed) and last night when she was finally feeling better we thought we wouldn't. This was the best opportunity to get rid of it! We totally caved...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Leigh Anne EckMarch 24, 2015 at 6:46 PM

    Those milestones are so hard - especially when it involves sleep, which it did in my case. My kids only got binkies and bottles at nighttime. Made for some very long nights. Good luck with the fairy visit!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mindi RenchMarch 24, 2015 at 9:06 PM

    My oldest used a pacifier to soothe herself to sleep, but when she was about 1, she threw it out of her crib and then cried until I went in to pick it up. The next night she did the same thing. After that? no more paci. In reality, she didn't really miss it.
    I think I missed it more than she did because it was a sign that she was growing up, learning to soothe herself. Now she's 13, and she can do most everything herself. Today she woke up with horrible sinus pain so I took her to the doctor. The doc gave Molly a new-to-her antibiotic, so I took that as an excuse to stay home with her and baby her. Though there were no cuddles, it did feel nice to be needed.
    Thank you for sharing this sweet story.

    ReplyDelete

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