GOODBYE, PAP! Translation in our family = Pacifier

Some people call it a binky, papi, fire, paci, etc...In our family, it was affectionately known as, PAP! This PAP became a part of our family since Isabella learned to talk and named her pacifier this...We've had to keep "track" of this friend for 4 1/2 years now. It's been part of our inventory system and I needed to have one on hand whenever she asked for it. When she was a baby, we attached it to her with a clip on...when she was older I just made sure we had them upstairs, downstairs, in the fridge, in the cooler when we went out and sometimes in my purse. As she got older, people would comment and say she was too old and it's time, but I truly wanted her to decide when she was ready. About 6 months ago, we took Gabi off her baby pap because her teeth were not coming in as she liked to hold her pacifier with her gums, on the left side of her mouth like Popeye! I knew in my heart it was affecting her and her teeth/health, so we took it away cold turkey...she didn't even cry one little bit. Isabella still used her friend and loved it! Mostly when she was tired or hurt and at night.

Then, I found out that pacifiers, like other bottles, nipples, plastics, contained a chemical called BPA...bisphenol A...not safe for anyone. You can decide for yourself and read about it here and other chemicals to avoid: http://healthychild.org/5steps/5_steps_5/?gclid=CMmTlZnxgZcCFQhJagodEjs0Yw#safety_checklist

So I went online and ordered BPA and phatlate free pacifiers for Isabella.

Ok, so about 3 weeks ago, Gabi decided that she loved Isabella's pacifier with a duck on it...the pink one. She quickly named it, "my duck duck my." After we laughed, we knew it wasn't a new chinese dinner, and we decoded what she was calling it, it was stuck to her like glue! All of a sudden, all day, she was like "where's my duck duck my." Ok, so maybe it's the chemical free plastic, but both Isabella and Gabi broke through the plastic and I ended up throwing almost all the pacifiers out. Isabella even helped me...later that night, we fished one out, yes from the trash and sterilized one that was not "truly" broken yet because she couldn't sleep. Again, we cold turkey stopped Gabi's use, but Bella was a harder habit to break.

Well, last night was a new experience for me...I had to throw away our last and final PAP! It was so hard on her and me...I let her sleep in our room, I just laid with her, held her, pet her, played with her hair...I told her it's ok to be sad and she can cry if she feels like it (not sure this wasn't a mistake, out came the tears) I told her that we were grateful for all the times Pap made us feel better and took away our pain and made her feel safe. We loved Pap and would always remember him/her. We appreciated that instead I bought her a Barbie she wanted and she said, "Mom, I'd trade all my toys if I can have my pap back." She was going through withdrawal. I cried with her (silently) and sung to her...Maybe she was crying from my singing or the pap, we'll never know, but she did finally fall asleep...she is still sleeping...it was a late night, but as I sit next to her my hope and my dream is that I can comfort her anytime she needs me to and always help her move forward to the next phase in life. :) Did I mention it's 10:44am! She is a great sleeper!!!!! And she slept all night without her friend, PAP!

UPDATE!!
TODAY WAS HARD! Hard for me, Hard for Isabella! So we decided to make "PAP" a Goodbye We LOVE You cake! it came out adorable and most of all, distracted Bella from her sadness and fear of not having the pap.
ONE MORE UPDATE!!
TONIGHT WAS HARDER! Isabella finally went to sleep sometime before 1am, crying, asking for her Pap, saying, "Mommy, I'm so sad, what should I do?" breaking my heart...and keeping me up :) Then finally she fell asleep and I thought we're in the clear. No such luck, she woke up at 4am saying the exact same thing and asking for her friend and is still currently up for the day...I assume she'll nap later, maybe, but now I get to stay up! Boy, I miss PAP.

P.S. For anyone who is still using a Pap or starts to use one you need to search online for BPA FREE pacifiers, bottles, etc., this is a brand you can look for...
Evenflo Mimi Soft Touch pacifiers are BPA free and come in a two pack.

Halloween & Trick or Treating Indoors!

This Halloween, our girls are almost, 4 1/2 (Isabella aka Barbie The Island Princess) and 2 1/2 (Gabrielle aka Tinkerbell), and had no desire to "celebrate" Halloween with the traditional trick or treating. We work very hard to actually listen to our girls, instead of following a protocol for what Halloween traditions should be. Isabella was too scared of Halloween to see any costumes, so we stayed inside this year and celebrated at home and gymnastics class. We decorated with pumpkins and nothing scary at home, we went to the pumpkin patch and jumped around, we baked Ghost sugar cookies with Bubie and Grammy, and then decided not to hand out candy or open the door to other trick or treaters who we wouldn't know what to expect for their costumes. Instead, we let the girls dress up and trick or treat from room to room inside our home. The most important thing for us was that they were happy, healthy, and had fun with no anxiety or discomfort! It was a blast...we had so much fun and it was just another wonderful experience we could all have together. I am a huge fan of getting our girls to communicate...Isabella is amazing at telling us what she is comfortable with or not...Gabi will soon learn too once she is fully talking! :) I am grateful that we can share traditions new and old, but in a way that feels good for everyone! While we may not always understand why a 4 year old is scared, it's just important that we respect her feelings and listen to her words.