Bye bye binky

This post originally just had these pictures in the April insta update, but then I thought I should have it be in it's own post.  I mean getting this kid to give up his binky is kind of a BIG deal right?? So here goes:

With the therapy we decided it was time to take away the binky.  I didn't think it was that big of an issue because the girls both had the binkies until they were two and would take them out to talk.  Not this kid.  And I was getting pretty good about taking it away during the day and only letting him have it for sleep.  I delayed taking it away at two though because of our trip and I wanted him to have it for the plane.  And then we got home and he was way more attached to them.  I used to be able to ask him to give me his bink and he would hand it right over, not so much now.  So over the weekend we decided we would start by clipping the tip.  He wasn't so sure about this at first, and then ran to the drawer to check his other binkies. When he realized they were all clipped he was shocked (and his little face was seriously hilarious)  By that afternoon though he didn't seem to care, bed time was a little rough but by Sunday he was totally cool with the clipped tip.  DOH!  

On Saturday afternoon (I had clipped them that morning) we spent the afternoon watching Star Wars with the kids for the first time.  I made a deal with the girls that if they cleaned up the toy room we could get Starbucks (vanilla steamers for them) and watch Star Wars together.  And they delivered.  Quinton LOVED when R2D2 was on screen.  *At this point he was ok with his clipped binky*

Monday morning I decide I'm not going to let him have his binky unless he is sleeping.  He wasn't too happy with me for that for the most part.  He kept going to the drawer where I used to keep them to try and find one, and of course I've hidden them out of site of him.  He started asking for it less and less, and stoped looking for them less and less.  Finally by Wednesday he's doing awesome without the binky during the day.  At nap time he was so excited to see it though, but after nap I distracted him and take it away again.  Along comes bed time and rather than just hand it to him I keep it in my pocket out of sight.  While I put on his PJ's, read, sing, and snuggle I keep waiting for him to ask for it, and he didn't.  Ok I think he'll want it once he's in the crib.  NOPE! This kid goes right to sleep without it!  This is HUGE people!

And this my friends is the face of a little boy who slept ALL night without his binky!!  yeah he woke me at 5:50am, but I was prepared for a rough night of him waking a lot to find the binky and he didn't!!  WOOO HOOOO!!!

Further proof that this kid is surprising me!!  All morning on Thursday he went without the binky. Didn't ask for it at all or look for it.  It's like he just accepted that it's gone.  SO WEIRD!  So I went about nap time as usual, and he didn't ask for it.  Went right to sleep.  Then I thought for sure he'd do what Lydia did.  She gave it up pretty easily, but for about two weeks after her naps where horrible, she would sleep like 45 min wake up and then couldn't go back to sleep.Night time was still going good though.  He slept just over an hour that nap and that was HUGE!  His naps have been awful lately anyway, never predictable, so a solid hour is great for now.  FINGERS AND TOES CROSSED that something doesn't suddenly click in his head and he realizes he wants that binky still.

Sick of the binky updates yet? Last night was a little more what I expected. He woke up at 11:30 pretty distraught. But with lots of snuggles and singing he went back to bed pretty easily. Then it was an early morning again, 5:45 this time, but he hasn't asked for it all morning or gone looking for it. We will get there I know, just gotta be patient with him

Open mouth is his constant look now ha ha ha. 

And here we are one full week without the Binky.  He has surprised me this week.  It was hard at some points, but honestly it was sooooo much easier than I thought it was going to be.  I sometimes wish when he is melting down I can just hand him that binky, but I am sticking to it.  Can't go back now!!  The last couple of mornings he has gone back to waking around 6:30am instead of the 5:45am stuff.  His naps are getting a little longer, and he hasn't asked for a binky or looked for one for a couple of days now.  We are definitely past the toughest part.  One BIG thing is his speech.  I never thought the binky was a problem because both girls had binkies and would just pull them out to talk to me.  One thing the therapist had asked during his eval was if he babbled.  And really he didn't.  Just grunts.  But since taking away the binky I have noticed him babbling here and there.  So I'm thankful I took it away finally and thankful that it will make a difference.

It makes him seem so much bigger and just adds to his little boyness and he is less and less my baby.  Sad face!